Wearing a mask = being more confident.

http://sahillavingia.com/blog/2010/11/05/wearing-a-mask-being-more-confident/

by sahillavingia • 16 years ago

22 21 16 years ago

Taking this a step further, when it comes to sales, the type of "mask" you use often is the phone. Over the phone, your presentation (your tone, speed, diction) can change depending upon the person on the other end - as it should.

sahillavingia2• 16 years ago

Very true. It applies to emails too.

However, often the customer "forgets" that leading to mindless bashing, but I guess that's a compromise. :)

gatsby• 16 years ago

Great point about emails. At my last office, there was a guy named Robert who was a VP. He was usually a casual guy and signed his emails with "Rob"

But, anytime he'd ask someone for a favor or give instructions in an email, he'd always sign with "Robert M. Lastname III, Vice President"

Tacky, but material for countless inter-office jokes.

BRadmin• 16 years ago

Your comment reminded me of how a lot of sales training / pick-up artist gaming revolves around neuro-linguistic programming.

Mirroring & matching, imitating the body language, tone, speed, diction of those you interact with, is an important facet of NLP and subsequently the art of persuasion - and as an aside, having preset rules to follow makes one feel as though they are playing a 'role' and acting, thereby increasing confidence as well.

terra_t• 16 years ago

I made it halfway through Meisner training in acting before life got in the way.

One thing I got out of it is this trick of overlaying my avatar in the virtual world with an image of somebody else, often a cartoon character.

It may sound crazy, but I gain the ability to do all kinds of things that I wouldn't do otherwise: for instance, my most powerful character greatly increases my animal charm and also my functional (physical) flexibility. (mostly because she can play through the pain) Unfortunately she's not a very nice person in she's got high blood pressure.

jiaaro• 16 years ago

If the internet has taught us anything, it's that anonymity makes people comfortable doing things they otherwise wouldn't dream of.

trafficlight• 16 years ago

I believe you are referencing the GIF theory.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

PStamatiou• 16 years ago

While I did not notice this myself, a past girlfriend said I acted differently and felt more comfortable when I was wearing my glasses, as if they were something to hide behind.(compared to when I was wearing my contacts).

sahillavingia2• 16 years ago

Anecdotal evidence wins again!

jscore• 16 years ago

or just be confident instead of using a mask as a crutch.

barrkel2• 16 years ago

I'm sure there are similar effects behind the armour of business suits.

mkramlich• 16 years ago

for example, bank robbers

m-photonic• 16 years ago

I read somewhere that there was a period in the 18th century when Venetians started wearing Carnival masks year round (ie, not just during Carnival). I can't find my original source, but Wikipedia offers something along similar lines:

"It tends to be the main type of mask worn during the Carnival. It was used also on many other occasions as a device for hiding the wearer's identity and social status. It would permit the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Venice#Bauta)

wccrawford• 16 years ago

No, wearing a mask can cause you to be more confident. It's not a guarantee.

Wearing a mask = being more confident.

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