“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Jerry Seinfeld
The vast majority of people rank fear of public speaking as number one – 75% according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
Since our earliest history, we have needed to band together to survive, so we evolved to be part of groups. Exile often meant death. To the survival part of our brain, the situation looks dangerous. Your body gets ready to fight, flee, or freeze, which means physical tension, shaking, increased blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and forgetting what you were about to say. For some people, this means a fear of speaking to large groups. For others, it means speaking to even a single person if that person has the power to evaluate you.
The scientific word for fear of public speaking is “glossophobia”. Glossophobia affects men and women in equal numbers, although men are more likely to seek treatment for it.
The fear can come from an experience where we were once embarrassed, or even overwhelmed with attention that was supposed to be positive. It could just as easily have been an event that seems unrelated, such as how we were praised or corrected at home or school.
Many professional speakers feel significant fear of public speaking.
Many people are afraid to speak in public despite solid preparation.