Sit Up Straight: Good Posture Increases Confidence

Sit up straight.

You may have heard those words from a parent or grandparent when you were growing up. And now it's time to pass them along.

But instead of replying "because I said so," you can say, "because you'll have more confidence in yourself."

When asked to write about their qualifications for a job, college students had more confidence in their own words after being told to sit up straight, according to a study from Ohio State University (OSU). Students who slumped had doubts.

"Most of us were taught that sitting up straight gives a good impression to other people," said Richard Petty, OSU psychology professor, in a news release.

"But it turns out that our posture can also affect how we think about ourselves. If you sit up straight, you end up convincing yourself by the posture you're in."

Hmmm. Another life lesson that turned out to be right. What other life lessons have you learned?