How Aristotle’s Advice on Speaking Saved this Woman’s Career, and How it Can Help You

Maria had a lifelong fear of speaking in public.

She worked for a health insurance company that was aggressively seeking new members.

Recently she got a promotion that required her to speak to groups of potential members in locations around the state.

She was so nervous about her new position that she considered quitting.

A friend told her about a public speaking class at a local community college that was to begin on the following Saturday.

Even this scared her, but Maria showed up on Saturday morning, along with twelve other people.

Before the class began she realized from talking with some of her classmates that she wasn’t alone in her fear of public speaking.

The teacher began by having each person introduce themselves and give their reasons for attending the class.

Maria even dreaded having to do this.

When her turn came she nervously explained about her new job responsibilities.

Surprisingly, many of her classmates were there for similar reasons.

After giving a short introduction to the basics of public speaking, their teacher assigned a five-minute talk on a subject of their own choosing for the next class on Tuesday evening.