Last week on ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’, Fun Lovin’ Criminal Huey Morgan smashed a mug. He got angry over something minor and ended up looking like a humourless prat.
He broke a major rule of speaking in public: he lost control. It doesn’t matter what happens, you must keep your cool. Rizzle Kicks, hosting the show, looked very smart by comparison because they weren’t intimidated, and kept going, even improvising to create humour from the situation.
Looking fearful in a speaking situation can be awkward for the audience, but you can recover because being fearful shows vulnerability, resulting in likeability. Looking angry, on the other hand, is arrogant and rather ugly (even if it’s caused by fear).
You need to think like a Buddhist. Get your ego the right size: suppress it if you’re getting too big for your boots, and boost it if you’re feeling inferior. Have pride, but don’t be too proud. The key is to go with the flow, embrace the chaos and be like water, adapting to your situation. Accept what happens, no matter how much it goes against your plan.
Then you won’t look like a prat.