Sweaty palms. Shaky voice. Nervous weight-shifting. As you stumble through each sentence of your speech, you're a wreck from head to foot. Fortunately, you're not alone -- more than 50 percent of Americans suffer from a fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, according to an article in The Northwest Indiana Times that cited "Phobias," a book by Gail Stewart.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, responding to national polls that showed public speaking had beaten out spiders and death as the number one fear among Americans, joked on his 1999 comedy album "I'm Telling You For the Last Time" that most people present at a funeral would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.
So what is it that triggers this common panic?
"It varies by individual," Clinical Psychology Prof. Bethany Teachman said. "The concern is being evaluated negatively by other people -- fears that they will look stupid, sound unintelligent or boring, that they will make a fool of themselves ... Social anxiety is one of the most common psychological difficulties."
Teachman explained that the nervous system "goes wild" in response to the false danger of speaking in front of a group of people. This "fight or flight" state of panic is actually very normal -- it would be more dangerous if this false alarm didn't go off when there was a real danger, such as if a bear was chasing you.
Some students point out that the fear of public speaking derives from the pressure to make a good impression.
"It's very critical because it is often, outside of appearance, the first impression that people will have of you," fourth-year Commerce student Syreeta Price said.
Commerce and business students are constantly reminded of the significance of public speaking skills as a critical career tool in their courses and are required to take specific communications classes for practice. Business Administration Prof. June West related the importance of these skills to real world situations.
"Look at the headlines and at how many CEOs have derailed themselves because of speaking out of context," she said. "More and more people in industry tell me that if a young person cannot express themselves in a public setting, they are not promoted. We [as a society] really put a lot of emphasis on how someone presents themselves publicly."
Third-year College student Shahid Zaman cited a book he read about public speaking that referred to presidents such as Abraham Lincoln having a bad case of stomach butterflies before addressing large groups of people.
"People who you never would have imagined see it as a big obstacle," he said.
Perhaps the fact that even the most well-known public figures suffer nervousness when speaking to crowds testifies to the universality of glossophobia.
To those who fear embarrassment while taking the podium, third-year Commerce student Kelly Woodham recommends a more light-hearted approach.
"I've gotten far with my public speaking class because I have very little shame," she said. "I don't mind making a fool of myself in front of lots of people."
Zaman said he thinks that preparation is the best tool, and that one should always know the opposing viewpoints to his argument.
Price noted that in a speech class she took recently, she was taught to strike up a conversation with a stranger.
"You'll never see them again -- how can they judge you? Who cares?" she said.
But when strangers don't talk back, or when practice doesn't make perfect, West has further advice.
"I tell my students, you've got to have passion about the topic you're talking about -- is it interesting to you? Do you know about it?" she said. "It's also about understanding your audience and what they will relate to -- humor, statistics."
Teachman prescribed diaphragmatic (slow) breathing and perseverance through the speech to those working to overcome glossophobia. She also explained that the fear of public speaking is only a real problem if it interferes with a person's functioning or the realization of goals.
Morton C. Orman, author of "How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear," said it's important to remember that "your audience truly wants you to succeed," because they probably fear speaking as much as you do.
"While a slip of the tongue or a mistake of any kind might seem a big deal to you, it's not very meaningful or important to your audience," Orman said. "Their judgments and appraisals will usually be much more lenient than yours."
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