Motivation Monday - Do people judge what we wear and should we even care?

Summary

The video script explores the impact of clothing on perception and the subconscious mind, introducing the concept of 'embodied cognition.' It discusses how dressing in a way that aligns with one's identity can boost confidence and self-expression, potentially influencing how others perceive us. The speaker emphasizes the importance of comfort and personal style over societal expectations, suggesting that our attire can reflect our inner energy and impact our leadership and life strides.

Takeaways

• 👗 The script discusses the impact of clothing on how people perceive us and whether we should care about this judgment.
• 🤔 It acknowledges the hesitation to address this topic due to strong belief systems and varying opinions.
• 🗣️ The speaker shares insights from conversations with students, alumni, employers, and the dilemma they face regarding professional attire.
• 👔 There's a debate on what constitutes 'business casual' and the appropriateness of casual wear like yoga pants post-pandemic.
• 🧠 The concept of 'embodied cognition' is introduced, suggesting that how we dress can influence our mindset and behavior.
• 🔄 The speaker notes personal experiences and observations where dressing in a way that feels authentic can boost confidence and self-expression.
• 🌟 Dressing in a way that aligns with one's identity can change how we move through the world and how others perceive us.
• 💡 The idea is to shift from a 'breakdown' of societal expectations to a 'breakthrough' strategy for personal confidence and self-worth.
• 🛍️ The speaker advocates for finding comfortable and affordable clothing that makes one feel good, using a personal example of a $15 dress from Amazon.
• 🌱 Embracing 'embodied cognition' can help leverage leadership and make significant strides in personal and professional life.
• 🌟 The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of personal presentation as a reflection of one's energy, clarity, confidence, and resilience.

Q & A

Do people judge others based on the clothing they wear?

Yes, some people do judge others based on their attire, as mentioned in the transcript where employers and employees express their beliefs about professional dressing.

Why was the speaker hesitant to create the video?

The speaker was hesitant because of the strong belief systems and thoughts surrounding the topic of clothing and judgment, which they have observed in their interactions with students, alumni, and employers.

What is 'embodied cognition' as discussed in the script?

Embodied cognition is the idea that our physical state, such as the clothes we wear, can influence our mental state. It suggests that embodying a certain persona through dress can make us feel more confident and express our identity more effectively.

How can the way we dress affect our confidence and self-worth?

Dressing in a way that fits our personality and makes us feel good can boost our confidence and self-worth. This is because when we feel comfortable and express our unique style, we tend to show up with more confidence in various situations.

What is the relationship between dressing well and feeling capable?

The transcript suggests that when we dress in a way that makes us feel good about ourselves, we convey a sense of capability, strength, and resilience, which can influence how we move through the world and interact with others.

How does the speaker feel about the necessity of uncomfortable clothing for professional settings?

The speaker believes that professional or business clothing does not have to be uncomfortable. They advocate for finding comfortable clothing that also makes one feel good and expresses their style.

What is the significance of the price of clothing in the speaker's view?

The speaker emphasizes that the cost of clothing is not as important as how it makes one feel. They mention a comfortable dress bought for $15 on Amazon, indicating that affordable clothing can also provide a sense of confidence and comfort.

What is the concept of 'Chief Energy Officer' mentioned in the script?

The concept of 'Chief Energy Officer' refers to the idea of being in charge of one's energy, which includes clarity, confidence, focus, and resilience. The speaker has written about this in a book and relates it to how we present ourselves through our dress.

How does the speaker suggest we approach dressing for work after the pandemic?

The speaker encourages individuals to focus on dressing in a way that embodies cognition and confidence, rather than adhering to strict dress codes. They suggest that comfort and self-expression are key, even in a post-pandemic work environment.

What is the speaker's advice on overcoming 'impostor syndrome' through dressing?

The speaker advises using dressing as a strategy to hack confidence and self-worth. By choosing clothing that makes one feel good and represents their identity, they can combat feelings of being an impostor and leverage their leadership abilities.

How does the speaker define 'business casual' in the context of the discussion?

