All the Same:
A Look on the Misconception of Introverts and Public Speaking
Universally, people are quite familiar with the butterflies fluttering inside or the stomach dropping. Nevertheless society tends to separate people into two categories: extroverts and introverts. In general, extroverts are more outgoing and seen more as socializers while introverts often keep to themselves and come across as timid. Whenever the topic of introverts and extroverts is brought up, people rarely hear a comparison, and they will focus mainly on the contrast. Although many people believe introverts cannot succeed at being public speakers, the ratio of an extrovert speaker versus an introvert speaker is about equal because both groups have to overcome anxiety,
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Over the years, people who are introverts are looked down upon. People see introverts as weak, vulnerable, and shy. In the Maclean’s Back Pages periodical “Inside the Quiet Revolution” by Julia McKinnel, she recollects “Cain notes with dismay that our culture has become so obsessed with the idea of speaking up that even the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders "considers the fear of public speaking to be a pathology--not an annoyance, not a disadvantage, but a disease."” However, introversion is not a disease, and society needs to stop looking at it that way. Introverts need to be able to accept themselves. One way to help do that is to understand that in public speaking the speaker does not have to be funny or eccentric. In fact, those qualities can be distracting. A speaker needs to focus on telling the story. Specially, if an introvert has issues finding his or her self a great way to get comfortable is create a persona. A person is like putting a mask on. It gives a barrier to the outside world which can help in public speaking.
Moreover, for an introvert to find his or her self, he or she must find the strengths that are possessed. Introversion can be its own strength. The individuals, of course, have to master the skill. Introverts are great at making plans and getting things done. Once they realize that they can turn their
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Introverts tend to have big thoughts and plans; however, if what is in the head cannot be spoken in a clear and understandable manner to the audience, the message is lost. Communication is a big factor in public speaking. There is verbal and physical communication. The presenter must keep an eye out for physical communication. The audience will be perceptive at first in the speech, but if the speech is too long, uses big words, or even is just boring, the audience will lose interest. They might start fidgeting or yawning. Therefore it is the speaker’s job to keep an eye out, and accommodate if such notions happen. A happy audience will make a happy public
Based on Susan Cain's definition, introverted individuals prefer solitary activities and get exhausted easily by social interaction. They tend to be quite sensitive to external stimulation in general. Extroverted individuals on the other hand are the completely opposite, they prefer group activities and get energized by social interaction. They also tend to be more enthusiastic and more easily excited than introverts. Introverts are expert in working by themselves, however,
On this basis, those who are referred to as introverts are those that have a low degree of extroversion and the same applies to extroverts. Jung also notes that the functions of sensing, feeling, thinking, and intuiting impact on the personalities of people and moderate their degrees of extroversion and introversion. Generally speaking, introverts prefer quiet environments with minimal stimulation. Introverts are more likely to experience intense stress levels that can last for a long time as they strive to figure out the possible cause of the traumatizing events. It can be difficult for introverts to accommodate other people after they are hurt and need time alone before they recover from the trauma (Jung, 2014).
Many people portray introversion as being shy or being socially awkward, which it is not. Susan Cain, author of Quiet, defines introversion as “people who prefer quieter, more minimally stimulating environments. The key is about stimulation: extroverts feel at their best and crave a high degree of stimulation. For introverts, the optimal zone is much lower.” Shyness is something completely different, being shy is having a fear of humiliation whilst in public, shyness is not wanting to do something out of this idea that they will not be approved of in the eyes of the public.
Extraversion and its counterpart, introversion, have been the focus of many studies spanning several decades. Carl Jung (date) was the first to describe and document the trait of extroversion-introversion for study. Jung realized that extroversion differed for every person and fell somewhere on a spectrum (Guilford & Braly, 1930). According to J.P. Guilford and Kenneth W. Braly, “Extroversion is based upon a general chemical or metabolic disposition of the nervous system which produces a relative condition of general dissociation, a heightened resistance at the synapses, especially in the higher nervous centers” (Guilford and Braly, 1931). An extroverted person draws their energy from being around people where
For example, when asked a question at work I often answer with “give me just one second”, or “ill get back to you”. Most introverts need time for internal reflection. A chance to process the question and think about my response. Introverts make great listeners, are studious, and are okay with solitary activities (The Personality Page, n.d.). However, most introverts have a hard time with external communication and are sometimes perceived as being non-social (The Personality Page,
It is actually the worst side of me that I need to change for good. To be such a passive or introvert person but indeed you are actually a very talkative person is really ashamed. It feels like somehow I am being another character side of me that I don’t even like it. However, in a good perspective way to look at my poor communication skills, I get to learn how to gain my self-confidence privately or most probably in public and to avoid misunderstanding situation as well. There were saying that we need to take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people (Rohn, 2009) and this beautiful words really motivated and inspired me to improve my communication skills. Furthermore, friends and family also helped to build the courage in and out with positive vibes that they have poured
