PERSONAL-DEVELOPMENT: THE ART OF POSTURING

Recently a young lady by the name Yetunde was caught posturing on Twitter. She posted a video on Twitter giving a speech many argued was fake at a UN convention. The public has questioned why someone with her means and supposed status would do such a thing, and I am here to throw some light on the matter.

From the little I have been able to gather about the said lady, she runs an NGO, and if you've been around people in this industry you would understand why posturing is normal practice. It is a potent way of gaining social proof and by extension grants and donations from unsuspecting individuals (which is one of the reasons I am sceptical about those who run NGOs. It is often a guise to profit off the less privileged).

Posturing is a form of social signalling in which we all indulge in some way. It is a way to show the world that we are capable, connected and competent by highlighting peripheral things. For instance, a photographer would show you a decent studio and expensive gear in his Tiktok video to signal competence but in reality, he may have never taken a decent picture in his life but you are most likely to believe otherwise.

Many scam artists and even genuine people 'posture' for the public and media. Sadly there is no way around it because most people rely on their instinct and first impression to form an opinion about anything. The other option would be getting to know or understand the said thing properly but that's not feasible in a social sphere because of our sensory limitations and time. We rely on our ability to make an instant judgement on things and people, hence the need to 'posture'.

The only drawback to this form of socialization is that people who do not have the capacity or competence to perform the things they claim can use this method to garner social proof and build a profile based on lies i.e the Tinder swindler. Even those who claim some moral ground can use it to inflate or overstate the value of their work so as to gain acceptance and patronage.

So it is important to sell yourself or work at every given opportunity if you want to climb the socio-economical ladder. Posturing is a necessary social tool we must all wield in every instance because of the varying competition that exists in the social sphere.

It is also important that when you posture you can back your claims. That is what separates you from con artists–you have substance. It is not wrong to try to create buzz for your work for whatever reason best known to you. The only guiding moral line is that you are not misrepresenting the fact. Doing otherwise can destroy your brand or work and any shot at redemption afterwards is slim.

In conclusion, you don't have to be a con artist to utilise a potent social skill. Learn how to posture which simply is telling a convincing story about your brand and work. This is the only known way to gain social traction. It might seem tacky but it works, and if you value what you do and you believe it is important to the world then you need to learn how to show (or tell) people without having to exaggerate. I understand the word 'posture' has a negative connotation but if you can look past that and learn the valuable lesson here, you can implement them in your life and business.