The way in which we speak can give clues to our personalities faster than one might think. According to some communication experts, it only takes 0.2 seconds to determine the confidence level of another person, based merely on their voice. That translates to one fifth of a second!

Author and communications professor Vanessa Van Edwards (@vvanedwards ) has shared an Instagram Reel wherein she gives a quick rundown of the theory. Her spin is taking the idea and teaching people how to “sound confident” in just 200 milliseconds. She equates confidence with “leadership” skills and gives a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to embrace it.

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“Peaks in brain activity”

Van Edwards begins the clip with a chyron that reads “How to sound confident in 200 milliseconds.” Over her voice she writes, “The Neuroscience: Research shows that event-related potentials…distinct peaks in brain activity…spike in the brain about 200 milliseconds after hearing a voice, spiking........

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