| I have social anxiety. Despite this--or maybe because of it?--I have worked in sales and have spoken at conferences for going on two decades. The combination is not rare: Many people who have social anxiety find that “structured/directed” interactions with other people--like selling something, making a decision in a meeting with colleagues, or giving a presentation--are less terrifying than unstructured/directionless conversations, because it’s a lot easier to learn standard patterns, and the audience has a certain tolerance for prepared presentations and conversations. Others will go into the details of how to get better, e.g. mindcrime’s excellent comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26807762 Cycling great Greg Lemond said, “It doesn’t get easier, you just get faster.” I have found the same thing about speaking confidently in meetings and presentations: “It doesn’t get easier, you just get better.” For me, it is still a struggle, but the evidence that I’m getting better at it is the motivation I need to step onto the stage or to raise my hand to contribute to a meeting. My best wishes to you. |
When I do a presentation I don't feel much anxiety but unstructured conversation is still a nightmare. Especially considering I enjoy darker humor so I feel like I'm constantly on edge so that I don't accidentally say something offensive.