Confidence is Contagious: Why a Positive Self Image is Good for Your Well-being by Florence Murray ou know it when you see it: those individuals who exude a degree of confidence to which others flock. Scientists have recently proven, through imaging of the brain, that people are influenced by how confident another person is. This idea that risk you perceive is reduced when someone else seems to be confident in the same choice that you have explains the success of so many military and political leaders. It seems less risky to do something in which someone else appears to confident. Naturally then, the greater the confidence, the more others will trust that person.
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So how does that translate into your own confidence and sense of self? It is true that the greater the self-confidence, the taller you stand, which will lead to an increase in self-esteem and pride. In fact, studies have also shown that just standing with a broader stature does equate to how confident others perceive you to be. As a direct result, then, your happiness increases and so does y our ability to enjoy life. Additionally, this increase in your confidence makes it more likely that you can be free of self-doubt and, therefore, have a greater sense of strength in your own capabilities and are more likely to be able to face challenges with your head held high. 26 / LIVING SAFER / VOL 9 ED 3
In turn, the more capable you feel, the more likely you are to be free from those nagging doubts that follow you around like a bad date, and to experience less fear and anxiety. It may not be all that surprising that a reduction in fear and anxiety often translate directly into a reduction in stress. And society is well aware of the health dangers of continual stress and how it affects one’s health and energy. Therefore, this reduction in stress also lends itself to helping you to have more energy and to experience better sleep, both of which lead to better health. When you have greater self-confidence, then, the happier and more self-confident you become. This, in turn, leads to others placing more trust in you, and valuing and respecting you more. It also causes your self-confidence to not only be contagious to others in how they respond to you, but also in how you view yourself and how likely you are to become someone seen as a one in whom others can place their trust. All of this growth will help you to achieve success, as you define it. On the other hand, low self-confidence makes it easier for you to be preyed upon. It also can lead to an increase in health problems, particularly if the body is in a constant state of anxiety or fear; otherwise known as “fight or flight.� So what do you have to lose in believing in yourself?