How Nadia's Fake Confidence Changed the Auction, 2018

In 2018, at a crowded London art auction, Nadia raised her paddle first. She wasn't even sure she wanted the painting, but she forced herself to look certain. Everyone noticed. The bidding hesitation vanished. Suddenly two nearby bidders started matching Nadia's moves. But here's the strange part-neither seemed interested in art before that minute. The auctioneer’s eyes locked on Nadia each time the paddle flicked up. The room tensed. One man raised his offer five times what he planned. Later, researchers traced how Nadia's fake confidence made bidders risk more money. Almost nobody believed she was bluffing. They followed her lead, thinking she knew something secret. But when the last bid landed, Nadia whispered she’d been terrified the whole time. Would faking confidence change your decisions too?