If you believe in the Theory of Evolution then it is
interesting to try to speculate why modern humans are afraid of public
speaking.
Glossophobia is the fear of speaking in public.
I personally believe human evolution is a social phenomena
not a biological process. Biological evolution is the process of natural
selection sometimes termed the survival of the strongest and fittest. Human evolution has been the survival of the
most sociable. Humans are the most
social beings of all living species on earth.
Humans have lost animalistic traits such as a keen sense of
smell, night vision and enormous physical strength compared to other animals
because these traits were culled out of early human societies in favor of more desirable
social traits. Every living organism on
earth fears and runs from fire except humans. Humans trying to harness fire was
a social phenomena not a biological event.
Early humans depended upon each other for survival and
social ostracism of the clan was certain death.
Social rejection meant death.
Today, solitary confinement is a
stern form of punishment in modern societies.
The root public speaking fear is the fear of social
rejection which began hundreds of thousands or years ago on the savannahs of
East Africa and the plains of Western Europe. It seems modern humans have an innate fear of social
rejection which becomes magnified in public speaking situations.
An interesting article “The Thing We Fear More Than Death”
by Dr. Glenn Croston, Ph.D. can be found at the link below:
- Posted by Andy Paultanis
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