quarta-feira, 25 de dezembro de 2013

Summary Ted talk Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

Did you know that...

80% of our communication is non-verbal.  Therefore know some concepts about this topic may give you a better quality of life and a much better understanding about the people around you.

Our body language influences our behavior. If you just take a “power position” like the one below for two minutes you will feel more powerful. Biologically speaking, your testosterone level will increase and the cortisol level (stress responsible hormone) will decrease.

This article presents key points of one of the best ted talks Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are – 21 minutes long.


Have you already noticed that a discussion usually starts not because what was said but how was said


Our body language directly influences our attitudes and vice-versa. You constantly make unconscious decisions based on the body language of the person speaking to you. Studies have shown that it is possible to predict, based on the non-verbal communication, who will be promoted or hired during an interview as well who we will call for a date.

Amy Cuddy, the speaker, studies mainly power and domination position. How do the animals express such feelings normally? They try to occupy space, get noticed, they stretch themselves.



What about us? Humans? Well…it’s the same thing..



Something amazing, is that studies have shown that people who were born blind also adopt “proud positions” (known as V position) when they won a competition.



What about when we feel sad? Slaughtered? It’s quite the opposite, we just want to deal with the least amount of space possible, we don’t want to “bump into someone”.



We can notice these positions in our daily basis. Could you differentiate in the image below who show power and who don’t?



How to use our body language to make ourselves better


Our body undergoes a law of cause and effect between our mind and our body language. If you feel an emotion then your body reacts accordingly, but if you act in in a characteristic way you will begin to feel the associated emotions.

For example, if you are happy your body usually reacts smiling. However if you are sad and is forced start smiling putting a pen between your teeth you will feel happier. But is it instantaneous? No. But 2 minutes are enough!

Now that you armed with this knowledge you can do such wonderful things like:

   •  Adopt a “power position” for 2 minutes (anywhere like a bathroom or stairs, for example), before a stressful situation such as job interviews or public speech
   •  Smile during 2 minutes when you want to “get sadness away”
   •  Avoid adopting less powered positions


You may be thinking that all of this is “artificial” and the change is only momentary, maybe you are right ….However it has already been demonstrated that tiny tweaks can lead to big changes. All you have to do is make it frequently, you can literally reconfigure your brain.


Click to zoom
In more practical terms:

Click to zoom



Do you think it is important to share knowledge?  Share this Article.