Mostly, I'm a terrible speaker

They say, ignorance is bliss.

As I wrote in a comment recently, almost all mathematicians are bad speakers for almost all audiences. It seems to me that most people would agree. But in blissful ignorance, we don't worry about our own shortcomings and continue to give terribly bad talks. We don't know just how bad we are.

Right now, I'm encoding some more talks from the Michigan Logic Seminar. I gave the last couple of talks last term and the first one this term just yesterday, so going through the camcorder and google+ footage, I cannot escape the fact that my own performance is mostly quite miserable.

I talk too fast, I write to chaotically (not just my handwriting, but my structuring), I fail to favor communication over precision.

But at least now I know. And I can improve. And I do. Because these recordings exist.

'Tis not a folly to be wise.

Comments

• becky, 2012/01/24
  You’re your own worst critic, P! If you think that writing is chaotic, you haven’t seen certain unnamed profs lecture. (Also, you just tricked me into watching [the first 48 minutes of] that talk.)
  • Peter 2012/01/24
    Becky, thank you for your kind words. I apologize for tricking you. I’ll repay in sushi 😉