Anxiety over stumbling or tying yourself in knots trying to find the right words – a condition called glossophobia – puts many people off public speaking entirely. Hesitating, even for as little as 300 milliseconds, can change how your audience perceives you – and in a surprisingly positive way. The paper’s author suggests that listeners believe unfilled pauses indicate someone is thinking carefully about what they’re saying – and as a result, they assume that the person is more intelligent. Conversely, he says: “Those who think and deliberate may not be regarded as assertive.” This is backed up by earlier work showing that unfilled pauses are seen as less relaxed. The lesson seems to be that, if you need thinking time, you should not be scared to just take it.

Source: The Guardian September 26, 2019 11:26 UTC