The speaker does not define 'business casual' in a traditional sense but rather suggests that it is about dressing in a way that makes one feel comfortable and confident, regardless of specific clothing items like suits or polo shirts.

Outlines

00:00

👗 Embodied Cognition and Clothing Impact

The speaker begins by addressing the debate on whether people are judged by their clothing and whether it matters. They express initial hesitation to discuss the topic due to its sensitive nature and the strong opinions surrounding it. The speaker then introduces the concept of 'embodied cognition,' explaining how the clothes we wear can influence our behavior and mindset. They argue that dressing in a way that makes us feel comfortable and confident can enhance our self-expression and alter how we are perceived by others. The speaker shares personal anecdotes and experiences, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's attire with their personality and identity, which can lead to increased confidence and a positive impact on one's environment and interactions.

Keywords

💡Judgment

Judgment refers to the act of forming an opinion or evaluation about something or someone. In the context of the video, it discusses whether people judge others based on the clothing they wear. The speaker mentions that there are strong belief systems about what should be worn in different settings, indicating that judgment plays a role in these perceptions.

💡Embodied Cognition

Embodied cognition is a concept from cognitive science suggesting that the body's physical states can influence the mind. The video explains this as the idea that when we dress in a certain way, it can affect how we feel and act, thereby influencing our confidence and the way we present ourselves to the world.

💡Professionalism

Professionalism in the video script is associated with the way people dress in a work environment. It is mentioned by employers who wish their employees dressed more professionally. The concept is tied to the broader theme of how clothing can impact one's perception and behavior in a professional setting.

💡Business Casual

Business casual is a dress code that is less formal than traditional business attire but still maintains a level of professionalism. The script discusses the ambiguity around what constitutes business casual, especially post-pandemic, and how it can vary in perception among different individuals.

💡Confidence

Confidence is a key theme in the video, where the speaker talks about how dressing in a way that makes one feel good can boost confidence. The script mentions that when individuals feel they are expressing their unique personality and identity through their clothing, they tend to show up with more confidence.

💡Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is a concept where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a 'fraud'. The video suggests that dressing in a way that makes one feel confident can help overcome impostor syndrome by changing one's internal dialogue and self-perception.

💡Unique Personality

Unique personality refers to the distinct characteristics that define an individual. The script emphasizes the importance of dressing in a way that reflects one's unique personality, suggesting that this can enhance self-expression and positively influence how one is perceived by others.

💡Self-Worth

Self-worth is the value and respect that one holds for oneself. In the video, it is implied that dressing in a manner that aligns with one's self-image can enhance self-worth. The speaker suggests that this can be a 'breakthrough strategy' for improving one's confidence and self-esteem.

💡Comfort

Comfort is highlighted in the script as an important factor in choosing clothing. The speaker mentions that they prefer comfortable dress clothes and that comfort can be achieved without sacrificing style or professionalism. Comfort is linked to the idea of embodied cognition, where physical comfort can translate to mental and emotional well-being.

💡Energy

Energy, in the context of the video, refers to the vibe or atmosphere that an individual projects. The speaker talks about how the way one dresses can convey energy, such as clarity, confidence, focus, and resilience. This energy can affect one's environment and interactions with others.

💡Chief Energy Officer

The term 'Chief Energy Officer' is mentioned as the title of a book written by the speaker. It symbolizes the idea that individuals can take charge of their own energy and how they present themselves to the world, which includes their choice of clothing and the confidence it brings.

Highlights

People's judgments about us can be influenced by the clothing we wear.

There is a debate about what constitutes appropriate professional attire, including business casual.

The concept of embodied cognition suggests that our physical state and environment can affect our mental state.

Dressing in a way that makes us feel good can boost our confidence and how we are perceived by others.

Comfort and self-expression in clothing are important for embodying confidence and clarity.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of clothing that is both comfortable and affordable.

How we dress can impact our self-worth and confidence, which in turn affects our interactions and performance.

The speaker shares personal experience about the impact of clothing on confidence and comfort.

