Everyone reading this has heard someone say, “Fake it until you make it.”
That concept stems from the work of brilliant psychologists such as William James and Alfred Adler. The idea is that if you act AS IF you have traits like confidence or bravery long enough, you will start actually to embody them. This can be true.
In fact, I’ve told people struggling to handle a situation to try to envision themselves acting like someone they admire in that situation. For example, if you’re a young conservative woman who admires Sydney Sweeney or Sophie Cunningham and you’re struggling to talk to people at a conference, try to behave like you imagine they would in the same situation. Suddenly you may find yourself chatting easily with anyone you’re interested in. Next thing you know, you don’t have to imagine that you’re outgoing anymore. You now possess the ability to be outgoing any time you want because you’ve done it, you’ve felt it, and you’ve experienced it.
On the other hand, this advice can…
