The Psychology Behind Aura, Reputation, and Belief
Learnings from Lulu interview: https://x.com/jaltma/status/1970862343627366489
Perception is reality (for others).
Who you are in someone else’s eyes isn’t who you “are” in full — it’s the compressed version they hold. And whether they root for you or against you depends on that version.
What you give off matters.
Every word, signal, or fragment of data becomes part of the picture others hold of you. Aura, reputation, “vibe” — it’s all shorthand for the story you’re broadcasting.
Belief is the engine.
If conviction is real, it radiates into every aspect of life — how you speak, act, decide. That alignment is the force others can’t ignore.
Human psychology is leverage.
People act as regulators (overrated/underrated), as storytellers (placing you on arcs), as compressing machines (reducing you to a vibe). Once you understand these mechanics, you can lean into them instead of being caught by them.
It all ties back to framing.
The difference between aura and awkwardness, underrated and overrated, magnetic and forgettable — it’s not essence, it’s how the signals are framed and received.