The word inhibition is a very loaded term replete with varied imagery. To some it may connote something very mild, such as speaking in public. To others, it may connote things much more adventurous, such as streaking in public. Whatever be the benchmark, there is nobody I have met who does not have inhibitions.
In a very broad sense, inhibitions limit our behavioural norms. And that can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on how we feel. In a way, inhibitions reflect — and are a function of — our public morals and are not a negative aspect. Many of us do not lie, or cheat because we are not comfortable doing so; so we are inhibited in that sense. But there are many other inhibitions which negatively impact our behaviour and leave us wishing we could overcome the sense of shame or fear that we attach to them.
I think the senses of fear and shame are very limiting inhibitions. Both these are intrinsically connected to acts which we wish to do but we cannot. Like the inability to cogently argue in public, or the fear of acting on stage, or the shame of making mistakes or giving wrong answers. All these are aspects of a deficient personality which millions wish to overcome, but cannot.
How should we overcome such limiting inhibitions? Frankly, it is easier said than done if one is alone and it is much easier to deal with the issue in groups.
For starters, if you are alone, stand before a mirror. That is your group. Make the funniest faces you can and laugh at yourself. Loosen up and see how soon you are comfortable with yourself.
Next, emote a story that you have heard which has really moved you. Act that story out in first person; as if you are narrating it with all you have to a confidant. With practice, enacting different stories, you will come to terms with yourself and your persona.
You will understand how to handle yourself and your emotions when you are in front of people. You will learn how to be confident and at ease in an assembly. This is a very powerful exercise. Remember that even the legendary orator who stirred a nation to fight great odds heroically, constantly practised his speeches before a mirror. I am referring to Winston Churchill, who led England to victory against Hitler in World War II.
In groups, it is easier to open up. Let each one talk of the one time they became a laughing stock, of the stupidest mistakes they ever committed, of their first crush, of one incident they regret and so on. Soon the group will gel as one. And you will see the strength come into them and the fear of speaking out, or being themselves, evaporate.
The point to remember about inhibitions is that practice makes them disappear!
The writer is a renowned film and theatre actor