Do you express yourself better in writing or when speaking?

Writing.

I am equally comfortable writing or speaking. I used to have to do a lot of public speaking, and after the initial stage fright, began to enjoy it. When giving a discourse, I used only notes rather than a written speech and soon felt happy with extemp. remarks or questions from the floor.

(crack oral fluency?)

@gailcalled thanks, I will fix up that awful wording!
I was trying to say something else!

Whatever ability I once had for public speaking and making conversation, mostly accrued during my ad agency days when I was constantly making presentations and lecturing, has atrophied or vanished altogether. Writing was always my forte as a kid, in school, in my career and for personal expression, be it letters, short stories, poem, ads, commercials or even movie reviews. Not claiming that I am or ever was a great writer – only better at that than tonguesmanship.

I am equally facile with both forms.

Oh, writing by far. It takes me forever to get my thoughts together on a subject, and then to find words and phrasing that I’m happy with. Writing suits me because it can be a non-linear process; I spend almost as much time reworking text I’ve already put down as I do advancing the word count. Sure can’t do that while speaking. The end result is that I sound smarter than I am when I write, and dumber than I am when I speak.

I am first and foremost a writer. I also have a very quick wit, and can deliver off the cuff remarks that will make your head spin.
What I am terrible at is saying what I have written. I cannot read my own prepared remarks for shit.

I seem to be most adept at pantomime.

Definately writing.

I’m hard of hearing and have a speech impediment so that makes it a tad difficult to actually speak considering I constantly have to repeat myself and ask the other person to repeat themselves as well..

I express myself best through the medium of interpretive dance…it’s a gift I know.

My writing is probably better now than my speaking. I’m out of practice with the speaking.

I’m proficient in both.

For ten years, I held two jobs concurrently. One required public speaking (teaching), and the other, lots of writing (marketing and design) — so I’ve had the opportunity to practice both.

Farting and Tap Dance. Thank you Kurt

I get easily flustered when speaking. But then again, I’ve managed to put my foot in my mouth through writing pretty often, too. I have difficulty biting my tongue, although there has been some gradual improvement.

@hearkat: It’s a lot easier to speak clearly with your foot down by your ankle and your teeth not attached to your tongue. Do you feel more relaxed every time you do speak in public?

@gailcalled – I don’t do any “public” speaking, like the class I took in college. Fortunately, I only have to speak with patients, and it’s about them. Where I fumble the worst is dealing with confrontation – whether expressing disapproval for administrative nonsense at the job, or when I am a customer complaining about a product or service, or trying to explain an opinion in an online forum like this – if I get emotional and especially if I get frustrated, my word-finding skills abandon me.

Ah. Sometimes if you can buy yourself some time, it gives you a chance to calm down and regroup.

I know very few people who enjoy confrontation but that is very different from expressing yourself clearly and kindly to your patients.

The hearing-related advice you give (and have given here) has been precise, clear, economical and very helpful. I can speak to this since I have to wear an aid in one ear and am not crazy about my new audiologist.

Written. I don’t think well “on my feet.” I do much better when I can consider my comments and use the written word.

@gailcalled – I’m sorry to learn that you have to deal with someone new. What happened to your previous Audiologist? If you go to the website of the manufacturer of your hearing aid, they will have a page where you can type in your zip-code and it will generate a list of dispensers in your area. Keep looking until you find one whom you like.

Speaking about a topic that I know very well is easier for me, and I am often complimented by my patients for being thorough, clear and compassionate. I’ve learned to slow down, which not only improves the flow between thought and speech, but also helps my patients hear and process what I am saying. It is when the subject is personal to me that I have greater difficulty. I have written many comments here that have been deleted rather than posted.

^^^ Now, that’s a perfect example of two elegant little paragraphs. No excess verbiage, no weird punctuation and no un-parallel construction.

Unfortunately, the price I pay for living in a green, largely empty area (unless you count the cows) is the lack of too much choice in the medical community, unless I drive to Albany, which is really an awful place.

Deleted by you? Or TPTB?

I do prefer writing actually. I think it gives me time to order my thoughts. But more importantly not to be interrupted.

@gailcalled – I don’t even bother posting many comments I make. I can type out several paragraphs but still not effectively convey what I’m trying to express, so I’ll move to a different page without hitting the “Answer” button. I don’t know what TPTB means. I’ll PM you about the other issue.

^^^ Sorry. The Powers That Be.

Got the PM. Thanks.

when i have something important to say or write I usually pull though.
I love writing as it gives me the freedom to express and expand on issues etc
While speaking one has to be aware of time limits and others who may also
wish to be part of the discusssion.

Definitely writing. On-the-spot eloquence requires a kind of quick-mindedness that I, sadly, don’t possess.

Oh my. I am so much better at writing than speaking.

I am socially awkward and extremely shy. People who have first met me through writing/typing have always been surprised at how shy I am in person.
Even the people I am comfortable with, I often have a hard time stringing together the words I’m trying to speak. My inside voice is like a genius…then everything goes downhill from there!