Avatar Effect

Give a person a taller character in a virtual world and he negotiates more boldly — even afterwards, back in his own body. Give someone an aged version of their own face and they suddenly start saving for retirement.

What is happening? The mind does not sharply separate the self from the costume. Put on the robe and you feel a little like the judge; put on the uniform and you stand straighter. The outer shape leaks inward.

This is older than technology. It is why the costume party loosens tongues and why a new suit changes a posture. The body is not just a vehicle for the self; it is a constant suggestion to it.

So choose your costumes deliberately — the clothes, the posture, the screen face, the rooms you sit in. They are not decoration. They are quiet instructions, and the self takes instructions.