Fake It Till You Make It. Agree or Disagree?

[thegreenyogi]

Fake it till you make it" is a psychological aphorism suggesting that by imitating confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, you can actually develop those traits and achieve your goals.

How big is the role played by confidence and self belief in regards to success and achievements for you personally?

[Lesbologist]

I remember reading Aristotle and the basic lesson was this...

One doesn't start out being the best at a thing. At some point they have to 'practice' being the thing. This is how anyone graduates from not being able to do the thing, to at least doing the thing. The more the practice, the more the virtue grows. With enough practice it becomes their virtue.

... and then I'll add this, with much practice, a retard will probably still do it like a retard.

[thegreenyogi]

Love your last line... Lol!

[Zack-Bann]

The way you describe it I absolutely agree.


I wouldn’t say fake it as in: pretend to be someone you’re not.


But you can train your mind to evolve in certain ways, like you said, fake confidence until you become really confident.


The mind doesn’t automatically update, it’s an effort on our part.

[Lliam]

I agree.
One time, at a job I had working in an automotive exhaust parts warehouse, the supervisor called everyone together and asked if anyone knew how to drive a forklift. I immediately raised my hand even though I had never driven one in my life.
He sent me over to a forklift and a driver walked me through the controls. It was easy. From then on I drove forklifts loading big boxes into trucks instead of walking miles a day on concrete floors filling boxes with orders for parts.

When I was offered a chance at a job as a motor vehicle damage field adjuster/appraiser trainee for a small auto insurance company, I cut my hair and bought a suit.
I showed up at the interview having no idea what an insurance claims adjuster was.

At the interview, the manager asked me if I knew much about cars. I said I knew how to work on cars and had taken an auto mechanics course in high school. I didn't realize he was talking about autobody.
He said "Do you know what a quarter panel is?"
I faked it and said "Sure."
He waited for me to continue and finally asked "What is it?
Thinking fast, I said "There are four of them on the car - two on the front and two on the back."
He said "Actually, there are two. The right and left rear are quarter panels because they are welded onto the body. The front two are called fenders."
I was about to say that I was sorry for wasting his time and excuse myself but he said "Relax. We are hiring trainees."
I think he liked my attempt at faking it.
I got a call the next day to say I was hired.

[OneViewpoint]

Hey, fake it til you make it is a plan. Not a very good plan, but a plan nonetheless. People will see through your charade pretty quickly in most cases and your credibility will be zero. No one is gonna follow that sort of leadership.

IMHO, faking it is not confidence, it's blatant insecurity and destructive behavior. But actual confidence and optimism is valuable. Real confidence and optimism would look more like this...

"Team, I've never done this before but I'm willing to try. I can't do it alone. I'm gonna need your help, your brains and your experience to succeed. I believe we have the talent in this room to find a solution. And we don't really have much choice. We are inches from the goal line. I refuse to quit. Who's in?"

Asking people for their help is not weakness. It's leadership. Involve them in the solution. Be honest, you need a team effort to succeed. They will usually respond. And they will usually teach you a thing or two along the way.

[Ill_made_Knight]

I've used this phrase on occasion. Bad start to the day? Fake feeling good and see if it changes... so not really too serious in it's use.
So I don't think faking your way into a job that has technical requirements that would expose you is really plausible, BUT...
I think certain things along the lies of positive thought... for example a Wiccan sets up an altar with specific candles and adornments in preparation to "cast a spell" about their desired outcome... I tend to view things along those lines as "willing something into being". In essence you are sharpening your own focus on a desired goal. No magic or hocus pocus really. Just honing in on a desired outcome and there by possibly even altering your behavior unwittingly to acheive it.

[FreyaRed]

Lack of self-confidence and megalomania come very often from too much self-centrism. Stop thinking about yourself and how do you appear in perception of others, instead observe and look for their deficits, strengths and problems.
Steady change of your psychological appearance without having a clear and crystallized psychological shape for others is often more confusing than doing something less popular. Faking will always have this effect because it's not you, because most faker get tired of their own BS when they notice other don't care about their acting at all.

[blueonblack22]

Yes but when you are fake to the point of having a deranged ego i. e. never taking accountability for being wrong then it will have the opposite effect.

And some people think “confidence” is disparaging other people. That’s just deeply rooted insecurity the vast majority of people can see from a mile away.

In principle “fake it until you make it“ is a good idea. But some people don’t evening know what they are supposed to “fake” being about.

[MisterWack]

Do I like to fake things? No, but will I need to do it some point in my life oh absolutely.

When people are starting out in their respected profession, they have to pretend they know what they’re doing and slowly learn on site to be able to make themselves more productive and mindful, to achieve our own ends we need to fake it even a little bit in the beginning till we have our footing.

[Tarifa]

I agree with this. I was confident that I would get my university degree, even if the first years were difficult. I knew I had to persevere and I'd eventually get there. I never give up once I start something.

I was confident that everything would turn out OK when I decided in my early teens that I wanted to move on and see other parts of the world. I settled down in a different country and have never looked back. Most of my family members had less confidence than me.

[RavVid]

Disagree. The stuff I am listening too is more about building it organically. We are pretty good at detecting fakery even though we might take people on their own evaluation of their self.

The issue is you are wanting people to perceive you in a particular way. And that is the perception people get of faking it till you make it. Especially women suss out fake confidence in guys.

[RCONFIGURATION1]

I think it's certain situations you do have to fake it until you make it. But once you make it are you going to be able to keep your position of where you're at that's the key

[sage2021]

If a person is good at faking, then why not try it.

But faking it is like lying and that's why I disagree.

[Jersey2]

I hate that saying. Fake confidence pisses me off. Learn, grow your skills, go to school on others (learn from their mistakes), practices, hone your skills.

[Shiprex]

Impostor syndrome is the personal situation where you deploy this and I think most people end up feeling this at times.

[MissSunshine2]

Definitely, up to a point. That's what everyone does.

[lilBigPotato]

Depends on the situation but yeah it can be the right approach.

[exitseven]

Yes, confidence is an important factor in business interactions.

[Anonymous]

Fake it till you make it.

Fake it after you make it.

Really, just never quit faking it. Never be predictable either. Always keep them guessing as to what your next move is.👍😆

[Agatha01]

I says it not exactly “faking it” more like believing it.

[objective_calendar]

Agree

[Cidknee]

Totally agree.

[InStrictConfidence]

Nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Agree