I'd bet my next paycheck that there are a good number of you out there who are dissatisfied with your speech patterns.
I can say this because there is a definate link between AFCness and poor speech fluency.
I'm a pretty accomplished public speaker and have competed at the high school and collegiate levels. But I had tons of trouble talking to others in public in casual conversation. It got to the point where I would avoid talking to people for fear of fumbling my words.
A few months ago I completely solved this problem. After reading some literature on the net I came to realize that the causes speech disfluency and AFCness come from the same places. Amazingly, I found that as my speech improved my DJ skills also improved tremendously.
This article by John Harrison helped me pinpoint the factors that caused my disfulent speech and allowed me to eliminate the problem overnight.
I'm convinced the man is a DJ because he speaks directly to our community in this excerpt:
"To see this process in action, we'll create a scenario in which Bob, a shy young man, is building up enough nerve to make a pass at an attractive girl in a ****tail lounge (always an emotionally loaded situation). What he wants to say is, "Hi, my name is Bob. I just flew in from San Francisco. Can I buy you a drink?"
Let's step back and look at his Stuttering Hexagon. Bob perceives that Sally, the young woman, is attractive; he is drawn to her. However, since Bob does not perceive himself as her equal, he automatically gives her power over him, specifically, the power to validate him. Thus, his perceptions have a negative bias.
Because Bob tends to automatically put himself in a one-down position, he believes that Sally will not be interested in him. She'll reject his offer. So his beliefs also have a negative bias...even more so since experience already leads him to believe that he will have difficulty saying his name.
But Bob is really attracted to Sally, so he persists. However, his perceptions and beliefs have triggered a medley of negative emotions: fear (of being rejected), hurt (anticipated, because of the rejection), and anger (anticipated, as a reaction to being hurt). This gives his emotions a negative bias.
Now let's move in closer and look at the words he wants to say. His genetic make-up is such that he's quick to react under stress, and his stress reaction is heightened as he approaches the moment when he must give his name. Saying his name is particularly difficult because he perceives that people expect him to say it without hesitation (after all, he should know what his own name is without having to think), and this pumps up his fear level.
Consequently, his adrenaline level skyrockets as his body marshals itself for fight or flight. His heartbeat increases. His blood pressure soars. Blood rushes away from his stomach and toward his muscles. His anal sphincter closes. All of this is a genetically driven response to prepare for danger. He's now in a stress reaction, ready to meet the threat. But this is not a physical danger, as the body believes. It's a social danger. No matter. The body doesn't perceive the difference. So here is Bob, trying to look relaxed and casual, while his body is marshalling its defenses for physical attack. Does all this help to build his confidence? It does not, because his physiological response to danger is creating additional insecurity and discomfort.
Bob has also conflicting intentions. On one hand, he wants to communicate with Sally; on the other hand, he is afraid of letting go and investing himself totally in the moment and perhaps be rejected. So his hidden intentions are negative as well.
If Bob says his name assertively, he'd be acting outside his comfort zone, reaching beyond what his self-image says is credible. Thus, as he goes to say the word "Bob," two overpowering fears surface: (1) the fear that he may block, and/or (2) the fear that he may come off as too aggressive.
What does he do? He retreats into his comfort zone and holds back"
I encourage anyone with speech problems to read this and the other articles on that site. It will do volumes to help correct your speech patterns and undo the emotions, perceptions, and beliefs that cause AFCness.
The full index of articles is located at http://www.stutternomore.com/Articles Primary/Articles.htm
I can say this because there is a definate link between AFCness and poor speech fluency.
I'm a pretty accomplished public speaker and have competed at the high school and collegiate levels. But I had tons of trouble talking to others in public in casual conversation. It got to the point where I would avoid talking to people for fear of fumbling my words.
A few months ago I completely solved this problem. After reading some literature on the net I came to realize that the causes speech disfluency and AFCness come from the same places. Amazingly, I found that as my speech improved my DJ skills also improved tremendously.
This article by John Harrison helped me pinpoint the factors that caused my disfulent speech and allowed me to eliminate the problem overnight.
I'm convinced the man is a DJ because he speaks directly to our community in this excerpt:
"To see this process in action, we'll create a scenario in which Bob, a shy young man, is building up enough nerve to make a pass at an attractive girl in a ****tail lounge (always an emotionally loaded situation). What he wants to say is, "Hi, my name is Bob. I just flew in from San Francisco. Can I buy you a drink?"
Let's step back and look at his Stuttering Hexagon. Bob perceives that Sally, the young woman, is attractive; he is drawn to her. However, since Bob does not perceive himself as her equal, he automatically gives her power over him, specifically, the power to validate him. Thus, his perceptions have a negative bias.
Because Bob tends to automatically put himself in a one-down position, he believes that Sally will not be interested in him. She'll reject his offer. So his beliefs also have a negative bias...even more so since experience already leads him to believe that he will have difficulty saying his name.
But Bob is really attracted to Sally, so he persists. However, his perceptions and beliefs have triggered a medley of negative emotions: fear (of being rejected), hurt (anticipated, because of the rejection), and anger (anticipated, as a reaction to being hurt). This gives his emotions a negative bias.
Now let's move in closer and look at the words he wants to say. His genetic make-up is such that he's quick to react under stress, and his stress reaction is heightened as he approaches the moment when he must give his name. Saying his name is particularly difficult because he perceives that people expect him to say it without hesitation (after all, he should know what his own name is without having to think), and this pumps up his fear level.
Consequently, his adrenaline level skyrockets as his body marshals itself for fight or flight. His heartbeat increases. His blood pressure soars. Blood rushes away from his stomach and toward his muscles. His anal sphincter closes. All of this is a genetically driven response to prepare for danger. He's now in a stress reaction, ready to meet the threat. But this is not a physical danger, as the body believes. It's a social danger. No matter. The body doesn't perceive the difference. So here is Bob, trying to look relaxed and casual, while his body is marshalling its defenses for physical attack. Does all this help to build his confidence? It does not, because his physiological response to danger is creating additional insecurity and discomfort.
Bob has also conflicting intentions. On one hand, he wants to communicate with Sally; on the other hand, he is afraid of letting go and investing himself totally in the moment and perhaps be rejected. So his hidden intentions are negative as well.
If Bob says his name assertively, he'd be acting outside his comfort zone, reaching beyond what his self-image says is credible. Thus, as he goes to say the word "Bob," two overpowering fears surface: (1) the fear that he may block, and/or (2) the fear that he may come off as too aggressive.
What does he do? He retreats into his comfort zone and holds back"
I encourage anyone with speech problems to read this and the other articles on that site. It will do volumes to help correct your speech patterns and undo the emotions, perceptions, and beliefs that cause AFCness.
The full index of articles is located at http://www.stutternomore.com/Articles Primary/Articles.htm
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