Can adopting a confident persona, even if it feels inauthentic, genuinely help you climb the ladder of success? This is the question posed to readers in the latest instalment of The Guardian's long-running Notes & Queries series.
The Core Question: Bluffing Your Way to the Top?
Reader Gareth Edwards submitted the query, asking the community: "Can you really fake it to make it?" He probes whether bluffing – or the modern concept of "manifesting" one's desires – can be a legitimate and powerful strategy for achieving goals in professional and personal life. The discussion is framed around the universal experience of a first job interview, where candidates often feel pressure to present an idealised version of themselves.
The Psychology of Performance in Professional Life
The premise touches on a common tension in the workplace and beyond. Many people wonder if projecting confidence, competence, or optimism beyond their current feeling state can actually create those realities. This practice, sometimes labelled as "acting as if," sits at the intersection of psychology, self-help, and traditional career advice. The series invites personal anecdotes, philosophical musings, and practical advice from readers who have navigated this dilemma.
The Guardian's Notes & Queries column is a forum where readers answer questions posed by other readers, creating a crowdsourced wisdom on life's peculiar and profound puzzles. This week's topic falls under the broader themes of work, careers, health, and wellbeing.
How to Contribute Your Perspective
The publication is actively seeking responses. Readers can post their answers directly in the comments section online or email them to nq@theguardian.com. A curated selection of the best submissions will be published the following Sunday, offering a tapestry of experiences and opinions on whether success can be willed into existence through sheer performance.
