Following Professor Mark Leary of Duke University through the basics of self-presentation; how people form impressions about others in everyday life; how people attempt to manage others' impressions of them.

Professor Leary explores the world of impression management, from physical appearance and body language to verbal cues and explicit statements; learning about the wide variety of tactics people use to get others to see them in particular ways.

The balance all humans strike between conformity and individuality; it is conformity that allows people to function as social animals; exploring the role that self-presentation plays in finding "optimal distinctiveness".

Why audience impressions matter; how people shift from one self-presentational performance to another; in their efforts to be seen as likable, competent and virtuous, people tailor their self-presentation to the preferences of those around them.

What happens when people manage impressions to look aggressive, incompetent or ill; Professor Leary unpacks motivations for presenting socially undesirable impressions; the antisocial behavior that such impression management can generate.

People differ in the kinds of impressions they try to create and the tactics they use to do so; discovering several psychological characteristics that influence self-presentation, from the self-conscious to those who do not care what others think.