Emotion in Speaking

An important aspect of public speaking is expressing emotion in an appropriate manner. We express our feelings in everyday conversations, therefore when publicly speaking, it is important to incorporate these emotions into your speech. It is crucial to find the correct balance of emotion to display when you are speaking publicly. As a speaker, you want to show your audience that you are passionate about the topic at hand, however you do not want to show so much emotion that your audience finds you to be biased or over attached.

This theory is similar to J. Lyman Maclnnis, the author of The elements of great public speaking, who discusses the importance of keeping your emotions under control and how to utilize them in order to connect with your audience and become a more effective speaker. The author communicates that “Emotion is a two sided communication coin. Positive, genuine emotions are constructive persuasive forces, but negative or insincere emotions create barriers” (Maclnnis, 2006). In other words, the author is making the point that while emotion can help you when you are publicly speaking, it can hurt you as well. It is important to stay away from expressing any negative feelings you may have towards a topic, but instead, express the positive feelings you have regarding the topic. If you display positive emotion when speaking, you will be more likely to form a connection with your audience than you would if you were to display negative emotion.

If you still don’t believe that your emotions are not an important part of speaking in public, try to think about it through the audience’s point of view. I have sat through many speeches and presentations, varying in topic, and the way the speaker expresses their emotion has always played an influence on how I interpret their message. In my experience, when speakers use frustration or anger to try to prove their point, it comes off as bias and stubbornness and it often makes me feel uncomfortable as a member of the audience. However, when speakers showed positive emotion, I interpret that not only do they know the facts, but they are passionate about the issues being discussed. In conclusion, the reason you should display positive emotions when public speaking is because our emotions our powerful tools that help us establish connections with others.

References

Maclinnis, J. (2006). The elements of Great Public Speaking (p. 83). Berkley, California: Ten Speed Press.