The Half Times Mirror Squared Theory

Contributed by Mitch Greene

Believe it or not, you directly affect the moods and attitude of the people around you by how you act. It goes the other way as well. People are really just like mirrors; if you smile at someone it’s more than likely that they’ll smile back at you. The amazing thing about being affected by others is that you can force it.
 
No, I’m serious. You can force yourself into a specific mood using others, and you don’t even have to tell them!
 
I’ll give you an example. When I was about thirteen and I had to start being more social my dad would tell me to act 50% more confident than I actually felt. My dad’s words were like law to me, so I did it with no question. I would go out and when I would talk to someone I would pretend to be 50% more confident than I actually felt.
 
The thing that was weird to me was that they bought it.
 
People actually thought I was a confident guy. They treated me like I was extremely capable. After seeing people look at me like I was so confident I realized something: I am confident.
 
I wasn’t just faking it anymore. It was honestly how I felt, and, oh boy, did I love it. Ever since then I’ve built a habit of acting in a way that I wished to be, slowly becoming what I was pretending to be in the beginning.
 
From my experience, the saying “Fake it till you make it” is more truthful than most might think. So do me a favor. When you wake up tomorrow and feel intimated or overmatched, choose to be 50% more confident. See how it feels.