Making it by Faking it: a neuroscientific approach

Our daily lives demand confidence, competence, and the ability to navigate uncertainty, and in this struggle, we’ve all either heard or been told to “fake it till you make it”... What may sound like a mere motivational mantra is in fact a seemingly audacious approach with a neuroscientific foundation. Leveraging the neuroscience constituting the brain’s role in perception, behavior, and confidence-building can empower you to authentically "fake it" on your path to success. Counterintuitive? Yes. But, scientific? Also yes.

At the heart of the neuroscience behind “faking it till you make it” is the eternally pertinent concept of neuroplasticity. The ability of our brains to remarkably adapt and rewire themselves permit repeated thoughts and behaviors to shape your neural pathways. Translated into our context of discussion, this means that by consciously adopting new behaviors associated with confidence and competence, we are quite literally rewiring our brains to undertake these behaviors subconsciously.

As you embrace discomfort, our brain’s anatomy allows you to “fake” confidence in unfamiliar situations until genuine confidence emerges. The brain’s amygdala, responsible for processing fear and discomfort, can be retrained through exposure. Stepping outside your comfort zone on a regular basis, even in small increments, desensitizes the amygdala's fear response. For those who are hesitant to so consistently step out of your comfort zone, one of the most potent cognitive strategies that neuroscience is visualization. Engage your brain's visual centers by vividly imagining yourself succeeding in a given situation. As you consistently practice positive visualization, your brain begins to treat these mental rehearsals as real experiences, boosting confidence and belief in your capabilities.

Researcher Amy Cuddy’s revealed that power poses, such as the adoption of expansive postures, not only influence how others perceive you but also your brain’s hormone production. Power poses can elevate testosterone levels that are associated with confidence and decrease the stress hormone (Cortisol) levels. There is clearly an intimate connection between our body language and confidence levels. So, stand tall, embrace open postures, and led your body language contribute to an authentic sense of self-assurance.

Speaking of such neurochemistry, dopamine (our “feel-good” neurotransmitter) plays an integral role in motivation and reward. By setting achievable goals and celebrating small wins, you trigger a dopamine release that reinforces positive behaviors and builds a genuine sense of accomplishment. By engineering small victories, you foster a neurochemical environment conducive to confidence and its often mutually-inclusive partner, success.

"Faking it till you make it" isn't about deceit; it's a neuroscience-driven methodology for personal and professional growth. Through neuroscientific theories, you're capitalizing on the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve. The act of “faking it” is a journey that in itself contributes to authentic self confidence, thus being a transformative neurological process. The power of confidence remains undisputable in our world today, and it’s about time we free ourselves from the limits we’ve imposed onto our capacities.