Many people have had a moment in their life where they were called up to do something in front of a class or to present something in front of a class and then messed up. It’s not a great experience for teenagers, possibly the worst.
However, how you think about that memory could affect how much you grow from it. For some people these experiences are so rough that it scares them out of ever getting in front of a crowd of their peers again or making mistakes in general.
Fear and anxiety have paralyzed me in the past because I had the idea I would make a mistake or say something wrong. Today, it isn’t something that really affects me. There isn’t any instant cure to stop these anxieties, but you can work to find tools that make you less anxious. From my experience, pushing yourself into things that you are anxious about can help you figure out strategies.
Owen Moore is a world and U.S. history teacher at Arcata High School. When I was in his U.S. history class, I had to memorize the Gettysburg Address and recite it in front of the class. I really struggled with this project because of my concerns. about failing in front of a group of my peers. The thought of messing up definitely affected how well I did on that assignment because instead of remembering what I had memorized, I was focusing on the worry of failing.
I talked to Moore about these anxieties and how he sees them in his students. during the conversation he shared, “I feel in the United States, particularly in California, our society is training young people to identify their own anxiety and give up because of it.”
I would generally agree. These fears stem from trying to be the people we see on social media combined with the increased emphasis on mental health which I acknowledge is a positive change.
Teaching people to live with these anxieties and be victims of them will create stagnation not growth; it will cultivate an environment where people will choose to avoid opportunities instead of taking them because they may be worried about making mistakes. I recognize these anxieties are real, but I do want to push people to not let these stop you because at the end of the day, it is all in your head and you should be the ruler of your castle.
