Your body language may shape who you are | Amy Cuddy | TED

TED・2 minutes read

Changing posture for just two minutes can lead to hormonal changes affecting confidence and stress levels, impacting life outcomes. Power posing can increase risk tolerance, testosterone levels, and assertiveness, benefiting evaluative situations like job interviews.

Insights

  • Power posing for just two minutes can lead to hormonal changes affecting confidence and stress levels, impacting how individuals feel about themselves rather than solely impressing others.
  • High-power poses increase risk tolerance and assertiveness while lowering cortisol levels, showcasing the significant impact of body language on communication, judgments, and power dynamics in various life outcomes, such as hiring or promotions.

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Recent questions

  • How does body language impact communication and judgments?

    Body language plays a crucial role in how we communicate with others and how we are perceived. Nonverbal behavior can actually predict life outcomes such as hiring decisions or promotions. Power dynamics are reflected in body language, with powerful poses leading to assertiveness and confidence. By understanding and utilizing body language effectively, individuals can influence how they are perceived and improve their chances of success in various situations.

  • What are the effects of power posing on hormone levels?

    Power posing for just two minutes can lead to significant hormonal changes in the body. High-power poses increase risk tolerance and testosterone levels while decreasing cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. On the other hand, low-power poses have the opposite effect, decreasing risk tolerance and hormone levels. By adopting power poses before evaluative situations like job interviews or public speaking, individuals can positively impact their confidence and stress levels through hormonal changes.

  • How can power posing benefit individuals in stressful situations?

    Power posing can be highly beneficial in stressful situations by influencing how individuals feel about themselves. By adopting powerful poses for just two minutes before a stressful event like a job interview, individuals can experience hormonal changes that boost confidence and reduce stress levels. This can lead to improved performance and outcomes in evaluative situations where confidence is crucial, helping individuals project a more assertive and confident demeanor.

  • What is the significance of power posing in real-life situations?

    The impact of power posing extends beyond the lab to real-life situations where confidence is crucial. By changing how individuals feel about themselves through power posing, they can project confidence and assertiveness in various scenarios. For example, before a job interview, avoiding hunching up and instead taking two minutes to power pose in private can lead to hormonal changes that boost confidence and reduce stress levels. This can significantly impact outcomes in evaluative situations and help individuals present themselves more effectively.

  • How can individuals overcome feelings of inadequacy and impostor syndrome?

    Individuals can overcome feelings of inadequacy and impostor syndrome by faking confidence until it becomes genuine. By utilizing techniques like power posing for two minutes before stressful situations, individuals can experience hormonal changes that boost confidence and reduce stress levels. This can help individuals project a more confident and assertive demeanor, ultimately leading to improved outcomes in evaluative situations. By sharing the science of power posing with others, especially those lacking resources, individuals can empower themselves and others to make small changes that can have a significant impact on their confidence and success.

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Summary

00:00

"Power posing boosts confidence and success"

  • Changing posture for two minutes can significantly impact life outcomes.
  • Body language plays a crucial role in communication and judgments.
  • Nonverbal behavior can predict life outcomes like hiring or promotions.
  • Power dynamics are reflected in body language, with powerful poses leading to assertiveness.
  • High-power poses increase risk tolerance and testosterone levels, while decreasing cortisol levels.
  • Low-power poses have the opposite effect on risk tolerance and hormone levels.
  • Power posing for just two minutes can lead to hormonal changes affecting confidence and stress levels.
  • Applying power posing in evaluative situations can be beneficial, like job interviews or public speaking.
  • Power posing is about changing how you feel about yourself, not impressing others.
  • The impact of power posing can extend beyond the lab to real-life situations where confidence is crucial.

13:49

"Power posing boosts confidence in interviews"

  • Before a job interview, avoid hunching up and making yourself small; instead, take two minutes to power pose in private.
  • In a study, participants underwent a stressful job interview while being recorded and judged with no nonverbal feedback, leading to increased cortisol levels.
  • Coders evaluating the interviews favored high-power posers, not based on speech content but on the presence and confidence displayed.
  • The speaker shares a personal story of overcoming feelings of inadequacy and impostor syndrome by faking confidence until it became genuine.
  • Encourages the audience to fake confidence until it becomes real, emphasizing the power of small changes like power posing for two minutes before stressful situations.
  • Urges sharing the science of power posing with others, especially those lacking resources, as it can significantly impact their outcomes.
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