Alter Ego: How To Use Your Hidden Identity To Gain More Confidence And Security?

Have you ever thought about creating a alter ego to better deal with some situations? Thinking of yourself as another person can help us bring out more confidence and security in ourselves. So much so that even celebrities like Beyoncé or Adele use this technique by creating alter egos to cope with stage fright at their concerts. But how can having another psychological identity benefit us?

What is the alter ego?

It is very likely that you have rarely used the word alter ego in your daily life. You probably don’t even know what does alter ego mean in psychology. A good definition of an alter ego involves creating another psychological identity to try to distance ourselves from our ego and be able to see situations from a different perspective, that is, getting away from our emotions and taking control of our attitude or thoughts.

To define what the alter ego means in a more visual way, we could say that this involves creating a superhero in our image in order to adopt a hidden identity in us and face situations that due to the influence of our emotions we could not face.

The technique of using an alter ego in psychology It has been used by artists such as Beyoncé. According to an interview she offered to the well-known presenter Oprah Winfrey, the singer used a secret identity to gain more confidence and security on stage in the eyes of millions of people.

Does the alter ego really work according to psychology?

According to research conducted by Ethan Kross, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, it has been shown that choosing a alter ego or alter egos to distance yourself from some situations in which it is difficult for you to act is effective in being able to control our emotions.

In his studies he exposed two groups to speaking in front of an audience. He allowed the first of them to use the alter ego technique to formulate a psychological identity away from them and thus be able to better cope with the anxiety to speak in front of others. On the other hand, the second group experienced more nerves and fear before the exhibition.

In this way it will be shown that the definition of an alter ego that is, taking a psychological distance from the events we experience can give us more confidence and security in some situations in which we can all be affected by nerves.

Benefits of adopting an alter ego in psychology

The self-distancing that is obtained through creating a ‘Super Hero‘or a secret identity To face certain situations it can provide us with a series of psychological benefits. According to psychologists, the most notable are the following.

1. Greater self-control: As shown in different research, self-distancing allows us to better visualize those events we face. Therefore, this ensures that we focus on our goals in a more rational way and can leave behind those emotions that limit us. That is, thanks to having a unknown identity In our alter ego we can fight against those feelings that hold us back.
2. Improve our social skills: Sometimes we have to be in social groups that may not be part of our style. In these cases, adopt an alter ego It can make us more open to new opinions or people who may not share our perspective on life. This does not mean being a fake person, but trying to be more open-minded to see the positive side of these events with strangers or people outside your circle.
3. Stop negative thinking: Sometimes negative thoughts can lead us to limit ourselves or obtain all the benefits of a certain occasion. For example, perhaps your insecurities hold you back in a presentation in front of many people. To deal with this situation you can create a unknown identity in the form of an alter ego that helps you see this event from another perspective.
4. Change your personality: Habits are the key to changing our defects or reducing them. So much so that assuming an alter ego in psychology It is a more than proven way to use psychological distancing as a weapon that allows you to adopt more desirable personality traits for yourself. Thanks to putting yourself in the shoes of this hidden identity you will have the ability to achieve more discipline, concentration and security.
5. Get out of the comfort zone: Comfort is one of the most difficult barriers to overcome when we face our mind. Thus, adopt alter egos It is an effective way to take the step to get out of our comfort zone and be happier.
6. Greater concentration: In 2016, Stephanie Carlson, a child cognitive development researcher, exposed a group of children to a concentration task that was quite difficult for their age. This psychologist told the children that the task before them was a most important activity and that therefore, children who did it well would be rewarded. The children were then separated into two groups. The first one was told to think about whether they were really working hard. On the other hand, the second one was offered the alternative of thinking that they were in Batman’s shoes while carrying out this task. In these investigations it was shown that children who adopted the secret identity of Batman developed with a greater capacity for concentration the task to which they had been exposed.
7. Stress and anxiety control: Another benefit of adopt a psychological identity What is different is precisely that it allows us to control the stress and anxiety of our daily lives. This happens because thanks to turning to alter egos we can distance ourselves and have a better perspective of the situations we experience. Therefore, we have the ability to respond better to a habitual instinctive reaction.

On many occasions learning to be a alter ego It can be a very useful weapon to overcome some of the symptoms of social anxiety or fear of what others will say. Even so, if you think you have a problem that is limiting you socially and professionally, do not hesitate to go to a mental health professional.

How to create an alter ego?

In order to benefit from the authentic meaning of adopt an alter ego or other psychological identity there are a series of steps you can follow.

• Give the alter ego a name: You can base it on someone you admire or name your own. hidden identity The key is to create a vehicle that you identify to go to when you need it.
• Choose your superpowers: Be very clear about what your capabilities will be at the time of assuming this psychological identity It will allow you to go to the alter ego more easily.
• Meet your alter ego: Once you have defined what this is like unknown identity For others, you must emulate how you would act in certain circumstances that create anxiety or fear in you.

Through the definition of an alter ego You will be able to think more rationally about any situation that generates any type of emotional pressure. Thanks to creating an alter ego with another psychological identity you will be able to improve many aspects of your personality.