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Superhuman in the Toilet
Fear and anxiety make us act weird
I am well aware that standing in the toilet cubicle adopting a Superman pose is not normal behavior. Yet looking a little odd is less scary than standing up presenting in front of two hundred people– all of which look far more intelligent than me–in five minutes’ time.
Fear and anxiety can do strange things to our brain and behavior.
I’ve been reading Presence, Amy Cuddy’s book that follows her hugely successful 2012 Ted talk. Simply put, it claims that how we stand drives how we feel and think. Or, more precisely, the body shapes the mind.
And perhaps it’s no surprise. When we feel confident and powerful, don’t we all naturally stand a little taller, back straight, chest out? The race winner instinctively throws their arms up and out while the loser walks off deflated, their shoulders down.
But what if it’s not as simple as how we feel affects how we sit or stand. What if it also works the other way. Could a bold posture fill us with confidence, help us feel powerful, and give us the courage to take risks?
Well, surprisingly, yes. And that’s why I’m standing here looking like I’m reaching up for the light bulb above the toilet. Psychology tells us that a confident pose makes us feel more in charge of who and where we…
