Emotion and Public Speaking

Abstract

The fear of public speaking surpasses the fear of heights, snakes, and sometimes even the fear of death. Why? Because as "social animals," we care (sometimes too much, I would say) about what others think of us. I wrote this article as part of my personal quest to understand and overcome the emotions I experience every time I have to give a speech in front of an unfamiliar audience. Managing emotions has become an increasingly debated topic in recent years, and as we evolve in terms of emotional intelligence, I believe that the first step to overcoming an obstacle is recognizing it.