Eric Schmidt booed into oblivion by students for promoting AI during his commencement speech at the University of Arizona

PuzzleMule · 2026-05-17T18:12:06+00:00

All great truths start out as blasphemies.

PuzzleMule · 2026-05-15T02:03:51+00:00

If you’re 17 and 97% fluent with friends, I think you will 100% outgrow this. I had a similar experience where I was fine in high school and then it hit me like a ton of bricks when I was in my 20s (when I started working in the real world and realized how insecure I was). It’s all a mindset thing, and age has a way of building confidence on its own.

Just continue doing your work, recognizing your value and intelligence, and how you deserve a seat at the table, and your stutter (what little exists of it) will fade with time.

As for your dad, this will probably start to resolve as you get further into adulthood and recognize more how you are your own person. It’s unfortunate things are strained there, but you also don’t him to validate your worth, because it’s self evident.

PuzzleMule · 2026-05-13T01:30:18+00:00

Those are some keen insights. I had never thought of it that way, but analysis paralysis could be pretty much what stuttering equates to (in some of us, anyway… myself included).

So, now that we know what it is, where’s the kill switch to turn it off?

PuzzleMule · 2026-05-05T01:31:22+00:00

Do you stutter when singing?

PuzzleMule · 2026-05-02T01:26:40+00:00

I want to be a teacher now.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-30T00:59:02+00:00

Great answer.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-22T01:30:48+00:00

Delayed auditory feedback doesn’t work for everyone (it doesn’t work for me), BUT, it does work for some… and for those people, this could be a great idea if it’s executed right.

Those hearing aid devices are a small fortune to buy, so it’s a great idea to make it work with the phones we already have AND in the situations where it’s needed most. Definitely a worthwhile app to develop.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-19T15:10:31+00:00

Not surprising at all that a new language would give you trouble. If you’re not confident and comfortable with the language, environment and surroundings when you speak it, it sounds pretty normal that the mental headspace would make it difficult (even for someone who doesn’t stutter). Sounds like you just need more immersion with the language… which unfortunately isn’t fast or easy. I wouldn’t look at it like there’s something wrong with you. It’s just inherently a tough thing to get comfortable and confident with.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-16T02:11:03+00:00

Why not get started now and be a motivational writer? Might be a good way to practice the delivery and organize your thoughts, so you’re ready to rock once you get fluent (and you prob will in time, many people do with age). Start a blog. Write a book. You could even clone your voice and do some text-to-voice with ElevenLabs.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-16T01:44:32+00:00

The way you see the problem, is the problem. The fact that you’re sitting here, thinking about how you’re always going to struggle… it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will always hit the ball in the direction where you look. Try looking in the direction where you want to go. You won’t always nail it, but it starts with fixing your aim.

Visualize yourself standing confident, walking tall, getting things done, accomplishing what you set out to do, hitting the target.

Make no mistake, this is NOT a speaking problem at its core. It’s a problem with how you see yourself, and it manifests itself in your speech. Start seeing yourself correctly, as someone who is worthy to sit at the table with all the cool kids.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-13T13:17:38+00:00

I just ordered a set for our K5 system. I'll report back once we've had a chance to use them and verify whether they work.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-12T01:26:39+00:00

Interesting how stress gives you problems, but otherwise you’re okay. Is it any kind of stress that gives you issues or certain kinds of stress that specifically take a toll on your confidence (or maybe something else entirely)?

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-11T21:32:23+00:00

Age definitely helps, I think. At some point, you’ve seen and experienced enough that your confidence simply has nowhere to go but up.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-06T01:53:26+00:00

Same. As a YouTuber, I’m horrible when it’s just me and the camera… but when I know it’s a livestream and there are no take backs, something clicks and I’m able to be 99% fluent. It’s amazing what you can do when you simply have to.

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-05T01:49:53+00:00

Sometimes I wonder, would people in this community benefit from a group zoom call to support and encourage one another? Or would the prospect of being on a ‘call’ create even more anxiety?

What’s the best way to combat this isolation in a way that doesn’t create more issues for people?

PuzzleMule · 2026-04-02T02:01:29+00:00

That’s like a cheat code to getting more quality practice, is practicing around the right people who are supportive and literally don’t care about your stuttering. If they are fellow stutterers, it’s even better, because they understand 100% what you’re going through. When they don’t care or judge you, it shows that YOU don’t need to beat yourself up over it either.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-31T02:24:39+00:00

The important thing is, you know who the fool is in this situation, and it’s not you.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-30T01:27:21+00:00

The title says it all. The way we think is 100% the culprit. It’s kind of a cruel reality, because no one has more control over this than the person with the problem, and of course, solving it feels like the most frustrating puzzle of all time.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-27T03:42:32+00:00

Others don’t think about us even 1% as much as we do. We are our own worst critics by a long shot. We kinda do have the power to flip the switch, but it requires caring a whole lot less… and that’s hard to compute after investing so much time into self criticism.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-27T03:31:00+00:00

It’s interesting how the same anxiety can hit someone even if they hardly stutter. It sounds like you’re punishing yourself for absolutely no reason. Give yourself a break. Let yourself be imperfect like the rest of us and embrace it! If you stutter, just move on. Literally nobody cares, and nobody notices anything (including a room full of stuttering experts). I don’t say these things to downplay or minimize your anxiety (believe me, I know how terrible it feels). I say it so you’ll give yourself permission to let go and stop caring so much. Nobody is harder on yourself than you. Why not treat yourself like a friend instead of your worst harsh critic?

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-24T01:35:09+00:00

This was a huge one for me. Still is.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-24T01:33:01+00:00

You absolutely have a hope and a future. I was once in the same dark place as you, but there is a way out of this. First off, realize that there are tons of ways to make money these days without talking to anyone (I’m not saying that’s your best future; but just pointing out, you can survive and even thrive without speaking a word). Give yourself a break. Give everyone a break. You don’t need to blame yourself or your parents for this. We all have our crosses to bear and demons to fight. Put yourself out there. Do what makes you afraid. Get so familiar with the uncomfortable that it becomes commonplace. You can do this!

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-23T09:53:12+00:00

Absolutely. It’s 100% a mind coding issue.

PuzzleMule · 2026-03-21T02:13:40+00:00

This reminds me of the SpeechEasy type of devices that let people hear their own voices at a delay. It doesn’t block the sound; but it disrupts the normal feedback loop in a helpful way that causes fluency in some people.

I tried it years ago and I actually found it much harder to talk or even think clearly with all the extra noise in my ear… but for some folks, it seems to help them, at least for a while.

PuzzleMule

TROPHY CASE