Public Speaking: Why Do We Fear it More Than Death?

Amy Taylor November 30, 2012

"According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two? Does that seem right? To the average person that means that if they have to go to a funeral, they’d be better off in the casket than giving the eulogy." – Jerry Seinfeld

Do you panic every time you are asked to speak in front of a bunch of people? Do your hands tremble as you approach the centre stage? Whether it’s a conference, a group meeting, a wedding toast, or a sports competition, stage fright or fear of public speaking is very common. Why?

Ask everyone you know who fears public speaking and they will tell you different reasons. Some would say they are afraid that the audience may not listen to them. Some think they are boring speakers while others don’t think they have the ability to persuade people. But did you know that all these reasons can be summed up into one?

Public Speaking as a Social Anxiety

The answer seems to lie in our remote past, suggests Dr Glenn Croston, author of the “The Real Story of Risk”. He said how we evolved from independent animals to social beings plays a major role in our fear of public speaking. How’s that? Let’s take a time travel…

Millions of years ago, the world was filled with large predators and with very little food. Early humans weren’t the largest fastest, or the fiercest animals. In fact, they were considered preys. But because humans are special (they have larger and more complex brains), most of them survived using their skills and wit.

One way to protect themselves from the dangers in the forest was to collaborate with other people. They started to form groups (which historians called tribes). Leaders were chosen to devise plans for survival. In a group, members can alert one another when there’s a predator coming. And altogether, they were able to escape death.

And because our ancestors believed two heads are better than one, getting kicked out from the group means doom. Being alone makes them helpless from predators. Being alone means death.

Our Fear of Rejection

Ostracism, or being outcast from the group, does not just form a social death but also results in death, said Kip Williams, a professor of psychological sciences at Purdue who studied ostracism. If the animal cannot protect itself from its predator, it cannot hunt enough food. Hence, it dies within a short period of time.

So how does this relate to public speaking? Basically, it doesn’t simply refer to the fear of speaking. It also speaks of ostracism. Modern humans still carry the fear of being outcast from the group. We believe that one false move can lead to rejection from our social network. It’s not just about being embarrassed or judged. Many people who fear public speaking are flooded with worries that others might reject them. It’s because deep within us, ostracism is a matter of life and death.

Dear Readers,

For you, what’s the most powerful way to overcome fear of public speaking?

Share your comments below!

Source of this article:

The Thing We Fear More Than Death