The idea that clothing can 'hack' confidence and self-worth is introduced.

The transcript discusses the potential for clothing to convey energy, clarity, confidence, and resilience.

The speaker's book 'Chief Energy Officer' is mentioned, which likely explores the concept of energy in leadership.

The importance of presenting ourselves in a way that reflects our energy and leadership is highlighted.

The speaker suggests a shift in focus from how others should dress to how we can leverage our clothing for confidence.

The transcript touches on the impact of the pandemic on perceptions of business casual attire.

The idea that clothing can be a form of non-verbal communication is implied.

The speaker encourages finding a personal style that aligns with one's identity and personality.

Transcripts

right so do people judge us by the

clothing that we wear and should we even

care so I have to say I was hesitant to

do the video because I know there's a

lot of strong belief systems and

thoughts around this topic I know this

because I speak to my students and our

alumni and a lot of employers and a lot

of them come at me with these belief

systems about what should be in the

world right like sometimes employers

will say I just wish my folks dressed

more professionally but I can't say

anything to them and then sometimes team

members employees and students and

alumni will say I don't know should I be

wearing more fancy clothes should I be

dressing up down what is business casual

especially after the pandemic you know

or are yoga pants business casual right

is this business casual button down or

Polo and these are all good discussions

and debates but I wanted to share an

interesting aspect of the subconscious

mind and Neuroscience that might shift

our perspective on this so there's a

body of literature around there and

there's been different discussions on

this so you can probably find articles

saying yes this is right on and other

articles saying no we don't think so so

but I mention this because I've noticed

it true in my own life and I've noticed

it experientially true when I've spoken

to my students my entrepreneurs my

leaders and they have adopted this

there's something that they would call

embodied cognition and this is the idea

that when we embody a certain Persona

whether it's dress or even if we're like

holding a cup of coffee and it's warm or

we're holding a glass of iced tea and

it's cold our brains sort of code warmth

or maybe chill or cold or if we're

sitting in a comfortable chair we might

feel more comfortable in a room we

embody that very cognition that we are

experiencing this is why sometimes

you'll hear folks say wow when I really

got dressed in clothing that I felt fit

me well and again this can be for

whoever like this doesn't mean you have

to be wearing a suit or a certain style

or anything else this can be you

expressing yourself and however you feel

really good then we tend to show up with

more confidence we feel we look better

we feel like we're really expressing our

unique personality and our identity and

we move through the world differently

because of that we actually feel more

confident So Others May perceive us that

way so if we know this then this moves

away from becoming like a breakdown

belief system of what other people

shouldn't be thinking into more of a

breakthrough strategy for how we can

hack that confidence conversation that

self-worth or that impostor syndrome

right we can sometimes say wow I'm going

to really make this work for me not

against me and I can tell you like for

me I love comfortable dress clothes I

don't believe that dress or business or

whatever clothing has to be

uncomfortable if it is I'll say you're

not getting the most comfortable

clothing because there's stuff out there

that's comfortable like even this dress

very comfy I mean it almost feels like

I'm wearing pajamas you might say no it

doesn't look like that but it feels very

comfortable so I believe in buying

things that you feel really good in and

that are comfortable and this was like

$15 on Amazon so this was not a very

expensive piece of clothing and then you

just notice yourself embodying that

cognition like wow this this is

comfortable I feel good in this I feel

like this is expressing my style and

that shows up in how I move through the

world and my day so knowing this knowing

that many times how we present is

reflective of the energy that we create

in our environment right we talk about

energy a lot I write about energy I

wrote about it in the book Chief energy

officer that energy conveys Clarity

confidence Focus I'm capable I'm strong

I can do this I'm resilient right and

that can sometimes come down to how we

dress and how we present and that's

unique for everybody so I wanted to kind

of offer this as a way to shift out of

the conversation of our people dressing

the way we think they should and more

are we embodying that cognition that

confidence that Clarity in how we

present to the world so that we can

leverage our leadership and we can make

incredible strides in our life