Stage fright is an issue that all novice speakers need to deal with first, before they can develop the actual speaking skill. I believe through a combination of practical experience and knowledge one can get through this . It is stated,the number one cause for public speaking anxiety is fear. And the following article address that fear and how to overcome it.
Write a short response to the article, and critically reflect on what scares you when you speak.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR2007021501607_pf.html
I myself am very comfortable in front of crowds, I have never experienced stage fright to the degree that some of the people highlighted in this article have. The first time I took a public speaking class in high school I was not very good with speaking simply because I didn't know how to take my time and speak clearly and concisely while still thinking as I spoke. I believe that for most people taking a Public Speaking class and learning to organize your thoughts for the next thing you are going to say while you are speaking is the most important thing, after that like the article said all the is left to do is practice. This article was interesting and I didn't know so many people were plagued with social anxiety. I think that any research done to help people overcome their fears is always beneficial. I hope many people can benefit from the Stagefright Survival School, if anyone is held back in any area of their life simply because they lack confidence to talk publicly then they should have a way to rid themselves of that fear and reach their true potential.
ReplyDeleteThis article gives me the hope that I'm looking for with this class... the more I give speeches in front of a large class, the better I will be. My introduction of myself was fine, but the following week when I introduced my classmate, I was extremely nervous and uncomfortable. I knew everything I wanted to say and even had my notecard ready with bullet points, but for some reason I felt too nervous to look at it! I feel like my speech was all over the place, it sure was that way in my head. First, I recommend using the notecard(s) to stay focused. I almost felt as though I was blanking out with my thoughts during some of it. And then... being videotaped and monitored for uhs and ums through me right over the edge, my nerves were at their peak! I want to relax more next time, be sure of myself and use the help of my notecard. By the time I get to the podium I am already prepared and have the knowledge of my topic so there should be no reason to second guess myself. It is nice to know that we all go through this, or most of us go through this, at some point in our life and with enough practice, it will become more and more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to know that even some of the highly trained professionals go through similar nerve wracking problems as us. I think one thing that i learned in this article is that the key to giving good speech is not thinking about yourself while speaking As hard as this sounds, i think great speakers do have this capability. I am one of those people who is not that comfortable giving speeches.I don't completely understand why. However, all and all it is great to know that everyone goes through some extent of this problem.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I was so happy because all speakers even teachers, instructors experience some form of anxiety when they have to give a speech. Every time, I have to give a speech, at the introductory phase I lose confidence and I start to forget some words. Preparation is the key of a good speech. I am going to use some tips from this article to improve my next speech.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article. I had never in my wildest dreams compared stage fright to death. But come to think about it, stage fright is a serious issue and the panic attacks that one goes through during stage fright can be unbearable. I think the first step in overcoming stage fright is to be knowledgeable about the subject. Secondly, prepare yourself thoroughly through practice. Finally, like we discuss in class, build a very good first sentence. Stage fright is basically due to lack of confidence. If you are comfortable with your first statement the rest will flow easily, and the more relax you become, the more easy it will be to speak in front of people.
ReplyDeleteI have had stage fright before and it is an ugly situation.
I thought this was a great article. I loved the point the author kept emphasizing that no matter what level of experience or what career field you are in, you'll be able to find a large number of people who suffer from stage fright.
ReplyDeleteThis made me bring up stage fright at my office today, and I was surprised to find even some of the physicians and other medical staff confessed to suffering from stage fright. To think someone who is an expert in their field, and is so well regarded by their colleagues and patients alike still gets nervous when having to address a large crowd came as such a shock to me. One physician assistant even told me that it felt like during the first two minutes of her speech, that her mind would just go completely blank. This absolutely tied in to the article and the points that were discussed last class, that you should try to memorize and have a great opening statement to get the ball rolling in a positive direction.
I could also relate a great deal to the quote from Peter Pober regarding a lack of "dialogic interaction". I thought about how many times I end sentences with "...you know?" or "...right?" It's almost like there is a constant need for reassurance that is provided by a dialogue between you and the person you are talking to otherwise you start to feel uncomfortable and like the article said you start to get the feeling of being judged.
This article did give me a great sense of hope for being able to improve as a public speaker. It is so reassuring knowing that there are so many other people out there that suffer just as much as I do when giving speeches. I guess it's just something that you have to practice and keep working through in order to get better.
I find it amazing that an incredibly social animal (us) will suffer from stage fright and it is shocking that it is so common among us. I would have thought that we would have evolved away from this fear but it is clear we have not. If this fear was not so common, Jerry Seinfeld’s joke “see article” would not be so funny.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think this fear is odd and illogical, I do agree with Todd McDermott when he said that the source of that fear is a fear of being judged. Whenever I speak I am always paranoid that I will start stuttering like I did when I was a little kid. It is odd that I should be absolutely scared that some people will notice my old speech problem when I do not really care that much about these people’s opinions of me. This is truly an odd fear.
i get fear at the initial part of delivering a speech. i always think of LOST where the character Jack reflects on a situation where he is doing surgery, and something goes terribly wrong, so he closes his eyes for 5 seconds, to let all the fear in, and once he opens it, the fear is gone. I usually close my eyes for 5 seconds in any tough situation and when i open them, im ready for anything
ReplyDeleteIt is comforting to know that even the professionals get nervous before speeches. I find the best way to overcome any anxiety is just to be prepared and take a deep breath before I start. The more relaxed I am, the easier it is to deliver my speech.
ReplyDeleteWhen we are about to do something extra ordinary for the first time, we (human beings)get scared or nervous. Whether it is going to war, jumping from an airplane, playing an International tournament infront of the whole World or giving a speech for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI think it is totally normal for everyone to go through the feeling of being scared.
There's a famous saying, "practice makes perfect"(unknown). The more we practice our weaknesses, the better we will be.
I've given speeches before, but since I am out of practice, the fear of speaking in front of people is back and I hope to overcome it once again.
I usually try to be the first to get up when giving a speech or doing something in public; reason being is that I don't want to be judged. I feel like when being the first, you get less of an opportunity to be criticized. But honestly, it is very comforting to know that stage fear is an issue that everybody experiences. It is indeed a fear to messing up, not being good enough, being boring; a speaker thinks about every little thing that could go wrong…and truth is that the less you think about the negative, the more you focus on the good things that could make the interaction more pleasant and attractive to the audience.
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