Stage fright is present anytime self consciousness impedes communication, whether one-on-one or with a group. Some argue that this trait is built in to the human condition.

Stage fright varies widely in its intensity and is perhaps most troubling for those who were overly inhibited by parents in childhood. If a person has difficulty as an adult being real in front of groups or individuals, he/she may have had difficulty being real with parents. Being laughed at, ridiculed or ignored as a child may have devastating effects on confident communication for an adult.

If we learned to keep our true selves and our true feelings under wraps for fear of punishment, then those components of the personality may be hidden away forever. Public speaking or public performances of any kind may be deleteriously affected so that audience presentations are avoided altogether or are seriously compromised.

Overcoming Stage Fright