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Amy Cuddy: “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”
1. With respect to the saying, “fake it till you make it”, Amy Cuddy refers to the impact that body language poses on the manner through which individuals engage in self-perception. Simply, non-verbals influence the self-worth of a person to a certain level. In terms of power dynamics, the findings asserted by Cuddy illustrate a correlation between power and gender. Accordingly, women are more inclined to feel less powerful while compared to men in a particular setting such as a classroom (Cuddy, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”). The manner in which both genders exhibit their body language further illustrates the mentioned relationship.
2. Cuddy changes the meaning of the phrase in order to suit her discourse on the relationship between body language and power dynamics. One of the reasons as to why she changes this phrase is due to her study on the effects of body language. Throughout the discussion, she focuses on body posture and the effect that it has on a person’s confidence. In illustration, Cuddy notes that the men in her MBA class are more inclined to display open body posture that display power (Cuddy, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”). Additionally, simple gestures such as raising the hand also signify the connection between power and body language.
3. Body language is important especially in understanding other people’s perception of us. Foremost, non-verbal communication influences the mind of a person. Accordingly, the way in which a person views himself or herself is tied to the body language he or she exudes. For instance, if an individual perceives himself as weak, then he or she will exhibit a more closed posture. This in turn will influence the way other people view him. In such a situation, other individuals may perceive the person as unconfident and with low self-esteem. Hence, adopting positive body language can encourage positive perception from people around us.
Work Cited
Cuddy, Amy. “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.