Amy Cuddy

I think the challenge for me has been adjusting to, you know, being more well known than the average academic, right?

I think the challenge for me has been adjusting to, you know, being more well known than the average academic, right?

And actually, you know, leaving academia. You know, I still teach, but I'm not, you know, I'm not.

And actually, you know, leaving academia. You know, I still teach, but I'm not, you know, I'm not.

No. You know, I teach in executive education at Harvard. but I'm not a professor. I'm a lecturer when I lecture. Leaving was hard. It was a big leap to leave that security, but it just was not the right world for me. But I think the biggest challenge really has been dealing with becoming higher sort of having, becoming higher profile and the kind of backlash that I endured as a result of that.

No. You know, I teach in executive education at Harvard. but I'm not a professor. I'm a lecturer when I lecture. Leaving was hard. It was a big leap to leave that security, but it just was not the right world for me. But I think the biggest challenge really has been dealing with becoming higher sort of having, becoming higher profile and the kind of backlash that I endured as a result of that.

Which is not, yes. And well, yeah, I mean, criticism's fine, but bullying is not, you know? Right, right. I know that this is common. In fact, it happens to a lot of junior professors who give TED Talks.

Which is not, yes. And well, yeah, I mean, criticism's fine, but bullying is not, you know? Right, right. I know that this is common. In fact, it happens to a lot of junior professors who give TED Talks.

Yeah. It's funny. Somebody just wrote to me yesterday. She has a popular TED Talk, and she said that at her university, people started calling her TED Girl and sort of talking down to her.

Yeah. It's funny. Somebody just wrote to me yesterday. She has a popular TED Talk, and she said that at her university, people started calling her TED Girl and sort of talking down to her.

Because it was popular, right? It's like if it had not really hit the radar, it would have been okay. Really?

Because it was popular, right? It's like if it had not really hit the radar, it would have been okay. Really?

Yeah. People had to sort of diminish her in a way. And I experienced a lot of the same stuff. what became hard for me was talking to colleagues, standing up for myself. The truth is we need to stand up for each other. When people are in an acute bullying situation, they really can't stand up for themselves. But I'm still figuring out

Yeah. People had to sort of diminish her in a way. And I experienced a lot of the same stuff. what became hard for me was talking to colleagues, standing up for myself. The truth is we need to stand up for each other. When people are in an acute bullying situation, they really can't stand up for themselves. But I'm still figuring out

how to engage with other people in academia who weren't necessarily bullies, but might've been bystanders who didn't do anything. But to be able to say, I still deserve to be having this conversation, I deserve, to have the beliefs that I have. I deserve to defend this massive area of research on body-mind feedback, of which I contribute a tiny bit to.

how to engage with other people in academia who weren't necessarily bullies, but might've been bystanders who didn't do anything. But to be able to say, I still deserve to be having this conversation, I deserve, to have the beliefs that I have. I deserve to defend this massive area of research on body-mind feedback, of which I contribute a tiny bit to.

Just because these people don't like it doesn't mean I can't say, well, here's why I do believe it. That's really hard for me. That is the thing that I would approach with the most dread, I think.

Just because these people don't like it doesn't mean I can't say, well, here's why I do believe it. That's really hard for me. That is the thing that I would approach with the most dread, I think.

I mean, for me, the thing that works the best is... I mean, certainly I do, like I walk expansively, like long strides before this kind of stressful thing. I won't sit down with my hands in my lap. Like even putting your hands behind your chair, like this is a big thing. Kind of opens you up a little bit. But it forces you to open up just doing that.

I mean, for me, the thing that works the best is... I mean, certainly I do, like I walk expansively, like long strides before this kind of stressful thing. I won't sit down with my hands in my lap. Like even putting your hands behind your chair, like this is a big thing. Kind of opens you up a little bit. But it forces you to open up just doing that.