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🚀 Benny Pekala 
🚀 Benny Pekala
Emerging Tech Venture Studio | App Development, Web3, AI
Published Dec 9, 2021
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As someone who enjoys being on camera and enjoys performing in front of people, it has always shocked me just how difficult it is to watch recordings of myself.
Despite knowing that listening to the tape will sharpen my skills I often put off watching it because it makes me cringe like nothing else to hear my own voice or watch my own video.
After a recent confrontation with this feeling, I realized: if I am feeling this way perhaps others are too, and I bet there's a lot of good research out there on it. This article tells you what the feeling is scientifically, and what you can do to make it easier on yourself.
Why do we cringe when we watch recordings of ourselves?
We actually do sound different
The anatomy of the skull makes it so that if we are hearing our own voice live, we truly do hear it differently than a recording. The cognitive dissonance of hearing a voice that your conscious brain knows is yours but not automatically recognizing yourself is perfectly natural: but it makes us uncomfortable.
We're forced to see the world as the world sees us
Our perception of ourselves is influenced by internal dialogue. When we are forced to see things the way that others see us we do not always like what we see.
Recommended next reads
Why do some cringe more than others and how can you make it easier on yourself?
Confidence and practice help
Confidence can take you to great places. In this case, simply reminding yourself that it is merely a recording and that you will improve by confronting it can help you get over the hump. Else, practice! Talk to your friends and get advice! Practice can enable you to turn any emotion into a strength - channel it!!
You can shed the negative connotations given by society
There is a societal stigma against making mistakes on camera. The biggest contributing factor is that most professionals do not very often. The truth is that it does not f***ing matter if you make mistakes! To do this live while on camera simply do something goofy - do a dance do a song admit to the audience that you are uncomfortable - by breaking the mold of what is expected you will feel more free.
I hope this article empowers you to watch some recordings and improve your ability to speak your passion!!
Some interesting reads and studies:
I Like My Voice Better: A study that shows that without knowing it's our own voice, we think our voice is more attractive than others.
Sources for this article:
Voice Confrontation - Wikipedia
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63 Comments
Roy Dickan
I am a Solution Architect that enjoys collaborating with entrepreneurs, business owners, and CEOs to achieve their highest values and become the authority for their niche. #entrepreneur #businessowner #CEO #president
2y
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I have found that you can get over hearing your own voice just as you can get over seeing your image or video. It makes you humble.
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Karalee Greer
I help connect Entrepreneurs and Businesses
2y
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My voice definitely sounds different from my POV compared to when I hear myself on zoom, etc. I've become used to hearing myself more in the last 20 months and I now sound more "normal" from the other side. It is an interesting phenomena!
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This has been me until very recently. I think knowing that people who hear me speak are impacted by what I’m saying has helped me to realize that my voice isn’t as cringy as I initially thought.
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Denise Eckert
Host of The Relaxation Lounge - A Place for Busy Women to Reduce their Stress | Podcaster - The Relaxation Lounge
2y
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Yes, I struggle with this. I have a podcast and getting used to my own voice has been hard. Thank you for sharing.
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Trevor Singleton
Corporate Training & Development | Certified DISC Practitioner| Accountability & Executive Coach | Operations & Program Management | Author of Bestselling Book "The Doorways of Life"| Project Management
2y
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Great post, 🚀 Benny Pekala! I know many people do cringe and need the steps to overcome that issue.
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