By Richard WisemanReadOasis Step 3

In 1884, the great American Philosopher William James had a radical idea. James argued that if you behave as if you’re a certain type of person, you become that person.

Decades of research has shown that James’s idea applies to all aspects of your life. Asking people to smile, instantly makes them feel happier. Having them cross their arms doubles the amount of time they persevere on a difficult task, and getting them to squeeze their hand into a fis...