Creating an alter ego at work—known as the “Batman Effect”—is a powerful psychological tool to level up your confidence, resilience, and focus. Inspired by superheroes who resemble a more powerful persona, this approach helps you push through self-doubt and handle tough situations.
Here’s how it works: by deliberately distancing yourself from your insecurities, and channeling your inner superhero, you embody the traits of a more fearless version of yourself. Think of it as a mental shift—like stepping into character. A shy professional might adopt an alter ego that’s outgoing and assertive in meetings. It’s not just “fake it till you make it.” This strategy fosters a real change in attitude and behavior. For more on ‘faking it till you make it’ check out this post from December 2024!
How to Create Your Alter Ego
- Identify the traits you want to embody. Whether it’s decisiveness, adaptability, or courage, get specific about who you want to be.
- Give it a name or trigger. Your alter ego might have a name, mantra, or visual cue (a certain posture or tone of voice) to help you switch into character. I’ve seen some people use a pump up song to get in the right mindset.
- Practice stepping into the role. Start small—use your alter ego in meetings, tough conversations, or moments of self-doubt.
Research shows this isn’t just escapism. Over time, as you act through your alter ego, those traits and skills become a part of your genuine self. The shift happens gradually, but the transformation is real—helping you grow into a more confident, capable version of yourself.
Embracing an alter ego at work isn’t about being fake; it’s about tapping into your best self. Just like Bruce Wayne becomes Batman to rise to the challenge, your workplace alter ego can help you tackle what seems impossible.
Don’t just fake it till you make it, fake it till you become it!
Now, the question is: Who’s your Batman?
Charlie Coppola
The Psychological Benefits of Adopting an Alter Ego
Sofia Isabel Kavli
A La Sasha Fierce
“Usually, when I heard the chords, when I put on my stilettos, like the moment right before when you’re nervous…then Sasha Fierce appears, and my posture and the way I speak, everything is different.” — Beyoncé (2008 Oprah Winfrey Show)
The secret to Beyoncé’s unapologetic demeanor on stage is the creation of an alter ego — Sasha Fierce. It allows her to take a step back, and emotionally detach from the pressure of meeting the expectations of the couple thousand beehive fans in the audience.
“We could all boost our emotional regulation, self-control and general poise by choosing to embody another persona à la Sasha Fierce” says Celina Furman, a social psychology researcher from the University of Minnesota.
Adopting an alter ego like Sasha Fierce, or simply thinking of yourself in the third person can help you stick to your goals — whether it be a new exercise routine, carrying out a business plan, or staying clean.
Reframing Your Identity Crisis
We all curate our identities in order to fit into different groups. Our persona can vary according to different social situations — the one who pops out to have dinner with friends and the one who greets your co-workers at the boss’s funeral are probably diametrically opposed.
The problem is that we are usually unaware of just how malleable our personality actually is. However, consciously tailoring our personality can do wonders in terms of silencing our own negative feedback.
Unlike my reckless NY nightlife stunts, adopting an alter ego can also help you emulate the behaviours of people you look up to — such as discipline, self control and courage.
Old assumption: There is only one true version of my personality.
Reframe: My personality changes according to different social needs, so I might as well change it consciously.
The Batman Effect
In 2016 Stephanie Carlson, Professor of Cognitive Development at the Institute of Child Development, took a group of five-year-olds and gave them a test of concentration. The test was designed to be pretty boring but the children were told that it was a ‘very important activity’ and that they would be rewarded if they worked on the task for as long as possible.
Beforehand, some of the children were told to think “Am I working hard?” while others were given the option to change persona entirely by embodying a fictional hero— In this case Batman. They were encouraged to ask themselves “What would Batman do?” whenever they felt the urge to get up and leave.
The researchers had suspected that the alter ego would be a more extreme form of self-distancing, and the results showed exactly that. Overall, children aged 5 performed as if they were 6 years of age, whereas the behaviour of their counterparts who were not given this suggestion did not exhibit any changes.
By helping children distance themselves from the situation, the researchers helped them observe their own behaviour. The self-distancing technique created a window of opportunity for children to reign in on their immediate desires and stick to the task at hand.
Old assumption: This is my anxiety and insecurity, my impulses are stronger than my self-control.
Reframe: But what if it was Batman’s anxiety and insecurity? My alter-ego’s self-control is stronger than my immediate impulses.
Psychological Distancing
Psychological distancing refers to the idea of putting some distance between you and the problem at hand, or the temptation that you are trying to resist. This allows one to get a broader perspective on a situation and realize that you have a choice in how to respond versus the usual knee-jerk reaction.
“Self-distancing gives us a little bit of extra space to think rationally about the situation,” says Rachel White, assistant professor of psychology at Hamilton College in New York State. It allows us to keep feelings like anxiety and impatience in check while increasing our level of self-control and determination.
Whatever persona we choose, the practice should create some psychological space from our feelings, while reminding us of the attitudes we want to emulate. Asking yourself how your hero would behave automatically pushes you towards making the right decision, instead of opting for the easy way out.
Old assumption: These is no degree of separation between myself and my feelings. Therefore there is no choice in how to react.
Reframe: Self-distancing allows me to observe and analyze my feelings towards an event. It helps me choose the best way to act, instead of reacting out of impulse.
A Little Cognitive Exercise to Get You Started
- Name your alter ego: Choose an icon you look up to, or baptize your own creation. This is the vehicle that will enable you to detach from your insecurities, observe the situation, and choose to do what _______ would do (Insert alter ego in blank space).
- Choose your superpowers: What is it about this icon’s personality that makes you look up to them? Choose a set of behaviours you would like to emulate and associate them with your alter ego.
- Get to know your alter ego: When you have finished creating your avatar, spend some time getting to know him or her. How would they act under pressure? How would they act if tempted? How would they act if they fell in love?
“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” — Batman / Bruce Wayne
