Public Speaking Isn’t One Fear. Ask Jackson

I would not be able to stroll casually through some parts of town for fear of getting mugged.
Great comment, Anonymous — I agree. Fear levels change depending on context.

If I walk safely through the rough part of town, the fear I feel later in the boardroom is completely different. Not a mugging, but a smashed ego.
Different dials on the dashboard light up when different situations crawl in, each with its own brand of fear. Context is king. Imagine the absurdity of being scared of polar bears when entering a tiger sanctuary.

I was teaching advanced ESL to seasoned factory workers. One woman said, “I would rather speak to an army of savages than talk to Jackson.” Jackson was that senior lady’s direct boss, and all confrontations with him nuked her confidence. He had the power to make her life hell. Speaking to Jackson made her freeze up. On the shop floor she commanded great respect. Same person, same voice, different audience, different witnesses.

It’s no easy task to find the actual light that blinks on the dashboard when you have to speak to any audience. For some, the fear of potential job loss becomes the blinking warning light. It could be the fear of ridicule or of losing status.

yesterday Anonymous commented: Speaking in public can be a fear that changes depending on what you are speaking about and to whom.
Being specific can be a tool to transcend the idea of one basic level of fear. A monster with a name can be addressed, or punched in the face.

The man afraid of mugging doesn’t avoid boardrooms. He avoids dark streets. Name the monster correctly, and you stop running from everything.