Poise

[PrettySquareGal]

How do you define it and would you say you've got it?

To me it means maintaining my composure despite awkward/uncomfortable/unexpected circumstances. It's an ongoing effort...

 

[C-dot]

I thought of it in two ways, the physical and the psychological, and the dictionary does too:

1. A state of balance or equilibrium; stability.
2. Freedom from affectation or embarrassment; composure.

Though the former could better be defined as posture, my physical poise is pretty good. As for the latter, I would say it takes a lot to embarrass me or make me lose my composure. I was trained in school to mask displays of emotion, especially in unexpected circumstances, so that helps me a lot in social situations lol

I definitely wouldn't call myself an impeccably ladylike person, who is always refined and cheerful, though. That would be a helluva hard battle.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Or as the French say, sang froid. Keeping cool -- not in the hipster sense but in the nothing-rattles-you sense. You encounter unexpected circumstances, you immediately figure out how to deal with them, and you keep from showing your agitation. That's poise.

 

[rue]

I always thought poise meant:
a dignified and self-confident manner; graceful composure and tact in handling difficult social situations.

By this definition, yes, I do have poise.

 

[angeljenny]

I aim to be poised and ladylike - and fall short much of the time!

Poise for me is part posture and bodily grace and part character and behaviour. Combining together to be charming and ladylike and yet natural - not forced or fake.

The character part for me is a sort of unflappability and self control. Good manners but not stuffy, confident but not conceited, and charming but not affected.

Grace is something I am trying to work on. Good posture counts for a lot! Not just when standing but also when walking and sitting and also hand gestures. I think there is a lot of self control involved as you control nervous habits. Also when speaking - not becoming riled up or aggressive but being able to put your point across in a polite way while still making yourself heard and understood.

Plus poise is something anyone can have. I won't ever be model beautiful but I can work on my character and be kind and polite in all situations.

 

[ThePowderKeg]

I agree on the composure, confidence, and grace. To me, poise also connotes a certain polish and sophistication. I've dealt with people who appeared at ease in almost any situation imaginable, but never thought of them as particularly poised because they lacked that sophistication. I definitely admire those who come across as poised, though.

While I'm way too geeky to every truly be poised, I try to come across as gracious, confident and genuine. That's probably as close as I'm going to get.