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(Unit 6) Topic 9: Exploring Adult Learning

3 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Creating a Safe Place

​Topic 9 Page 15

A multitude of surveys repeatedly conclude that public speaking is one of the top fears of most adults. This may come as no shock to most of you reading this, however, the reasons behind this common fear just might. Humans are social creatures who are used to being part of a group. Being part of a group requires a certain level of understanding that all members abide by. If one of the members does not abide by the expectations set forth, they are at real risk of being ostracized from the group. Throughout the social changes that have taken place in human groups over centuries, this could have meant banishment, death, severe punishment, health threats and so much more. It is because of these potential consequences from time immemorial that we still fear things such as public speaking. We fear being cast out of our group for doing something that goes against the unspoken rules.    

Public speaking isn’t the only fear that can be traced to the fear of being ostracized from one’s social group. Other fears such as meeting new people, traveling to unknown places, being alone, and attending social events are all real fears that are rooted in the innate human fear of becoming an outcast of some type. Consider training events whether they are in person, online, a webinar or a hybrid of all three. Surely, the only person with the real fear should be the trainer, right? Wrong. When a participant attends a training session there is the constant threat of being ostracized. Sometimes it is the threat of attending alone and trying to make connections with other people. This carries the risk of investing energy to make people like you only to have it backfire terribly. Most of the time it is the possibility of sharing an answer or idea with a group of strangers and being judged based upon the information that you provide. Still a person’s self-confidence and self-concept can be so fragile that even putting themselves into a new situation is extremely risky.    

Take Ming, Susan, and Emma into consideration now.

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(Unit 6) Topic 9: Exploring Adult Learning​​​ * Navigation Menu