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Your body language may shape who you are
Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk, “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are,” argues that not only does our body language influence how others perceive us, but it also profoundly affects how we see ourselves. Drawing on her Harvard research, she shows that assuming expansive “high-power” poses—like standing tall or spreading your arms—can, within just two minutes, lead to measurable hormonal shifts (an increase in testosterone and a decrease in cortisol), boosting feelings of confidence and reducing stress . Furthermore, in a mock job-interview study, participants who practiced power poses beforehand came off as more assured, authentic, and “hireable” to evaluators. Cuddy weaves in her personal journey—recovering from a serious car accident and battling imposter syndrome—to highlight how “fake it till you become it” can help anyone gain presence and self-belief. While her work sparked both widespread acclaim and controversy—with some replication studies failing to confirm hormonal effects—Cuddy contends that even if power poses work via placebo, they remain a practical tool for enhancing mindset and performance.