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INFP and Public Speaking

[INFP] 
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3K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  bluemaverick 
I don't know what your experience in college will be like, but I can guess that unless you have put yourself in a position deliberately to make speeches, you are more likely to only do presentations in front of much smaller audiences. Any large class I have been in has been exclusively lecture, while any presentations you would make would be in recitations sections maybe composed of 20 students. Even when I was an english major, I felt like I did more public speaking in high school ... unless you count the Shakespeare class I took which constantly involved acting. *shudders*

Speaking before groups and audiences is a struggle for me too. It is just an emotional thing to do, and there is no taking that part away. It will amplify either your energy or fear. These are things that help me. Maybe they would help you too:
  • If you can remember to do so, speak slowly. It gives you a lot more time to think.
  • If you can use a notecard, jot down an outline of the points you want to cover, and know the outline pretty well before speaking.
  • Have a confident posture, and act as though you were talking directly to different people in your audience in turn, looking them in the eye.
  • Apparently I like to give my hands an activity while I'm talking. It might not be practical to do this in front of an audience though unless you are making gestures with them.
  • Deliver your speech out-loud to yourself in slightly different ways beforehand until you get bored and don't mind sounding dumb anymore from just being used to it.
  • Walk around and try to engage the audience so you don't feel like a criminal before a jury.
  • I can't help but dread an upcoming presentation, but telling myself it will be exciting and oh it will be a great rush, and don't I want to see what will happen? actually does seem to help. Fire yourself up! Today is a good day to die, just like Crazy Horse says in Little Big Man.
 
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