Lucas devotes a section of chapter one to talking about the history of public speaking stating that every culture has some word equivalent of the word speaker. Lucas then goes on to tell the similarities and differences between public speaking and conversation. Stephan Lucas then goes on to explains in this chapter that nervousness and stage fright are among the leading causes for the fear of public speaking. But he then assures us that nervousness is normal, and a welcomed part of speech giving. Lucas proves his point by saying, “If you feel nervous about giving a speech, you are in very good company. Some of the greatest public speakers in history have suffered from stage fright, including Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Sanger, and Winston Churchill” (Lucas, 2012 pg. 9). Lucas says that you should not run from your nervousness, but instead try to turn it into a positive nervousness. Lucas then goes on to give six ways to turn the negative nervousness into positive nervousness. They are acquiring speaking experience, preparation, positive thinking, visualization, realizing you’re nervousness isn’t visible and not expecting perfection. Now that Lucas has touched on the history, fears, and possible rewards of public
Introverts tend to be more quiet and reserved and prefer interaction only with close friends. On the
I started to be more outgoing by changing my verbal and nonverbal communication methods. I looked more people in the eyes and for longer times, that I did before, and I also talked a lot more than I used to. I made myself come out of my shyness to be a very outgoing person who can talk to anyone, and I do talk to anyone and everyone. For example, I have been told by people that I can talk to anyone and everyone. I made myself like that, and it’s a big part of my personality. I also knew that outgoing people go places in life, and I made myself into someone who takes chances and speaks up when something is offered. Falconer explains it perfectly, “If you don’t become outgoing you will miss a huge chunk of the best parts of your life. Social unease and shyness can be crippling character traits. So not only will you miss out on good times but you will miss out on a lot of good opportunities.” (para. 4). If I was the old shy me, then I wouldn’t have all the opportunities that I would have had today. I love talking to people now. It’s probably one of the best things about me, because I can start a conversation with just about everyone, and make sure that I look into their eyes. It makes it seem that I am very interested in what they are saying, and most of the time I am interested in what they are saying. I used to be the kind of person who wouldn’t want to be seen in a big crowd, but now I want to be noticed. I realized that I’d rather be heard,
On the other hand, introverts are people who are concerned with and interested in their own mental life and often perceived as more reserved and less outspoken in groups. Unlike extroverts who are feeling energized when they are around a large group of people, introverts have energy drained from them through human interaction. Hence, it is essential for them to spend some alone time to “recharge”. Al...
Introverts are just as capable as extroverts when it comes to becoming a great leader. It is believed that hard problems in the workforce or any leadership situation need to be given a lot of thought and consideration before making a drastic descision; this is a skill that introverts tend to possess (Murphy, 2013, p. 60). Unlike introverts, extroverts have more of a tendency to form solutions to problems without thinking much about the outcome, and they do not spend a lot of time getting other opinions on the matter (Murphy, 2013, p. 60). An introvert by nature asks more questions and listens closely to others which are great leadership skills (Murphy, 2013, p. 60). Unlike that of extroverts, introverts tend to be more capable at controlling negative emotions (Murphy, 2013, p. 60). By doing this, solutions are not determined by emotion, but by other’s input and serious
For as long as I can remember, public speaking has always been one of my greatest weaknesses. Whether it’s a simple in-class presentation or a speech in front of an auditorium filled with people, I can barely get my words out from the anxiety and stress. I’ve always admired those who seem to be able to just flow through their speeches without as much as a hint of nerves. The reason I decided to write my paper on this specific topic was to learn about different tips that people have for public speaking.
Introspection of oneself could be interesting and moderately to an extent challenging to put into words. There are many factors that influences who we are as an individual or as a part of a group. Generally speaking I believe we all wear several masks that portray us in different ways according to our settings and who we are around. Ever since I was able to get allowances and old enough to work, I invested in cameras in order to capture the various aspects of my life. I always thought I would reflect back on them to describe the moments, where I was in my life and my views during those moments. I could describe myself as many things; an outgoing, shy, caring, loyal, trustworthy, kind, an altruistic and conscientious person and etc. These are the ways I view myself, while others might have a different prospective of me. Gazing through the six pictures of myself reflects my perceived self-control, self-concept and self-presentation at the different stages within my life.
Interaction with people helps us know about them and we can comprehend their behavior in different situation and circumstances without getting surprised by their action. The candid conversation is helpful in expressing one’s thought but it can be fatal sometime. I believe that there has be a balance between being too extrovert and being too introvert. It is a common belief that introvert people are shy, they cannot speak in the presence of other. But the truth is that introverts are not shy, they prefer to be alone by choice. They feel energized and more productive when they are alone rather than surrounded by people. We can say that energy is drained in the presence of other. While extroverts are the outgoing people and feel energized in the presence of other. They think best when they are speaking. I am a person who is neither too introvert and nor too extrovert. I think I am more productive, thoughtful and can take better decisions when I am alone. At the same time I like hanging out with people and talking to them, but there is a limit to it. I think it is a good quality for a manager that he is neither too introvert nor too extrovert. If a manger is introvert he cannot perform his job properly as his job involves speaking to his co-workers and delegating the responsibilities to individuals commensurate to the individual’s experience and capabilities. The manager can know about the strength and weakness of his team by speaking to them. He cannot just sit in the office and know about the individual by looking at the profile of the person. On the other hand if the manager is extrovert and spends too much time among the team members, then there is a possibility th...
Being an introvert should be seen as someone who simply finds pleasure, relaxation, calmness, satisfaction, and tranquility with being by him/herself, a person who feels that loneliness, on the most literal and non harmful level,