Our Strange Relationship With Robots & What is Confidence? - SYSK Choice

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Jan 31, 2026

Viv Groskop, writer, comedian and executive coach who trains people to access authentic confidence. Eve Herold, award-winning science writer who studies human-robot interaction. They discuss why we treat robots like people and the risks that creates. They explore practical social robots, how lifelike features sway us, and simple ways to access and project confidence in high-pressure moments.

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ADVICE

Master The 'Why Should I Hire You' Answer

Review the job description and prepare a clear answer to "Why should I hire you?" before the interview.
Stumbling on this predictable question seriously hurts your chances, so rehearse a concise pitch.

INSIGHT

We're Wired To Socialize With Machines

Humans are hardwired to respond socially to anything that looks, sounds, or moves almost like a person.
Anthropomorphism and unconscious social responses make us treat machines as if they were alive.

INSIGHT

The Uncanny Valley Limits Robot Appeal

The uncanny valley causes discomfort when robots look almost human but flawed, triggering powerful negative reactions.
Roboticists try to avoid that zone because it drives consumers away despite improved realism.

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In almost every job interview, there’s one question that catches people off guard — not because it’s rare, but because most candidates think they already know how to answer it. They don’t. This episode begins by revealing that question and how to craft a response that instantly sets you apart. https://www.forbes.com/pictures/lml45mmjg/why-should-i-hire-you-2/?sh=4c5a502c53d8

Robots fascinate us — and that fascination may be leading us into trouble. Even when we know robots are just machines, we instinctively treat them like thinking, feeling beings. We trust them, empathize with them, and sometimes overestimate their intelligence. Eve Herold explains why this happens, the real risks it creates, and how humans can maintain control and clarity as social robots become part of everyday life. She’s an award-winning science writer and author of Robots and the People Who Love Them: Holding on to Our Humanity in an Age of Social Robots. (https://amzn.to/3ObcBzb)

Most people think confidence is something you either have or you don’t — but that assumption may be the problem. According to Viv Groskop, you likely already have more confidence than you realize. The key is knowing how to access it and project it in the moments that matter most. Viv is a writer, comedian, executive coach, and author of Happy High Status: How to Effortlessly Be Confident. (https://amzn.to/3vQYj0h)

And finally, an eye exam does far more than determine whether you need glasses or contacts. In many cases, it can reveal early warning signs of serious health conditions you might not otherwise detect. We wrap up with why regular eye exams are more important than most people realize. https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/cost-and-how-often/

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