Claiming Territory:

I suggest that humans have left over monkey parts, parts that can be used to your advantage. Frankly, the majority of our actions are instinctual and primitive. On this premise, I want to speak about claiming territory. Take a classroom for example, there is generally an authority figure. Meaning that people look, speak, and listen to the teacher. They are the authority figure, the dominant monkey of the room. Students of a classroom will supplicate to the dominant figure. You know when people give a presentation and they avoid eye-contact with most of the students but speak almost directly to the teacher the entire time? These people “present” to the dominant monkey in the room for approval, acceptance, and self-assurance. The need to be heard and also validated by the dominant figure of the group. It is a subconscious safety mechanism of the instinctual/primitive brain. The approval of the dominant figure allows one to join the group and gain resources, security, and reproduce etc.

Why does the teacher generally have the greatest dominant role?

1.\tHe/she is in control of the most powerful area of the space –they are front and center, above the crowd in eye-level and has access to more space.

2.\tHe/she has the ability to move around the classroom freely – most other people in the room are not so free, they must sit in one position.

3.\tHe/she uses a vocal range that exceeds the average person in the room – they speak more loudly because they are aware of their audience, and even selects who gets to speak.

4.\tHe/she is given the role of being the “authority” in the room – on this premise they gain more self-confidence, despite its artificial nature.

5.\tHe/she has the capacity to punish or reward -- people do not want to be punished, and they seek rewards. Self-explanatory.

There may be others that I may be forgetting, it’s your job to analyze your own life. I control mostly mine.

So how do you steal the dominant role? How do you claim the territory, despite beginning at such a disadvantage? With tools in your repertoire my friend. The knowledge of evolutionary psychology is easily adapted from classrooms to board rooms. I’ll explain in the example of the classroom, because I am student.

When the teacher is front and center, take their polar position in the room. This places you at as the second dominant figure simply by putting yourself as “equal” and “opposite” to the dominant figure. There may be other more powerful areas in the room. Then take up more space with your clutter, spread your legs, your books, your shit should be everywhere. Class is in session: Realize that you are always free to move about where you wish. You are not being controlled, you are in control. If you wish to go to the washroom, simply stand up and walk out. If you need to borrow a pencil, stand up and go to a friend in the desired area of the room. Realize that you need not ask permission. If you need a piece of paper, go to the teacher’s desk and grab what you need. Throw away that banana in the garbage. Demonstrate your power by proving your ability to move freely in the environment often and without hesitation. Simply stand up, do what you need, return and sit. Don’t ask permission, don’t doubt, just go and do what needs to be.

You are a student, you are there to learn. Realize that the teacher is not the only source of knowledge in the classroom. Ask your nearby associates for clarifications. When a faraway associates begins speaking, you MUST engage them. You must make sure they are aware of your presence. Vocally acknowledge their input so that the entire classroom is aware of your vocal range. Start climbing to the vocal range of the teacher. Simply by being noisier, you create more presence for yourself. Communicate to the entire classroom, more specifically, the people furthest away from you. IF you can single out people in the far ends of the classroom, that would be best.

Self-confidence, this is an endless topic. It comes from a far deeper sense of self-realizations. You must explore difficult things, uncomfortable or fearful things to gain courage. Throw yourself outside your comfort zone to cultivate more self-confidence. May post more on this later.

Punish and reward your peers. By the very nature of being a living thing, you can frighten or love another person. Instill fear in people or share your love. It’s up to you to decide what kind of dominance you want to be presented as. I utilize a mix of both, rewarding when they are on my side, using fear when they are against me (all in good temper don’t forget, never lose your emotional control, that is reserved for lower beings) Does following all this shit sound like being a total asshole? Good, then I’ve done my job.

TLDR: Expand your personal space by moving your body, being louder, and making a greater presence