It Is Better to Be Afraid in the Spotlight than to Be Afraid Alone, in the Dark

Interact received 10 years ago an Effie award for a communication campaign we had run at the time. I walked on the stage with the managing director of the agency we were working with, in order to receive the prize and say a few words. Right there, on stage, I had so many spotlights on me that I could not see anything. I was aware of the crowds in front of me, but I could not see them. I said what I had to say, nervously, but nervous in a different way from when I see the people I speak to. Then I am more nervous, but not as much as when I must think about giving a speech.

Likewise, we are nervous, we have fears when we expose ourselves, whether we do it in front of an audience or in writing. Both entail a large or small dose of courage, depending on the person. There is the risk of getting stuck (to me it happened many times), to forget something, to stutter, of others not liking you, or what you have written, of being criticised.

It is also possible to have people around who appreciate what you have to say, to want to interact with you, face to face or in writing.

Be that as it may, it is certain that in both cases we will also have spectators. Just like the spectators of a match, they will always have something to say: that you did not speak properly, that you talk too much or too little, that you write too much, why you write, why you take the front stage (someone recently reminded me the phrase: ‘Do not come out front like a louse), that they could do it too, that they could do it better, and the list can go on. It seems that whatever you do, it is not good. Perhaps it is good to hear such opinions. They can give us a shot of realism, a touch of the world, like a pinch of salt.

However, it should not hijack us, overwhelm us, reduce us to silence. The players on the field will keep playing even after the spectators shout their slogans, right? Maybe they will adjust, or revisit some techniques, but if they do not play, they cannot get better.

If a super critical spectator were to go on the field, I am not sure how well they would play, right? It seems that it is easier when it comes to talking and writing than when it comes to playing football.
However, I believe that there is a place under the sun for everyone. Many times, we do not express ourselves either in front of the audience or in writing because we are afraid. But it is better to be afraid in the spotlight, with others, than to be afraid when you are alone, in the dark.