The Book of Lists Fear of Public Speaking - What a Public Speaking Coach Thinks…
Apr 17th, 2008 by Pete Miller
As a professional public speaking coach I have looked into the origin of the fear of public speaking. The origin of the fear of public speaking comes from the Book of Lists. This book was published in 1972. The Guardian newspaper had picked up this book and said, “Oh. Listen to this. How about this? the Book of Lists says that the fear of public speaking is greater than death”.
The source of this list, no one knows. Some journalist in some office somewhere in London has come up with it, but there was never any source given. So no one really knows where this survey was done.
With more than thirty years since that was published, I think we’ve got over it a little bit. But it’s constantly brought up and as a professional public speaker and coach I should come across this on a daily basis if it was such an issue.
I think this Book of Lists statistic on fear of public speaking above death is silly concept and I have noticed as a professional public speaking coach that as a society we have moved on from this.
Pete, I have to say that every time I hear that statistic, I cringe. Not just because I’ve been unable to track down any evidence of this “fact,” but also because speakers and coaches are so willing to repeat it over and over, blindly and with no proof.
I agree with you that it’s a silly concept that is not true for the majority of the population. Yes, people fear public speaking. But more than death? More than spiders? More than heights? I doubt it.
Thanks for your comment Lisa - your support is much appreciated.
Sometimes I feel like a lone crusader - so its good to know other coaches feel the same!
You will enjoy a more in-depth short article (including this silly “death” one)
about speaking clichés here:
http://speakerscoach.org/public-speaking_docs/article_presentation_voice_coaching/speaking_cliches4.html
Cheers from Pete Miller
SpeakersCoach + MC
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I’ve searched and searched for the source of this. It’s amazing how many “well known facts” turn out to be nonsense. I don’t know whether this was legit or not but I’m dubious.
I’d like to know what the question was too. I fear death more than public speaking, but whereas public speaking is something I’m likely to be called on to do, I tend not to think of death as something that’s likely to occur on any given day. So speaking is more likely to be on my mind as something to fear.
I think the people in the survey (if it was ever done) should be presented with a choice between public execution and being pardoned if they are willing to plead for their life. The priorites might change.
Pete,
I, too was baffled about the origin of this claim several years ago. I searched out the origin because I was crippled by fear of speaking. I cannot even recall where I found the basis behind the list, but it actually made sense to a point if the explanation I once found was accurate.
It was not a survey where they asked people to rate fears, or things like that. It was more like a personality quiz where they asked a lot of questions in a variety of ways, and compiled data. In this way, statistics can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to. And it was probably asked of people who were attending classes on how to combat the fear of public speaking.
Also, you take into consideration that we are a nation of faith. Around 80% of American profess some belief in a higher power. Most of those who believe in a higher power, believe in an afterlife…a heaven if you will…and funny enough most of those who actually believe in a heaven believe that they are going there. So death leads to something better. Public speaking is NOW, and if you die on stage (trip, stutter, forget what you were going to say, etc) they think that they will have to live with the embarrasment for the rest of their lives.
Now, that being said, if you think that we have gotten over it a bit, I would say that you are dead wrong. I have discovered (quite by accident) that I have developed a passion for public speaking, and am now doing it professionally. One of my main seminars is “Fearless Speaking”. In my experience, the fear is more common and stronger than ever. This is because that fear is handed down, and combating it has been taught wrong for generations, leading to strengthening our fear.
I tend to agree as well - I’ve heard SO many times fear of public speaking as number 1 fear, number 2 being death. Kind of silly. YET…
I doubt the real fear is the public speaking itself. Let’s talk of real fears instead: how’s fear or rejection for starters ? Fear of ridicule ? And most people can think back to some time they made a public impression… and where shamed, ridiculed, rejected. That’s the real fear to me. And it IS pervasive.
My 2 cents worth.
Yohann