
Wearing a mask = being more confident. - sahillavingia
http://sahillavingia.com/blog/2010/11/05/wearing-a-mask-being-more-confident/
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jiaaro
If the internet has taught us anything, it's that anonymity makes people
comfortable doing things they otherwise wouldn't dream of.

~~~
trafficlight
I believe you are referencing the GIF theory.

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

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m-photonic
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>)

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daveambrose
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.

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sahillavingia
Very true. It applies to emails too.

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

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gatsby
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.

~~~
frossie
Hence the old joke about having a Ph.D. being most useful when you have to
write a letter to your bank.

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patio11
Speaking of which: a long time ago, I worked at an office supply company and
had the privilege of attending a lecture by a guy who had made selling paper
his life's work. I send maybe two or three paper letters a year, and if
they're designed to go to a human being I _always_ write them on paper which
_screams_ I Am The King Of Papers. (I didn't believe such a thing existed, but
try putting one sheet of it on a table with 40 sheets of assorted office
paper. Anybody can pick it out, instantly, from several feet away.)

It costs about $15 for less than a ream and is usually sold as something like
"resume paper" (300 sheets -- a ream is 500, a carton is 10 reams, and a
carton of generic office paper should cost around $30 ~ $40). One pack will
last you about a decade. For those of us in the Internet generation, if you
have a call to send someone paper, that probably means you are doing Serious
Business. The ROI on influencing Serious Business is just astounding.

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aberkowitz
Resume paper sounds like the Monster Cable of paper.

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barrkel
I don't think that's an accurate analogy. It doesn't matter what your digital
cables are made of, so long as noise doesn't go above the threshold.

Cheap copier paper, on the other hand, looks and feels like crap. The only
reason you print stuff on paper is to communicate with another human being,
and the paper is part of the message.

I wouldn't quite go as far as the business cards scene in American Psycho
(<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y>) though.

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

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terra_t
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.

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PStamatiou
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).

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sahillavingia
Anecdotal evidence wins again!

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

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mkramlich
for example, bank robbers

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

