I strongly recommend this weekend’s TEDTalk, by social psychologist Amy Cuddy. I’ve been thinking about it all day. There were two things about it that I found impressive. Mostly, her personal story: the car accident, the diagnosis of brain damage, the struggle to get back into college and finish, the adviser who told her to “fake it till you make it,” and how she knew when she’d finally made it. I almost cried. It would make a great film.
Amy Cuddy – Wonder Woman
Also, though, the concept behind her speech-that deliberately adopting a different physical posture can increase your chances of success- was compelling. In a way, it’s similar to all of the self-improvement methods out there. It’s the power of positive thinking, it’s believing in yourself, it’s the moral of the story of ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ and that predates all of this new age crap by a century or more.
But, she took it a step further, made it a bit more literal. The slide show was fun, but the research study was proof. If you stand in a power pose for a minute or two before a job interview (which you can do in the parking lot, or in the bathroom, to avoid looking like a posing doofus) your chances of getting the job go way up. Really, follow the link.
So, I’ve been thinking about that and trying to figure out ways to incorporate it into my teaching, and my life, but when I went to make a comment on the article, another thought slipped in and pretty much wrote itself: There are no power poses on the internet.
Likewise, no self-defeating body language. You don’t know, as you’re reading this, if I am sitting up confidently and pounding at the keys like John Henry with a sledgehammer, or if I am slumped over, half asleep, eking out the blog bit by bit. You read the words I write and judge them on their merits.
That’s a good thing. Although the emerging group mind of the human race will be a bit less human, it will be a bit more objective. It will not be as susceptible to charismatic charlatans, but it will be more responsive to great ideas even if they are presented by shy, self-effacing, introverted types. It improves the chances for co-operation and world peace.
The trick, I guess, is just to remember when you are in public, and act accordingly.
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