A forgotten line can reveal which people came to support you and which came to evaluate you.

Small failures sort a room quickly. When you falter, some faces open slightly, willing you on, and others cool into assessment, and the difference is visible in a second even though nobody says anything. This is useful information you would not otherwise get, since both groups look identical while things are going well. The stumble is not what tells you about yourself. It tells you about the room.

After your next public wobble, take a moment to remember who was on which side. Then invest your energy accordingly, and offer the open face to the next person who falters in front of you.