NationStates Jolt Archive

When I was young, I was nervous in large groups. Especially if any attention was called upon myself. If I had to address a group of any size I'd just about die.

Then my mother told me if I was afraid to try and imagine everyone in their underwear. She said I wouldn't be afraid once I pictured how they would look in their skivies.








I've been having nightmares about them scary underwear people ever since.

When ever I had to do public speaking, the best advice was
"don't look at the people, but look above their heads... focus on the back walls. infact choose three areas and randomly look at them."

That gives the impression that I'm looking at the people when I am not looking at the people.

When ever I had to do public speaking, the best advice was
"don't look at the people, but look above their heads... focus on the back walls. infact choose three areas and randomly look at them."

That gives the impression that I'm looking at the people when I am not looking at the people.

I never got any advice for dealing with public speaking, so I had to develop my own tactics. They usually revolve around avoiding public speaking at any expense. Luckily I have uber-low blood pressure and blood sugar levels most of the time, so if all else fails I can just stand up too quickly and faint.

I never got any advice for dealing with public speaking, so I had to develop my own tactics. They usually revolve around avoiding public speaking at any expense. Luckily I have uber-low blood pressure and blood sugar levels most of the time, so if all else fails I can just stand up too quickly and faint.

Heh, that would go down a storm with the crowd...

Heh, that would go down a storm with the crowd...

Well, most of my public speaking is at school, where people aren't interested in what I'm saying anyway... a lot of the time no one except the teacher notices :p. That was very amusing the first few times it happened.

Then my mother told me if I was afraid to try and imagine everyone in their underwear. She said I wouldn't be afraid once I pictured how they would look in their skivies.
I was told that if you were afraid of someone, to imagine them on the toilet, in the throes of extremely painful constipation.

Needless to say, I too had nightmares subsequent to this :p

remindes me of one of the last times I did public speaking for my class...

the instructor wanted the Introduction to be attention grabbing... not the boring "My name is so-and-so and my topic is whatevers." No he wanted creative and attention grabbing intos.

I decided to give it to him... in SPADES!

My intoduction was to scream loudly, slam the text book into my head (it was padded so it didn't hurt,) and throw that text book across the room against the far wall.

My speech was on Public Stupidity. His remarks were all written by a shakey hand. And funny, he never again asked for an Attention-grabbing intro from any of his future classes.

Well, most of my public speaking is at school, where people aren't interested in what I'm saying anyway... a lot of the time no one except the teacher notices :p. That was very amusing the first few times it happened.

I imagine people would get used to it though. You'll find that whenever you do a speech people clear a space so you don't bang your head. Or have a bucket of water standing by.

I imagine people would get used to it though. You'll find that whenever you do a speech people clear a space so you don't bang your head. Or have a bucket of water standing by.

Nah, I only have one subject that requires class presentations, and even then, only one actually affects my final marks. I've only had to use the fainting at school three times so far :p.

I too was given the "imagine them on the toilet" advice for dealing with crowds. I was in a band that played quite a few gigs in the East Midlands and it certainly takes some effort to imagine everyone on the toilet. So I just imagined them naked instead. Which was much nicer and explains the history of Rock'n'Roll excess and the evolution of groupies.

Probably.

Nah, I only have one subject that requires class presentations, and even then, only one actually affects my final marks. I've only had to use the fainting at school three times so far :p.

I really can't find the words...