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3 Habits That Are Making People Think You’re Insecure (Even If You’re Not)

Research shows small cues like posture, fidgeting, and hedging can shape how competent people think you are.

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You were prepared. Your thoughts were clear, your delivery was solid, and your boss still handed the next project to someone else. No one was rude about it, and nobody had to be.

A 2015 study in Psychological Science found that people judge dominance and competence based almost entirely on nonverbal cues, and those judgments predicted real outcomes, including who got hired in simulated job evaluations. How confident you feel has very little to do with how confident you appear. Here’s what actually does.

1. Shrinking Your Physical Space

Under pressure, the body contracts.........

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