You're walking down the street on your way to the bus stop. You pass a man
covered in grime and gurgling incoherently. And you think to yourself:
Could he be a victim of public speaking?
It's true, this man could have, at one time, been an energetic intellectual bursting with incredible ideas, deciding that they must be put into words. Maybe he ran for office, or perhaps he didn't even make it that far. Writing the speech could have disposed of him just as easily. But the possibility remains, pubic speaking could very well have put him in this unfortunate position.
All these years we have thought it to be harmless, but the truth is now out. Public speaking is hazardous to your health. At this moment it is whittling away at the minds of countless thousands, in it's own subtle, yet, terrifying ways.
Of all the types of public speaking, assigned projects are the very worst of all. Particularly when the assignment is specific to overall characteristics, with the request of, for example, persuasiveness or humor, the impact of the piece is often dulled to conform to said request. This makes a speech difficult to listen to, and may cause drowsiness and hallucination. Also, the issue of presenting in front of a number of students could institute bias to even the most motivated orator, and mutilate their point of view.
The period of composition could very well be the most trying stage in the speaking process. Putting an idea to words that can be understood by a mixed audience and still be vaguely humorous is delicate work. It is natural for people to consider clawing out their eyes at this time. There is nothing more I have to say on that note.
But not only the actual writing process is harmful - the conception of the idea can be equally potent. Writer's block could cause the unfortunate speechwriter to be driven to depression, gluttony, restlessness, and in extreme cases, insanity. Stress-provoked writers at this stage of creation generally become jumpy and irritable, and should not be disturbed so as to prevent them from lashing out unexpectedly at intruders.
What I gather is that if determining your topic doesn't do the trick, the actual writing will undoubtedly finish you off.
Even once the speech is finished, there is still the heartbreaking task of memorizing your work. And after that, the ultimate test of character: delivering the speech. Luckily, presenting in a classroom is a small obstacle for most, but politicians have to speak in front of thousands of people on a regular basis, while pretending that no one really earns a living through making fun of them.
My own experiences with public speaking assignments have taught me three things: one, writing a speech really is harder than it looks, two, stress disturbs the workings of the brain, and three, I owe my life to granulated sugar.
It's true, this man could have, at one time, been an energetic intellectual bursting with incredible ideas, deciding that they must be put into words. Maybe he ran for office, or perhaps he didn't even make it that far. Writing the speech could have disposed of him just as easily. But the possibility remains, pubic speaking could very well have put him in this unfortunate position.
All these years we have thought it to be harmless, but the truth is now out. Public speaking is hazardous to your health. At this moment it is whittling away at the minds of countless thousands, in it's own subtle, yet, terrifying ways.
Of all the types of public speaking, assigned projects are the very worst of all. Particularly when the assignment is specific to overall characteristics, with the request of, for example, persuasiveness or humor, the impact of the piece is often dulled to conform to said request. This makes a speech difficult to listen to, and may cause drowsiness and hallucination. Also, the issue of presenting in front of a number of students could institute bias to even the most motivated orator, and mutilate their point of view.
The period of composition could very well be the most trying stage in the speaking process. Putting an idea to words that can be understood by a mixed audience and still be vaguely humorous is delicate work. It is natural for people to consider clawing out their eyes at this time. There is nothing more I have to say on that note.
But not only the actual writing process is harmful - the conception of the idea can be equally potent. Writer's block could cause the unfortunate speechwriter to be driven to depression, gluttony, restlessness, and in extreme cases, insanity. Stress-provoked writers at this stage of creation generally become jumpy and irritable, and should not be disturbed so as to prevent them from lashing out unexpectedly at intruders.
What I gather is that if determining your topic doesn't do the trick, the actual writing will undoubtedly finish you off.
Even once the speech is finished, there is still the heartbreaking task of memorizing your work. And after that, the ultimate test of character: delivering the speech. Luckily, presenting in a classroom is a small obstacle for most, but politicians have to speak in front of thousands of people on a regular basis, while pretending that no one really earns a living through making fun of them.
My own experiences with public speaking assignments have taught me three things: one, writing a speech really is harder than it looks, two, stress disturbs the workings of the brain, and three, I owe my life to granulated sugar.