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 Stage fright, today’s most commonly experienced anxiety, has lurked behind the curtains and backstage corners of centuries-old opera houses, theaters and arenas.
Even Elvis Presley was a victim.
Listed among almost every fan site, from an old interview, the following statement may find comfort with those who feel “it” every time they reach for the microphone – every time they give a presentation or speak up in front of a crowd.
“I’ve never gotten over what they call stage fright,” Presley once said. “I go through it every show. I’m pretty concerned, I’m pretty much thinking about the show. I never get completely comfortable with it, and I don’t let the people around me get comfortable with it, in that I remind them that it’s a new crowd out there, it’s a new audience and they haven’t seen us before.”
According to The Boston Globe and faceyourfearstoday.com, Americans’ top 10 fears are ranked, in order, as follows: public speaking, snakes, confined spaces, heights, spiders, tunnels and bridges, crowds, public transportation (especially airplanes), storms and swimming/drowning.
If nervousness was eliminated, many could attest to the fact that life would be a little easier. A cool composure would take the place of red faces, sweaty palms and stuttering syllables.
Of course, many may also attest to the fact that a little nervousness helps, that it provides extra attention to tasks that are harder than what is faced by typical, everyday situations.
During my Spring Break, I skipped the beach and instead, hit the books. I faced a pre-teacher examination at the end of the week. I had to get a certain score, and, I admit – I was nervous.
While trudging through a practice book, however, I discovered a bit of information that, oddly enough, made me appreciate nervousness.
It was written by Farmingdale State College English professor Laurie Rozakis, author of the book.
She provided a similar description of past Harvard Medical School Department of Physiology Professor and Chairman Water Cannon’s 1915 fight-or-flight response theory: that, when presented with various stressors, humans react to a certain biological trigger that invokes the decision to a) stay and fight or b) take flight.
“It’s natural to feel nervous before a high-pressure situation; in fact, some scientists think that we’re hardwired to get an adrenaline rush when we’re in tight spots,” Rozakis wrote. “These scientists theorize that tension under pressure comes from ancient days when we faced bison and other gigantic creatures. The adrenaline gave us the power we needed to run away. Now, however, we can’t run away; we have to stay and face the pressure.”
Column: EMILY MELTON, Lifestyles Editor |
