17 February 2025
Summary:
The secret to authenticity in public speaking
Perfectionism and stress are the biggest enemies of authenticity in public speaking. This article shows the importance of adopting a healthy distance from yourself, which helps to overcome these barriers. A dash of humor, honest self-assessment, and regular camera practice play a key role in gaining confidence and freeing your speech from artificiality. Self-distance isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower that unlocks true authenticity.
Perfectionism versus reality
Picture this: you’re standing in front of the camera, the journalist has repeated the same question for the third time, the spotlight blinds you, and only one thought swirls in your head: Don’t mess up! Your body stiffens, your hands stop gesturing naturally—instead, they start chopping the air like heavy metal axes. Your throat tightens like a vice, and a strained, artificial smile sticks to your face like glue. Your mouth dries up like a Sahara well, and your eyes are competing for first place in a hurdles race.
You’ve prepared for the speech, answered the journalist’s questions in front of the mirror yesterday, and yet you feel like a plane nosediving.
Perfectionism is the enemy of authenticity.
What’s going on? It’s probably a mix of stress and perfectionism. You want to look perfect at all costs, speak flawlessly—both grammatically and stylistically—and gesture exactly as you’ve read in the last three handbooks.
But here’s the twist: the real problem isn’t your preparation. It’s the sneaky duo of your emotions and expectations, whispering: How will people judge me? You haven’t read this guide yet.
The anti-stress superpower
This is where self-distance—your ultimate anti-stress superpower—steps in. It’s the ability to look at yourself with a wink, not a frown. It’s admitting that despite your preparation, knowledge, and experience, there will always be tiny imperfections.
And that’s okay.
Lack of objective self-assessment makes you speak like a robot. But when you add a pinch of humour? Suddenly, mistakes feel less like disasters and more like… well, life.
If something doesn’t work out, laugh it off. Don’t take everything so seriously, or you’ll end up like an ostrich on an ice rink—confused and sliding nowhere fast.
Audiences don’t crave perfection. They crave real people. People who stumble, smile, and keep going. Because authenticity isn’t about flawless delivery—it’s about being unapologetically you.
Authenticity isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real.
The key to authenticity
That’s why it’s so important to practice regularly in front of a camera, preferably with a supportive group. Watch your recordings together, give feedback—on your voice, gestures, mistakes, and spontaneous moments.
This kind of training helps you look at yourself with detachment, with realism. You’ll quickly realize that being a robot on camera is the quickest way to lose your audience.
Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with different speaking styles. Try changing your tone, adding unexpected pauses, or throwing in a surprising gesture. It can refresh your speech and make it more authentic.
Remember: the stage or camera isn’t a battlefield. It’s a playground. The more freedom you give yourself, the more genuine your words and gestures will be.
Conclusion
Speaking in front of the camera isn’t just about technical skills. It’s about showing up as yourself.
When you take a healthy distance from yourself, you allow authenticity and naturalness to shine through—and that’s way more captivating than any “perfect” but stiff performance.
Every speech is an opportunity to grow. Experiment. Laugh at your stumbles. Because at the end of the day, it’s not perfection that wins hearts—it’s you.
Want to learn? We’ll teach you! – Don Bosco Mobile Journalism – DBMoJo.
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