Behaving or performing in a way designed to impress an audience; making dramatic gestures primarily for show rather than substance.
From 'grandstand' (the main seating area at sports events where spectators watch) plus '-ing.' Emerged in early 1900s American sports culture as athletes performed for crowds.
Originally, 'grandstanding' meant literally performing for the grandstand crowd—it perfectly captures how humans are motivated by visible audiences, a principle psychologists call 'social facilitation.'
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