There comes a time, after years of toiling in the vineyards, screaming and yelling and frothing at the mouth (but wearing nice lipstick while doing so), falling on the floor and writhing in pain just to get some attention, and slicing open one’s veins on a regular basis in private correspondence with Pigeons Who Need You, that a prophetic blogger gets some validation from the WORLD OF SCIENCE.
That time has come for PeaceBang.
Thanks to Alert Reader Katie, who will always have PeaceBang’s moist-eyed gratitude and appreciation, I now know about a concept called embodied cognition. Embodied cognition is a fancy-pants, sciencey way of explaining what PeaceBang has been trying to pound into all our heads for lo these thousands of BTFM posts: what we wear has a real effect on how we see ourselves, how our minds, bodies and spirits coordinate around self-understanding and public image, and how the public sees us.
Read this article by the New York Times and share with me the triumph of being able to say, I TOLD YA SO.
Funny, because I was just deciding that my keynote talk for the 2030 Clergy Gathering of the United Church of Christ (it’s for clergy in their 20’s and 30’s, it’s not taking place in the year 2030 — even I don’t plan that far ahead) would be called, “Embodied and Emboldened Ministry.”
Katie, darling, you have made a great contribution to my happiness, and I forever thank you.
THANK YOU! the first time I put on a preaching robe, something happened- I really felt that I could, by the grace of God, do this. All those other times, in preaching class without the robe (even in a nice suit)? not so much.
First time I read the talk title, I read, Embodied and Embroidered lol!
A sign of devoted reading of BTFM: I started reading this article at breakfast and immediately thought of you. Nothing quite like the intersections of science and faith and the NYTimes. Have a blessed Holy Week!
Comments from Episcopal Café on your item:
Audrey Hepburn, who was once asked by an interviewer about her technique as an actor. She replied (I’m paraphrasing from memory), “Oh, I have no technique; I wasn’t trained as an actor, but as a dancer. What I find is that once I am in costume, I know what to do. I know who the character is and how to play her.”
No doubt it helped that she had people like Edith Head doing her wardrobe! Still, I took her remarks to heart. Whatever role I have to play on a given day, I try to “dress the part”, and I find that it helps me to get into character and perform more effectively. No doubt it also affects how others perceive me.
While desperately searching for a quote for the Sunday bulletin a rediscovered a chapter in Kathleen Norris’ Cloister Walk talking about Benedictine Nuns and their struggles regarding the habit. Interesting take on wearing and not wearing it and why people choose one or the other, but an interesting quote that in our culture women are ALWAYS judged (at least in part) on what they wear.