# "I'm nervous" before a speech/presentation. Yea/Nay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743 "2022-04-13T00:02:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/1 "2022-04-13T00:02:41Z")
_Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/1))_ Please note the lack of third option. I have _ **opinions** _ on this matter. But first, yours. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/2 "2022-04-13T00:06:20Z")
Not in my line of work. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/3 "2022-04-13T00:07:05Z")
I think it can be a useful icebreaker or way to get the audience to identify with the speaker. It depends on the nature of the speech/presentation if such is useful or a hinderance. However, if teaching someone to give a speech/presentation, I would not generally recommend it in most cases. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/4 "2022-04-13T00:08:30Z")
I misunderstood. Withdrawn. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/5 "2022-04-13T00:10:23Z")
It depends entirely on whether I’m prepared or not. Well-prepared, with an interesting topic to speak about, and all sorts of fascinating tidbits to drop on the audience? I’m raring to go. Unprepared and told to go on stage about something I know little about or have nothing to say? Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/6 "2022-04-13T00:13:14Z")
I would love that. I’d spend the rest of the talk rooting for the presenter. And I’d feel like s/he and I were alike, as opposed to “I am the Great And Powerful Oswald Ossenpfeffer, PhD, here to bestow nuggets of wisdom from my superior brain.” One of the best semesters I ever had was the one where I walked in and said _“I wasn’t supposed to teach this class until a half hour ago. But I spent that time getting a half hour ahead of you, and I’ll try to keep up with that…”_ SO many times, I’d have to answer a question with “I have NO idea”, and a student would say “Oh, I’ve been emailing an animator in South Africa. I’ll pick his brain tonight and let y’all know what I found out.” (Oh, the subject was Web Animation, before anyone, even at Adobe, knew what Adobe Flash could do. The whole class got to be friends with a worldwide Web Design community just to get through the semester.) . By the way, more than half the class went on to either work for _(or found!)_ Web Design companies. And a couple hired some of their classmates! . eta: Yeah, this works if the presenter has sufficient content… and hopefully isn’t too nervous to convey that content. But I’ve heard world-class designers say something like this, and nail a great talk in spite of it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/7 "2022-04-13T00:19:54Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And I’d feel like s/he and I were alike, as opposed to “I am the Great And Powerful Oswald Ossenpfeffer, PhD, here to bestow nuggets of wisdom from my superior brain.” I mean, you don’t have to say anything. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/8 "2022-04-13T00:20:33Z")
MeanOldLady is back! Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/9 "2022-04-13T00:21:42Z")
Back to the poll. Always. Unlike @silenus , _always_ in my line of work. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/10 "2022-04-13T00:22:38Z")
I think I voted incorrectly in my own poll, which is funny. > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > MeanOldLady is back! Yay! 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/11 "2022-04-13T00:30:12Z")
I’m usually a little nervous before I speak in front of a group of people, but not always. I’m not the least bit nervous during new employee orientation even when I have thirty people I’m speaking in front of. But when I’m giving a presentation to a small group of executives I can get a little nervous. Nothing crippling. I’m a little confused by the OP. Is MeanOldLady asking if we tell the audience we’re nervous? Because my answer would be no. I don’t tell them that. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/12 "2022-04-13T00:39:35Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I’m a little confused by the OP. Is MeanOldLady asking if we tell the audience we’re nervous? Because my answer would be no. I don’t tell them that. I could have been clearer. I’ve gotten less wordy in my old age. I want to know everyone’s vote on people announcing nervousness before speaking. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/13 "2022-04-13T00:41:28Z")
I stand by my vote. _They_ feed on fear. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/14 "2022-04-13T00:46:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Back to the poll. Always. Unlike @silenus , _always_ in my line of work. Indeed. I can do it a thousand times and still be nervous, sometimes almost sick depending on the stakes, but once I get up there, I’m fine. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/15 "2022-04-13T00:52:25Z")
A little, usually not that much. Been much more nervous about other things. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/16 "2022-04-13T00:56:18Z")
I’m recently retired, but I did public speaking, presentations & chaired meetings for upwards of 45 years and always, ALWAYS got a bit of the “nerves” before any presentation. I think that’s totally normal and to be expected but one works through it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/17 "2022-04-13T00:57:53Z")
Okay, so this poll is useless because I guess my question wasn’t clear. Instead, please comment on whether people should announce the words “I’m nervous,” or any variant expressing nervousness before speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/18 "2022-04-13T01:02:27Z")
I’m actually less nervous speaking in front of a room full of strangers, than I am talking to a single stranger one-on-one. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/19 "2022-04-13T01:05:56Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Okay, so this poll is useless because I guess my question wasn’t clear. I thought you were clear. The comments have drifted off into “Do you get nervous” territory, but the people who mentioned voting have said they voted on whether they would or wouldn’t admit it. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2022, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743/20 "2022-04-13T01:26:06Z")
I don’t say, “I’m nervous.” Instead I open with some sort of small joke on myself. That shows I’m modest, self-effacing, and likable. That works better for me than the “please pity me, I don’t know how to do this” approach. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-nervous-before-a-speech-presentation-yea-nay/962743.md?page=2)