There’s this poignant scene in the Honey & Clover drama where Mayama asks demands, “How do I become an adult? What do I do become a person who can support someone else?” How does someone become a person people can rely on? Several episodes later he answers his own question: start behaving like that person. It errs on the melodramatic side, but this scene really touches upon something so quintessentially human.

When thinking about this scene recently, The As If Principle quickly came to mind. The title of this enthralling book by Richard Wiseman comes from the words of William James:

If you want a quality, act as if you already have it.

The realization doesn’t quite come to Mayama in that form, but there’s this moment (of course accompanied by an Asian-drama-style amalgam of color-adjusted flashbacks with echoing words) when Mayama just decides, “Screw it. I’m done preparing to be that person. It’s time to just be that person.” What follows then is his visible commitment to action embodied by an emphatic dash down busy streets while clad in professional attire. Sure, the portrayal of this crucial insight is sandwiched between over-the-top scenes and includes some obligatory slo-mo, but it still captures an understanding of a critical connection between intention and agency enacted.

Here’s some media I’ve been considering in relation to this pivotal moment in Honey & Clover…

The Dangers of Confidence: a Harvard Business Review IdeaCast interview discussing the importance of competence of confidence.