Learn English – What’s the difference between “fake it ‘til you make it” and “fake it ‘til you become it”

idiomsmeaning

From an article titled How to Fake It ‘Til You Make It (Or Become It):

In 2012, [Amy Cuddy] gave a TED Talk on the topic, which went viral and has been watched over 34 million times. She talked about how body language affects how others see us, but also how it changes how we see ourselves. She believes that it’s possible to fake feelings of power until we truly feel more powerful. “Don’t fake it ‘til you make it. Fake it ‘til you become it,” she urged.

A Russian friend asked me to translate the meaning this last sentence, but after thinking about it I realized that I don't actually understand this sentence well enough to translate it. I don't really see what the distinction is between "faking it 'til you make it" and "faking it 'til you become it".

In both cases, it seems that the meaning is to pretend that you are confident about your competence for long enough to actually become confident about your competence. I can't see any meaningful difference, except that "make" rhymes with "fake" and thus sounds more catchy than "become", so it seems like the instruction above basically boils down to the nonsensical "Don't do X. Instead, do X."

What is the distinction between these two things, if any?

Best Answer

It is the difference between playing a role convincingly enough to influence others — to achieve the desired goal, i. e., "make it," versus actually becoming the powerful person one portrays, i. e., "faking it" until it is no longer fake but fully integrated into one's personality.

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