Chapter 8 The nature of public speaking

Your fear of speaking in public is not unique to you, it turns out to be a common weakness.Surveys of college students have shown that 80% to 90% of students in speech classes will feel the fear of going on stage at the beginning of class.I also believe that in my adult classes, at the beginning of the course, the percentage of students who are afraid of going on stage is higher than this, almost 100%. In fact, it can be beneficial to have a certain level of fear when going on stage. We are born with the ability to cope with the unusual challenges of the objective environment.So when you notice your pulse quickening and your breathing quickening, don't panic.Your body is always alert to external stimuli, and now it is ready to deal with this unexpected situation.If this physiological warning signal is carried out within reasonable limits, you will think faster, speak more fluently, and generally speak more articulately than under normal circumstances. powerful.

Numerous professional speakers have solemnly told me that they never quite get rid of the fear of going on stage.There is always fear before they speak.This kind of fear will continue when you say the first few sentences, but after a while of psychological adjustment, you can enter a normal state.Preferring to be a racehorse than a packhorse is the price these speakers have to pay. After reading the story of the eminent speaker and renowned psychologist, Albert Edward Wiggen, I have always considered it an inspiration.He said that when he was in middle school himself, he was inexplicably horrified at the thought of standing up and giving a five-minute speech.He wrote:

"As the day of the lecture drew near, I would get really sick. Just the thought of doing that dreadful thing would make the blood rush to my forehead and my cheeks burn so badly. I'd have to go behind the school and Cheek against a cold brick wall trying to reduce the flush that comes in. The same thing in college. "Once, I had just carefully memorized the beginning of a speech: 'Adams and Jefferson are dead.' But when I faced the audience, there was a sudden boom in my head, and I hardly knew where I was. I still Barely squeezed out the opening remarks. But I couldn't say any other words other than 'Adams and Jefferson are dead'. I had to bow to the people... Amidst thunderous applause, I had to walk away with great dignity Go back to your seat. At this point, the principal had to stand up and smooth things over: "Well, Edward, we are really shocked to hear this sad news, but it has come to an end, and we will try to mourn as much as possible." Then there was an uproar of laughter. Faced with this situation, I really wanted to die. After that speech, I was sick for several days.

"After that experience, living in this world, the last thing I dare to look forward to is to become a public speaker." A year after he left college, he lived in Denver. In the political campaign of 1896, he was arguing bitterly about "free silver coinage".One day, enraged when he read a pamphlet describing the proposals of the "Freedom Silvermen," thinking their promises were empty, he pawned his watch for travel back to his native Indiana.Once there, he volunteered to give lectures on sound money to an audience that included many of his former schoolmates.He wrote in the book:

"At the beginning, the scene of Adams and Jefferson lecturing at the university came back to my mind. I began to feel suffocated, stuttered, and I was about to be wiped out. But, as Depp used to say, in the audience's With encouragement and anticipation, I barely made it through the introduction, and this small success gave me the courage to continue. I thought I had about 15 minutes, but to my surprise, I It has been talking for an hour and a half. "In the years that followed, I really became the most amazing person in the world who made public speaking a job for himself."

I am most attached to what William James called the habits of success. Yes, Albert Edward Wiggle finally learned how to overcome his fear of speaking in public, and one of the most effective ways he did it was to have a successful experience first and then use it as a backup.After you have achieved small successes, the fear hidden in your heart will gradually disappear, so you will be able to handle similar situations with ease. As you should expect, since you will be speaking to many people, it is natural to have a certain degree of fear.However, you should learn to limit your fear within a certain range, so that it has the least negative impact, and then try your best to conquer it.

Even if your fear after taking the stage is unstoppable, it will cause your heart to stagnate, your speech will not be smooth, and your muscles will spasm excessively, which will seriously affect the effect of your speech.You don't have to despair, this symptom is not uncommon for beginners.As long as you work hard and control it well, you will find that the level of fear after coming to power will soon be reduced to a certain limit. After this period, you will find that it is a kind of help, not a kind of resistance up.