The Benefits and Consequences of Increasing Confidence
Amy Cuddy gives a presentation discussing her research on
body language and how it not only changes how people look at you but how you
look at yourself. Through examples
from the animal kingdom, politics, and her research, she shows how “power
posing” can increase confidence.
She argues that we are able to alter the conception of ourselves, that
we can “fake it until we make it”.
However, what are the consequences of falsely presenting
ourselves in situations such as lectures, debates, and job interviews. Is it morally wrong? This video presents a tool that
can be useful for all types of people however, is it wrong to falsely identify
ourselves or are we evolving into someone better fit for the society in which
we live in?
Amy begins her presentation by showing examples of animals
‘power posing’. Power posing
refers to presenting yourself in a position of confidence, a person with their
arms spread, an animal spreading their wings, etc. She shows how this is done by most species and is an
effective way to show dominance.
The opposite is done as well; people who lack confidence commonly cross
their arms or slouch, which makes them look smaller and weaker. Having noticed this, Amy performed
research to see if there are hormonal changes in a person when in a ‘power
pose’ compared to a smaller pose.
What she found is that those in confident poses had
increased testosterone levels as well as decreased cortisol levels, cortisol
relates to how one deals with stress.
Those in smaller poses showed decreased levels of testosterone while
corisol levels increased. These
results demonstrate that a person’s pose has almost immediate influence on
their internal chemistry and can effect how people feel about themselves. Amy argues that by consciously putting
yourself in a ‘power pose’ you can change your level of self-confidence and
essentially ‘fake it until you make it’.
Although Amy does not discuss it, I’ve found that ‘power
posing’ has evolved with humans as technology continues to develop. Emails, blogs, and articles have given
people the opportunity to voice opinions that many would not do face to
face. An example I witnessed was
during the Pisces game performed in class. Discussion between the ASU class and RIT class was left
strictly to an online forum. When
a situation got heated, RIT students posted comments saying things such as “Yes I sarcastically called you a “class act” because unlike you
I am neither arrogant, pompous, nor condescending” as well as “you acted like a
group of spoiled children”.
The ability to hide behind a screen and write
with confidence that one may not have in a face-to-face situation has allowed
for people to act in more aggressive ways then they would usually feel
comfortable doing. Although it can
be done in counterproductive ways that attack others as what was done in the
Pisces game, this can also be used in a way that helps softer voices reach an
equal volume.
Throughout the video Amy gives examples showing
how power posing can help many people reach goals and conquer fears. I admit I am one of many that would benefit
from power posing but as I reflected on Amy’s findings I began wondering what
were potential negative consequences of ‘faking’ who you are to get a job or
gain entry to high level schooling.
I tried to imagine what if an engineer used these tools and found
themselves in a position that they could not handle, could they end up killing
innocent people. Some say
“Engineers save more lives then doctors” but doesn’t that means they could
potentially injure or kill many people if unqualified.
Looking throughout history there are many
examples of failures that have resulted in the death or injury of many
citizens. One example of an
engineering failure that resulted from a lack of knowledge is the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge Collapse. Although
the only casualty was a dog named Tobby, this suspension bridge failed and
could have caused a significant lose of life and did cause a large loss of
materials. This bridge failed
because the aerodynamic stability of the bridge was not accurately accounted
for. This may have resulted from a
lack of knowledge of the engineers that were not qualified to design a bridge
to this scale.
Another example that I think of is the countless
car recalls that have occurred over the last several decades. Recalls such as unintended acceleration
in Toyota’s and the explosive Ford Pinto.
These vehicles were not properly designed and caused dangerous and
sometimes fatal disasters.
Were these accidents partially to blame because
of those working on these projects were not equipped with the knowledge to
build them. Power posing can be an
effective tool for branching out of ones comfort zone but this tool can also
put one in a position that can threaten lives. More accidents such as these can occur if people ‘fake’
their way into positions they cannot handle.
Amy attempts to drive home the positive outcomes
of power posing when she discusses her own experience as well as those of her
students that struggled with imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when despite a persons accomplishments
they still feel like a fraud and that their success is a result of luck, good
timing, and effective deception of a superior. Amy finds that this is common throughout the Ivy
League schools and discusses a specific example of one of her student
struggling until receiving her advice to fake it. This student
then ended up surprising herself along with the rest of the class with
excellent participation. This example of overcoming the imposter syndrome shows
the small yet significant personal benefits that can come from power
posing.
This video has made me ask the question is it
morally wrong to ‘fake it until you make it’. There are a lot of benefits from presenting yourself in a
more powerful way. It builds
self-confidence and improves self-esteem.
It can help people break out of their shells that have kept them from
achieving goals. Personal issues
such as dealing with imposter syndrome can be overcome with power posing. However, using this tool must be done
with caution. It is important to
use the guilt associated with this syndrome as a means of measuring one
capability. Without checks such as
this, power posing many allow for people to rise to levels that they are unable
to handle, leading to potentially disastrous outcomes.
I believe Amy has made very interesting findings
that show how tools such as power posing have the ability to affect our
perception of ourselves. I have
already found myself using power positions when in situations that I am
uncomfortable. I think this tool
can help many build the confidence they need to be successful in a world that
requires social interaction. However,
it is important to continue to monitor oneself when using this tool to ensure a
person does not end up in a situation they can’t handle.
She concludes by offering the suggestion to take
this tool and not only ‘fake it until you make it’ but to ‘fake it until you
become it’. I think this is a
great tool that can help many improve self-confidence and increase the chance
of success in many different opportunities. However, it must be done appropriately and in a way that
you’re not fooling others but instead coming to a personal realization that you
can achieve more then you ever thought.
