Question 1

I personally believe that the anxiety that comes with public speaking is because of all the negative hype associated with it. Public speaking wasn't really a huge area of study for previous generations at least when speaking to a few parents of different ages. I feel that the anxiety attached to public speaking is because of the lack of knowledge and practice of the ones who raised us. I think with the large emphasis that our currently curriculum's that are in place now the fear of public speaking will start to diminish. For me personally my biggest issue with talking in front of a crowd is engaging all of them. As in it is hard for me to engage each and every person or the opposite of just looking in the general directing of them. In that scenario I feel like I am ignoring the people listening. So for me it is hard finding that happy medium of eye contact and no eye contact. One of the book references does ring true as well for me as well. It is the uncertainty about the audience's response. I have a very unique way of talking and a dry and complex sense of humor. When I explain things people tend to get lost because they get overwhelmed with details that I include or I explain it with an expectation that they are listening to every word I am saying. When I go back to reference something I had said earlier people tend to get lost. Also when someone tells a joke thinking it is going to get the audience going and there is no response it kind of kills the mood.