In her TED Talk “Your body language may shape who you are,” Amy Cuddy explores the powerful influence of body language on personal and social outcomes. She begins with a simple but profound life hack: changing one’s posture for two minutes can significantly impact how one feels and behaves. Cuddy emphasizes that body language is not just a tool for communication with others but also influences our own minds, feelings, and physiology. She explains how adopting “power poses,” expansive postures that signal dominance and confidence, can increase testosterone levels and decrease cortisol levels, leading to enhanced feelings of power and reduced stress.Cuddy and her collaborator Dana Carney conducted experiments showing that people who adopted power poses for just two minutes were more likely to take risks and had notable hormonal changes that fostered confidence and assertiveness. These physiological changes suggest that our nonverbal behavior governs not only how others perceive us but also how we perceive ourselves. Cuddy illustrates that these effects can have practical applications, particularly in high-stakes situations like job interviews.Through her personal story of overcoming a traumatic brain injury and feelings of impostor syndrome, Cuddy encourages the audience to “fake it till you become it.” By consistently practicing power poses, individuals can eventually embody the confidence and presence they initially had to simulate. Cuddy concludes with a call to share this
