TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
'If you fear it, face it': Jakartans push themselves to conquer fear of public speaking
Life motivator and clinical psychologist Tatiana SP Basuki from the University of Indonesia explained that the fear of public speaking, what is termed glossophobia, could stem from unpleasant experiences of being laughed at, rejected, unappreciated, or made to feel incompetent, which made an individual ashamed.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Public speaking is a skill we need to master for success in our careers and in business. (Shutterstock/Yanathep Aromoon)
“Contestants, are you ready?” the head organizer, the so-called contest chair, asked in excitement.
All seated in the first row, each of the 15 participants answered with a doubtful “yes”. They laughed nervously, acknowledging that, ready or not, the competition was about to start.
The event was a speech contest recently held by the Jakarta Toastmasters Club (JTC) at an office space in South Jakarta. The club itself is part of an international network of “non-profit educational organizations that teach public speaking and leadership skills”, as described by the Toastmasters website.
Each participant had to deliver a five- to seven-minute speech — anyone who spoke for less than four minutes and 30 seconds or more than seven minutes and 30 seconds would be disqualified.
The speeches delivered that evening covered various topics, from the experience of growing up with a brother with an intellectual disability to struggling with never feeling good enough, or to dealing with depression.
The last participant of that day, Susan, a 35-year-old insurance professional, talked about overcoming her fear of public speaking.
“My biggest fear is standing here,” Susan said in her speech, explaining how she had never been fond of the idea of going in front of a class when growing up. At work, she would prefer to do a one-on-one presentation to clients.
