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By Amy Bennett | March 19, 2018
Be honest. Who knows what the word glossophobia means? Not me. I had to look it up. It means the fear of public speaking. People fear public speaking so much that they created a word for it! The word glossophobia derives from the Greek word γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread. Some people have this specific phobia; others may also have broader social phobia or social anxiety disorder.
While in some, this fear is more intense than in others, different sources I’ve seen say that up to 75% of us have glossophobia. I read a funny quote from Jerry Seinfeld about this fear:
“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two! Does that sound right? That means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
Okay. That may be an exaggeration, but no doubt, the fear is very real. If you truly do want to overcome your fear of public speaking, here are some suggestions:
These are just my “real-world” tips. To learn from a pro, you may even want to enroll in a college course. Email me. I just happen to know an excellent Catholic university in Indianapolis which offers some great online communication courses.
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