As a matter of fact, no, I hadn't forgotten how awesome I am.
A true leader rarely asks someone to do something for them; the best leaders inspire through their own example those around them to follow suit and join them in their cause. The leader is fueled by something that is not externally driven, it is born from within and appears in this world as passion and conviction. These qualities, in their genuine state, are irresistible.
Style is a special kind of art, it is not the kind of art that is hung on the wall and gazed upon by passers by; like leadership, it is not externally focussed but instead is something one uses to shape how we feel. We become a piece of living, breathing art. And then, hypothetically, after you spill some mustard down the front of your lovely, crisp shirt, the art might also take on an olfactory quality as well.
A foundational principle of La Vie Velominatus is the power of Looking Fantastic: of dressing up in impeccable, matching kit and climbing aboard a perfectly curated, cleaned, and tuned machine before setting out onto the road brimming with confidence and oozing morale. As Paul Fournel said, “To look good is already to go fast.”
There might actually be some science behind it, which I’ve never needed but always assumed there would be.
Research suggests that our own body language can alter our hormonal levels to the effect that they significantly change the way we perceive ourselves. (If you haven’t watched Amy Cuddy‘s TED Talk on Body Language, you should.) In her studies, she found that something as simple as adopting a high power stance for two minutes can increase testosterone levels by 80% (making one more confident and assertive) and reduce cortisol levels by 25% (making one less reactive to stress).
Both of these sound a lot like how kitting up for a cold, rainy ride in my Flandrian Best makes me feel; I will set out into the deluge brimming with confidence and ready to face the cold and risks that come as a part of not only riding a bike, but riding one in wet, poor-visibility conditions. At high speed. If standing in a bathroom with your arms in the air for two minutes can measurably change your hormone levels for the better, then I have every reason to believe that knowing that you Look Fantastic at All Times would have the same, if not stronger, effect.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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Im assuming then that having one's arms crossed is a sign of closed communication or It's a sign of "I'll smile for the camera but then get out of my face ! "
I've listened to that TED Talk more than once and loved it. Can't believe I didn't consciously connect it to Fournel's Theorem.
@Barracuda
Nope. Just being casually deliberate.
@frank It's a fine theory and one that I try to adhere to but the tricky bit is to maintain those high levels of self confidence/dutch delusion when you hit the first hill or turn into a headwind.
In reality the benefits of Looking Fantastic are ephemeral without serious application of the V and Training Properly.
Yes. I've been having a bit of a crisis of confidence recently (am I training too hard, am I not training hard enough, am I ill, should I just HTFU, have I got my bike set up wrong,etc), but through a bit of PMA and an application of the V I'm feeling much more positive and ready for the racing season.
Just hope I can engineer a race situation where I can use my sprint.
Of course, there is always the possibility that looking fantastic is simply le poseur.
Brilliant TED talk. I had never seen that. I think she says around minute 11:00 that it is a 20% increase after two minutes, not 80%, in testosterone but even with that logic, I wonder how much increase I can get if I walk around ALL DAY and even sleep in a POWER posture, Baby!
But this really hits home for me as on two of my deployments to Iraq my Unit had a full company of Navy SEALs attached to us and it was a standing joke amongst my guys that you could not graduate SEAL School until you learned to permanently stand in a "Tough Guy" stance. Seriously, those dudes ALWAYS stood with their chests flared and their thumbs in the tops of their pants, even right before going on target. Guess it makes sense as they all had a ton of testosterone, both endogenous AND exogenous!
When I put in the effort to pick out what looks fantastic, I therefore feel fantastic and therefore perform fantastic. When I don't put this effort in, like when I just pull something out of the drawer because I'm in a rush or don't really care, right off the bat I've made an unconscious decision to not perform my best. This is especially true on the bicycle, but looking fantastic also transcends other aspects of my life. My other passion, golf, is just as much of a mental grind as is riding a bicycle up a long false flat into a headwind. If any part of my mind has any doubts, I might as well not play. Wearing the right golf attire takes about 5 strokes off my game before I even arrive at the golf course. Same is true at work, in the gym, or when going out in public.
Looking fantastic and the benefits one derives from doing so therefore all boil down to one thing: confidence.
In my weekly core/strength training class (full of triathletes, runners, and an occasional cyclist), a woman told me once that she had received the advice to not ride too close to people who didn't shave the guns (I'm paraphrasing). Even the non-Velominati understand the implications of avoidance of traditions.
First of all, introducing myself: Sebastian, novice cyclist (graveur/CX) from Chile (South America)...
As a psychologyst, i've been applying this from a long time: usually used it with my patients with low self steem or the ones that have issues addressing their needs or acting assertively: works like a charm!!
As an aesthete myself, I use it too: fully combined cycling attire, my beloved bike looking great, and a big attitude, intimidates even the hardest MTB'ers and makes them wonder if they should keep using full-suspension bikes to stand a chance against my rigid bike, heh...
Cheers!!!