I built a simple GSR sensor. Overall, I was surprised at how sharply the graph could change when I moved suddenly. Overall, I’m not sure what the data is telling me. Common knowledge would dictate that the more nervous, uncomfortable, or stressed one is, the higher the GSR reading would be; however, I’m not sure this is true. I wonder if our bodies, when performing intense tasks, activate cortisol/adrenaline/testosterone or some sort of emergency state that would reflect in a higher GSR reading but wouldn’t necessarily imply nervousness/stress but rather heightened awareness and performance.
In regard to the readings, I do strongly believe in using one’s mental outlook/attitude to change reality, which I believe is the gist of “The Power Of Now” or “Positive Psychology”. We tend to our own qualities as binary switches, either we are or we aren’t, usually reflected in the perceived ‘general’ perception of others. Ignoring for a moment the fact that we can’t possibly know what others are thinking about us, we also don’t realize is that other people see us in different ways (or not at all), and when they do see us in similar ways, it is almost always to varying degrees. Therefore, a general perception of ourselves by others does not exist.
I feel like this creates a void for us to step up and to define ourselves. Socially, I find that more often than not, others look to you to define whether or not you are confident, whether or not you are friendly, active, or present. Sometimes, I feel empowered by this when I realize that I “count myself out” of many situations where I shouldn’t. Similarly, I can pretty much transform myself into anyone I want to be in any given circumstances through willpower. I have the most power to transform others’ perceptions of me. If I derive my self-image from the “general” perception of others, I have powerful indirect control over that self-image.
