What makes me apprehensive about public speaking

Public speaking can be intimidating. If I screw up, everyone will notice. My biggest apprehension about speaking in front of large groups of people is forgetting facts, such as names, or getting tongue tied. It takes me a while to learn names so I tend to be real nervous calling someone by their name or mentioning them by name and getting it wrong. This anxiety is amplified if I am in front of people because the pressure to get things right is even more important. I think this is associated with uncertainty reduction theory, as discussed in chapter two of the book. Basically, an individual's level of anxiety increases when they are faced with an unfamiliar or uncertain situation. I agree with one of the points the book makes about confidence. The more confidence I have about a topic, the less apprehension I feel about speaking in front of others. For me, if I know a topic well or have a lot of experience with something, I feel much more comfortable speaking about it in front of others.