Amy Cuddy Response: Effective Body Language

Reid Peters
Intro to Public Speaking
Amy Cuddy Response

Most people don’t realize we as human beings have the amazing mental capacity to choose how we want to feel, thus converting in to our behavior. The ability is there, although emotions tend to get in the way. There are a few tips and tricks to assert the type of behavior we want to portray, and Amy Cuddy teaches a good lesson on just how affective body language can be. Its interesting to look out into a crowd, and observe the human nature that you can so easily see. This could be at a bus stop, football game, classroom whatever it may be. Everyone is subconsciously displaying themselves in a certain way, whether their limbs are crumpled up, head down, and wanting no interaction with anyone, or if their arms are up, spread out to display dominance. “Our non-verbals
govern how people think and feel about us.”(Cuddy) Humans are animals, so its no big surprise that this type of nature is true throughout every other species as well. The alpha male wants to make himself as large as possible, spreading out their limbs to put this sense of power on display. The life form complimenting that behavior will virtually crumple up, almost as if handing the alpha the power. Throughout the average 24 hour day, a human will have to put on a show and fake some type of emotion a few times or even many times, depending on what type of mood they chose to be in that particular morning.
This act one would put up more often then not ends up altering their mood. For example; if someone were to slap a smile on their face regardless of their current emotion, whether they like it or not they would eventually start looking at things in a more positive nature. Their mood would increase, thus completely changing what they truly felt t that time. This is faking it until you become it. Cuddy teaches this lesson when she states, “Don’t fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it.” One could start with simply bringing their shoulders back and sticking that chest out. A more dominant position is much more well respected among human beings. Eventually, this position would affect their behavior and nature of that particular being, thus changing who they are for the time being. People make it so much more difficult than it needs to be, fake it until you become what you are faking. Its within human nature to work that
way. Some say this is an interesting, or ‘different’ way of looking at things when really, this is a true and effective way of vision. Its not a matter of whether its true that body language affects the nature of our beings, it’s a matter of if people are going to passionately and honestly believe it, and use it as a tool in their lives. If someone believes something to be true, its real, real to that individual. These studies and techniques work and one things for sure I will be applying them to my life even more.