Imagine going up in front of a crowd. Palms sweating, body trembling, and your heart pounding faster and faster. As you begin to speak, the words just start to fall apart, jumbling into a huge mess of meaningless words.
When considering the fact that 74% of people experience these symptoms, there is no doubt that public speaking has proven to be a bad experience for most people. But what some do not realize is the great impacts that public speaking can have.
One of the biggest reasons why public-speaking is needed is to spread ideas. Whether in a small business meeting, or at one of the biggest speeches in the world, speaking can convey multiple ideas and points across. If personal opinions are unshared, these ideas can have no impact or influence to make a difference. Although the majority of the time public speaking won’t necessarily “change the world,” it can spread influence and impact people.
Public speaking can even help people on the receiving end as well. When listening to a variety of speeches about different topics, people can learn about those subjects. By being an engaged listener, people can expand their knowledge about ideas that can influence the world.
Although it is established that public speaking has worthwhile benefits, what happens to the 74% of people who have a fear of speaking? The best thing they can do is practice. Although this statement is somewhat hackneyed, it is still very true. When practicing a certain speech over and over again, the points become embedded in your brain.
Another solution to this problem is to join multiple speech and debate teams and clubs within your school. Being exposed to other speakers can allow you to learn how to speak effectively, and see an example of how an exemplary speaker speaks. Also, it allows you to receive critiques and criticism, which overall improves your speaking.
With all of this in mind, public speaking can actually have a positive impact on the world. Without it, who knows where the world would be right now.