The document discusses how humans tend to copy each other's behaviors and judgments. It provides an example of when the author and their friend decided to leave class early as rebels but all the other students copied them. The main point is that people's opinions of themselves greatly influence how others perceive them, so by changing one's self-judgment to be more positive, it can create a feedback loop where both one's own and others' perceptions become more positive over time.

2. One time I went to a Vietnamese
restaurant with a Vietnamese friend of
mine.

3. We were both looking over the menu,
and we had both decided on the same
thing.

4. It was in Vietnamese, so he had to
explain everything to me.

5. He ordered, and then I ordered.

6. The waitress looked at me, deadpan,
and said, "copycat."

7. My friend thought it was the funniest
thing.

8. We kept going back to that restaurant
because the food was delicious.

9. But he always referred to it as the
"copycat" place.

10. Humans are, after all, primates.

11. And the expression, "Monkey see,
monkey do," is pretty applicable to us
humans.

12. Once in high school my neighbor and I
were discussing how much people
were "sheep."

13. They teacher had done teaching, we'd
all finished out in-class assignment,
and we were all just sitting around
waiting for the bell to ring.

14. Like animals in a cage waiting for
instructions at the zoo or something.

15. My buddy and I decided to be
"rebels."

16. To stand up and leave a minute before
the bell rang.

17. We felt like we were doing some kind
of heroic act of disobedience or
something. (high school idiots lol!)

18. But when we stood up in defiance,
everybody copied us. Like it was no big
deal.

19. As we shuffled out, the teacher looked
at the clock, confused.

20. Bottom line is that humans copy each
other MUCH MORE than we realize, or
would like to admit.

21. But here's a way that EVERYBODY is
copying YOU that maybe you haven't
thought of yet.

22. How you see yourself.

23. If you think you're an idiot, guess
what?

24. You'll act like an idiot, and everybody
will COPY your own JUDGMENT of
yourself.

25. If you REALLY THINK you're an
awesome person with a lot to offer,
people will copy THAT judgment about
yourself as well.

26. Most people think get it backwards.

27. They think OTHERS judge us FIRST, and
then we RESPOND to that.

28. But that is impossible.

29. How can they possible judge you just
by looking at you?

30. They need help. Hints. Clues. Evidence.

31. Where do they get that from?

32. Your own opinion of yourself.

33. Change THAT, and you'll change
everything else.

34. Naturally, this isn't as easy as changing
your shirt or your shoes.

35. There IS a pretty tight feedback loop.

36. You, them, you, them etc.

37. But once you get started, and KEEP
WORKING ON YOURSELF, you'll slowly
tip that feedback loop in the other
direction.

38. You'll think genuinely positive things
about yourself.

39. That will change your behavior.

40. That will change how others perceive
you.

41. Which will AMPLIFY your own positive
opinion about yourself.

42. When you get into THAT rhythm, (and
KEEP it going) life is pretty good.

43. mindpersuasion.com/emotional-freedom/