Some Thoughts on Americans' No. 1 Fear

Public speaking is listed as Americans number-one fear, before death at number five, and loneliness at number seven. Why is that? Here are some reasons.

#1 - By its very nature, a public speaker must stand above the crowd. Most people like to be blend in with the crowd.

#2 - It includes the fear of being seen as exceptional and different. Again, most people don't want to stand out. Its not cool! The public today wants to be mainstream; normal. To take it a little further, most people want to have the right to judge, not to feel like their being judged.

#3 - The fear of the unknown.

#4 - The fear of being a fraud...of not practicing what you preach or living up to our message.

#5 - The fear of forgetting what you are going to say.

#6 - The fear of being at risk publicly.

#7 - The fear of being up there alone.

All of these come together, for most of us, in public speaking.

Have a great Friday!

-Pastor