Fake it ‘till you make it | Claire Shannon-Vermillion | TEDxYouth@FIS
The speaker claims confidence is a learnable skill, suggesting that adopting the visible characteristics of confident people—like posture and demeanor—is how one can "fake it till you make it," as demonstrated by the anecdote where the speaker's homeroom teacher stated fake and real confidence are the same thing. This belief is supported by the observation that people perceive confident individuals as more competent, regardless of their actual abilities. ## Speakers & Context - Unnamed speaker, delivering a talk that begins with a physical activity asking the audience to check for shaking hands. - The speaker notes having consistently shaky hands, inherited from the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. - Acknowledges that the nervousness of the audience might be due to coffee or other factors. ## Theses & Positions - Confidence is an important and vital trait in modern society. - Confidence is often mistakenly viewed as a natural strength rather than a skill that can be developed. - The speaker's central thesis is that *fake confidence and real confidence are the same thing*—confidence is essentially a state of mind and a behavior. - People can develop confidence by intentionally emulating the visible characteristics associated with confident individuals. - Confidence is presented as a skill that must be worked towards, not an inherent trait. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Confidence:** A vital trait that correlates with self-esteem, happiness, and future success; often linked to leadership roles. - **Status Enhancement Theory:** The concept that people gain influence, perceived as dominant, confident, and competent, through acting in those ways. - **Fake Confidence:** The behavioral manifestation that is indistinguishable from true confidence. - **Emulation:** The process of copying or adopting the observable characteristics (like standing tall or speaking clearly) of confident people. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Behavioral Shift:** Adopting the physical and social mannerisms of confident people leads to a genuine shift in self-perception and competence. - **Status Enhancement:** Acting dominant and confident leads to being *perceived* as more competent, irrespective of underlying ability (illustrated by the mathematical reasoning study). - **Emulation Cycle:** Observing confident traits (shoulders back, chin up, articulate speech) and actively practicing them builds confidence. ## Timeline & Sequence - **2012:** The speaker first moved to Beijing, China, where she was a new, non-Chinese-speaking student in a new city and attended middle school. - **"That day":** The homeroom teacher delivered the pivotal line stating that fake and real confidence are the same. ## Named Entities - **Beijing, China:** The location where the speaker first moved. - **The Cosmopolitan, The New York Times:** Publications cited for featuring "easy ways to be more confident" articles that the speaker dismisses. ## Numbers & Data - **60%** of people surveyed feel adequately confident. - **40%** of people surveyed do not believe they are adequately confident, representing a "gap." ## Examples & Cases - **The Job Interview Scenario:** The hypothetical example used to show that admitting one's weakness as "I'm confident" is unlikely. - **CEO/Politician Example:** Cited as areas where confidence is expected, naming Shri Nazim, CEO of the Center of Executive Excellence, as someone who agrees on its necessity. - **The Status Enhancement Study:** A study placing participants into groups of four to solve mathematical reasoning problems, showing that those *perceived* as confident performed better regardless of their actual math skill. - **The Physical Traits of Confidence:** Cited observable traits include standing up straight, shoulders back, chin up, being charismatic, friendly, loud, proud, well-kept, and well-dressed. - **The Lobs-tern Documentary (Note: Content unrelated to the core speech):** The transcript only contains dialogue about confidence, not documentary work. ## Tools, Tech & Products - None. ## References Cited - **Zachary Stylist in Sydney Felker:** Conducted a study showing a correlation between confidence and success in simple tests. - **Aristotle:** Quoted for the maxim that "men acquire equality by constantly acting a certain way." - **Status Enhancement Theory:** The academic theory mentioned. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Easy Fixes:** The perceived ease of quick confidence hacks (e.g., "five magic power poses") versus the reality that confidence is a skill requiring sustained work. - **Self-Perception vs. Reality:** The gap between the 60% who feel confident and the 40% who do not. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The speaker acknowledges that stating *how* to fake confidence would be too easy and not how it truly works. - Acknowledges the initial suggestion to simply list "five magic power poses" is unhelpful. ## Methodology - **Activity:** Beginning the speech with the audience checking their hands for tremors. - **Narrative:** Using a personal story (moving to Beijing in 2012) to illustrate the core concept. - **Empirical Support:** Referencing psychological studies and observational characteristics. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - The final action recommended is to work on confidence, framing it as a skill everyone *should* and *can* improve. - The guiding principle is the motto: *We can fake it till we make it*. ## Implications & Consequences - Lack of confidence leads to being perceived as less successful, hindering career and social opportunities. - Mastery of confident behavior shifts one's self-perception and how others view one's competence. ## Verbatim Moments - *"fake confidence and real confidence are the same thing"* - *"The behavioral equivalent of the Emperor's New Clothes"* - *"if you walk the walk everyone will hear you talking the talk"* - *"people gain influence acting dominant confident and competent"* - *"so to speak"* - *"I can't show you all some five magic power poses we can do every morning"* - *"Confidence is a skill not a skill you're born with a skill you have to work towards"* - *"We can fake it till we make it"*