Overall impression of the Tedtalk
Title, speaker and Summary of the Tedtalk
The following is a reaction paper based on Tedtalk by a Harvard Professor and Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy titled “your body language may shape who you are”. According to Amy, body language comes first. Non-verbal communication has a great effect on the way we perceive other people. Besides, non-verbal communication has a huge influence on things like who to promote and who to hire. The social psychologist provides useful tips to aid people to change their lives in meaningful ways. She also inspires individuals who desire to boost their confidence and feel empowered.
Overall impression of the Tedtalk
Body language impacts how we perceive things and others, although we might not realize the intensity of the impact on us. Another concept to learn from Cuddy’s talk is that being meticulous of our body language can assist us in our careers, in maintaining people’s opinions about us as well as making good impressions. Non-verbal communication plays a huge role in how we think and feel about ourselves. Lastly, the body can change the mind, and the mind can change the body, which in turn influences individual behaviour.
Specific parts of the talk that I liked
In her Tedtalk, the Harvard Professor talks about “power posing” which can have an immense influence on an individual’s confidence levels. Power posing works because it has a certain level of influence on testosterone and cortisone hormones in the brain that boost confidence. This is an interesting fact because it works in such a way that if you stand in a confident posture, your mind is tricked into thinking that you are confident whereas in the real sense you are not. I like this concept because on several occasions, I have exercised the high power pose, and I have succeeded in certain situations, not knowing the impact of body language the outcome. Another idea from Professor Cuddy’s talk that I liked is that there is a universal feeling and pose for victory. Even, the blind makes the universal pose. I found this quite interesting because this is an indication that the psychological and the physical are closely linked.
Do you think the Tedtalk has merit – does it seem valid? Why?
Amy’s Tedtalk is valid and has merit because of its science bit. According to Cuddy’s research, powerful people are more calm and confident in stressful situations because they had lower levels of stress hormone (cortisol) and high levels of dominance hormone (testosterone) in their brain compared to low power people. She further experimented to determine whether any changes in body language could alter hormone levels, behaviours and the way we feel.
How does what Cuddy says relate to what you have learned about self-esteem in the eText? Be specific using examples from the video and concepts/ideas from the eText.
How I would apply Cuddy’s ideas in my life.
I will practice body language in my daily interactions. Shaking hands firmly whenever I meet people, takes a little effort but goes a long way in making and maintaining a strong impression. Raising my hand high in class and power poses during presentations will boost my confidence levels by tricking the brain that am fully prepared for the presentation. Lastly, keeping my chin high whenever interacting with other people will change people’s perspective, and they will now see me assertive, abstractive, confident and optimistic.
Why I would recommend this Tedtalk
I would definitely recommend Amy’s Tedtalk on body language to help people understand that body language discloses a lot about them. However, they can use it to alter their personalities and reframe people’s perceptions of them. Professor Cuddy passionately explains her research and provides useful tips that help people change their lives in better ways.