The Science Of Being Iconic: 6 Simple Habits Of Naturally Iconic People
Jabari Timothy | Unsplash If you're an adult or consider yourself one, your sense of maturity may be distracting you from recapturing your originality. Maybe your established self is actually masking what makes you iconic and what differentiates you from everyone else.
Your childhood attitudes are reminders of your originality, so recapture that playful attitude as a link to your most iconic, authentic self. This leads to experimenting with a curious mind rather than conforming. Some researchers say this childlike mindset "focuses on immediate desires and spontaneous behaviors," but it's that same mindset that's conducive to creativity and exploration, too.
Wondering how to retain the advantages of adulthood while stimulating the re-emergence of a childlike mindset? One way to transcend this tension is to maintain spontaneity in your life and reclaim the iconic aura you were naturally born with.
Here are 6 simple habits of naturally iconic people:
1. They challenge conventional wisdom
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Iconic people think like a scientist, question assumptions, and explore anew, says author Adam Grant in his book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. To enjoy this rapidly changing world, identify a few habits you want to freshen, adapt, or change.
Revisit lessons from how you effectively dealt with the year of Covid — they may have encouraged you to shift some assumptions about what’s important to you and safe. For example, how could work and learning be better conducted? How do you want to be with others, including deepening and sustaining worthwhile relationships?
A 2022 study found that the ability to recognize the limits of what you know and stay open to being wrong is linked to better decision-making, stronger relationships, and even greater accuracy on critical thinking tasks. People who question their own assumptions don't just get along better with others; they actually learn more and make smarter choices.
2. They let curiosity open the door to new sources of joy
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Iconic people aren't afraid to uncover new things that delight them. Examples include trying and cooking new foods, connecting with different people, learning about a range of cultures, and using varied routes. All of them can inter-relate and refresh you.
A study from New York University tracked people's movements and moods over several months and found that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines. The researchers noted that even small changes that introduce greater variability into the physical or mental routine can produce similar mood-boosting effects.
3. They blend ideas in fresh ways
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The most iconic people ride the waves of the future by seeing and making connections between seemingly disparate ideas, subjects, and processes. Math and music have already been connected creatively. You can also Google your own ideas to create new views and trails for yourself.
Avoid judging your level of expertise as you explore. The stranger the pairing, the more interesting the possibilities. Research finds that creativity may increase when an individual is frequently exposed to unusual combinations of objects or people, encouraging novel interconnections.
4. They rewrite their own story
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The most iconic people revisit their own experiences to inspire a deeper appreciation of their unique selves. For example, describe:
When you were moved deeply
When you felt as though you used your full capacities
When you worked through something challenging
When you transcended a conflict that limited your choices and satisfaction in work or a relationship
When you used your precious time particularly well
When you felt joy about a personal or professional outcome, connection, or accomplishment, especially one that made a difference
5. They free their imagination
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According to Charles Darwin, "The imagination is one of the highest prerogatives of man. By this faculty he unites, independently of the will, former images, and ideas, and thus creates brilliant and novel results." Aristotle agreed centuries earlier.
To practice, imagine yourself acting like an iconic person who inspires you or an animal that makes you smile: What would you say? How would you move? Even better, imagine being true to yourself in a specific situation in your own life.
A University of Colorado Boulder study using brain imaging found that imagining a threat lights up the same neural pathways as when you're living something or just picturing it. As researcher Tor Wager put it, "imagination is a neurological reality that can impact our brains and bodies in ways that matter for our well-being."
6. They learn from other iconic thinkers
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For more of the surprising habits of the most original, iconic thinkers, listen to Adam Grant’s TED talk. There's only one of you, so have fun and benefit from your original ideas and actions as they fertilize. However you define your work, and what you want in worthwhile relationships, you will recapture your originality as you follow your curiosity and permit your most authentic, iconic self to bloom further.
Ruth Schimel, Ph.D., is a career and life management consultant and author of the Choose Courage series. She guides clients in accessing their strengths and making viable visions for current and future work and life situations.
