And many people don t like it at all. Often the most insincere line in a speech comes when the speaker attests to what a pleasure it is to be there, when in fact he or she would sooner be almost anywhere else on earth at that moment. Yet it is an absolute fact that public speaking can be an absolute pleasure for both the speaker and the audience if it is approached with due care. The first step to making good speeches is to subdue one s fear of appearing in public. This trepidation is as old as the Old Testament, in which Jeremiah protested that he was too young to be a preacher, and Moses was reluctant to assume the leadership of the Israelites because I am slow of speech, and of slow tongue.
Modern psychologists have a rational explanation for the phenomenon known as stage fright.
What people are really afraid of, they say, is the possibility of humiliation resulting from criticism or failure. Being on guard against such psychological harm provokes an instinctive fight or flight response. As our bodies prepare to fight or flee in the face of a threat, our muscles become so taut that we begin to tremble. At the same time, our glands shoot adrenalin into our blood to add to our alertness and energy. Our mouths go dry so that we will not choke on our saliva which explains why public speakers so frequently clear their throats.