Performance as a Measure of Health

Most people have stage fright. The idea of getting up and singing, speaking, dancing, or doing pretty much anything in front of a large group of people is a trial of strength. (Or, often, not attempted at all.) We all know people are sharks. They can smell blood in the water. They can tell if you are the least bit anxious. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to eat you (usually). But it will effect their reception of your performance - people want to see someone charismatic, someone uninhibited, express themselves with clear self-mastery. I used to sing. And when I did, I can say I was much more emotionally healthy than I am now. Upon reflection the reason is obvious. Performing forces you to confront your fear, your shame. Because the essence of true confidence is vulnerability. When you’re anxious, you hold back. The audience can sense suppression. They can tell when you are not truly free in the moment. That is what makes a performance cathartic, regardless of the sentiment it expresses.

I’m not saying it’s the only factor in how you are received - but it is what can make a performance by even a highly skilled individual just feel “off”. It’s easy for us to lie to ourselves. It’s even easier when we isolate. When you perform you are naked in public, and that is what makes it so valuable. Routinely performing forces you to stop lying to yourself. It gives you a reality check, if you understand the relationship between vulnerability and confidence. You don’t have to be an artist. You don’t have to be someone who performs for a living. But taking a shot at it, doing it every once in a while helps you check up on yourself. It forces you to be real.