Is introversion really antithetic to public speaking? Or can they be mutually exclusive?

Answer 1

Introverts can be excellent public speakers. Introversion is not the same thing as shyness. But shy people can be excellent public speakers, too. Read about famous stand-up comics, for example: Many are both shy and introverted. Robin Williams comes to mind!

Fear of public speaking seems to be as bothersome for extroverts as for introverts, in my experience. (No official statistics.)

In my opinion, confidence and success in public speaking come from a mindset the speaker has regarding their relationship to the audience and the content of the speech (responsibility, obligation, commonality, ego concern, empathy) more than anything else, and the mindset is not dependent on the speaker’s introversion/extroversion score. Learning this mindset is open to all.

After that, you just have to have something worthwhile to say, and I imagine you do!