There is a controversial but useful mental move that high performers use when stakes feel heavy. You act as if you are better, not in a moral sense, but in a narrow, chosen domain where you want higher standards. You do it on purpose, for a short window, to pull your behavior upward. For some reasons you are better, or at least capable of better, and you should embrace that fact when it helps you deliver.

A useful fiction, not a lie

Pretending here means identity rehearsal. You step into the role of the person who already operates at the standard you want. The aim is not to deceive other people. The aim is to instruct your nervous system about how to stand, speak, plan, and decide when it matters. Think of it as a flight simulator for the self.

Why it works

1. Identity drives behavior
   When you quietly choose the identity of someone who is better at something, your choices follow. You order different food, open different files, ask different questions.
2. Expectations become filters
   If you expect yourself to operate at a higher level, you notice options that match that expectation. You see cleaner solutions and decline messy distractions.
3. Dissonance pushes you upward
   When how you act does not match who you claim to be, your mind wants to close the gap. If the claim is slightly above your current level, behavior tends to rise.
4. Emotion regulation improves
   The role creates distance from fear. It is easier to perform when you stand inside a practiced persona rather than inside raw nerves.

Where this helps

• Impostor moments
  Before a call, a pitch, or an interview, you step into the version of you who leads calmly and answers clearly.
• Habit change
  You take on the role of a person who does not miss workouts, who closes tabs, who finishes drafts. Then you behave accordingly, one choice at a time.
• Negotiation and boundaries
  You pretend to be the professional who knows their worth. You ask for clear terms, you say no to scope creep, you stop apologizing for existing.
• Creative risk
  You put on the creator hat and make bold choices that the hesitant version of you would delay for months.

How to do it, step by step

1. Pick one narrow arena
   Choose a domain where higher standards would change results. Examples include writing, sales calls, morning routines, or food choices.
2. Define the better standard in one sentence
   Write a single line you can remember. Example, I deliver crisp answers and confirm next steps in under two minutes.
3. Name the role
   Give the persona a simple label, like Closer Mode or Editor Me. A name makes it easier to switch on.
4. Choose two visible signals
   A small posture change, a clean desk, a single open document, or a timer on your phone. Signals cue the role and reduce drift.
5. Run a short window
   Turn it on for 10 to 45 minutes. Perform inside the role. End the window, then review one thing you did better and one thing to refine.
6. Track proof
   Keep a tiny ledger of wins. Evidence makes the role feel honest. Over time you will need less pretending, because the behavior becomes you.

Ethical guardrails

• Be domain specific
  You are choosing to be better at a task, not better as a human. Keep dignity equal and standards high.
• Respect others
  Do not talk down to people, do not hoard credit, do not take short cuts that harm trust. Superiority in craft should create service, not contempt.
• Stay falsifiable
  Tie your claim to observable behaviors. If you are the better writer today, the draft is tighter. If you are the better seller today, the follow ups are clean.
• Keep feedback close
  Ask for one clear note after you perform. Better does not mean beyond critique. It means more coachable.

Common objections

Isn’t this fake
It is rehearsal. You are practicing a standard that your best days already prove is possible for you.

Doesn’t this breed arrogance
Arrogance inflates status while ignoring evidence. This method does the opposite. It raises standards and demands evidence.

What if I fail while pretending
Good. You will learn exactly where the role needs more practice. Failure is data.

When not to use it

• Safety critical skills where overconfidence creates hazards
  In those cases, you need supervised training, not a persona.
• Intimate conversations that require vulnerability
  Do not put on a mask when honesty builds trust.
• Learning phases where you must say I do not know
  The bravest move is to ask naive questions early and often.

Practical scripts

• Before a call
  For the next 30 minutes I am the person who leads with the agenda, answers briefly, and finishes with clear next steps.
• Before a workout
  For 20 minutes I am the athlete who never negotiates with the first rep.
• Before deep work
  For 45 minutes I am the editor who cuts what is weak and keeps only what is strong.
• During food decisions
  Tonight I am the person who eats protein first and stops when the plan is met.

Signs it is working

• Your choices feel cleaner and faster.
• You recover from mistakes without spiraling.
• You log small wins more often.
• People start to rely on you for that exact standard.

Embrace your real edge

There are honest reasons you are better in specific lanes. Your hours of practice, your pattern library, your appetite for responsibility, your willingness to seek feedback, your ability to stay calm under pressure. Pretending is a bridge from the days you forget those edges to the days you live them by default.

Use the role, keep it narrow, ground it in evidence, and aim it at service. Then let the pretending fade as the standard becomes your baseline.