'Survivor 46' Players Reveal How They'll Be Perceived in the Game

(From L to R) Moriah Gaynor, Tim Spicer, and Q Burdette compete in the opening challenge of 'Survivor 46'

So far, we've heard how the cast of Survivor 46 views the game, and how they view each other. But, most importantly, how do they view themselves? A lot can go into a perception of a person, including age, background, and gender. Even something as small as a choice in wardrobe or reading material can give off a certain impression to someone else.

Perceptions can be make or break in a subjective game like Survivor. In the past, we have seen contestants get their island time get cut short when they're perceived as being "sneaky" or untrustworthy. But, from the opposite perspective, as the days progress and the strategy turns into taking out big threats, we see players get seen as nonthreatening and unassuming. That allows them to survive in lieu of the bigger bucks during hunting season, only for them to emerge at the endgame to lap up the jury votes from those who got targeted before them. Especially in the new era, we've seen players like Erika Casupanan, Maryanne Oketch, Mike Gabler, and Carolyn Wiger make the most of their perceptions, purposely playing into them until a key endgame move has the jury--and fandom--realize they were not to be underestimated.

And so the 18 new players of Survivor 46 are hoping for the same path as they speak with me in Fiji the day before the game begins. Some are hoping their all-around stable status makes them an asset and not a threat. Others know their physique and personality make them stick out, and they're already eyeing possible shields. And a couple are already planning to do what others have done before, playing up how they may be looked at so they can scheme while their competition's none the wiser.

Take a look at the video and transcription below to hear the Survivor 46 castaways reveal how they think they'll be perceived. Survivor 46 premieres on February 28 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 46

Ben Katzman: Cartoon character. This is like the unmade Pauly Shore movie. Outwit, outlast, outshred. I try to not be so judgmental these days. And hopefully, people just enjoy the entertainment. And I hope, if there's some kid out there who's insecure about picking up the guitar, or is attached to the outcomes of life, to just remember everything's a journey. And I think the journey is more important than the outcome.

How I've lived my life is kind of like that tarot card "The Fool." You're unabashedly yourself; you're super stoked. And I'm not gonna hide behind my catchphrases or ever or anything. But it is who I am. I'm not putting on a front. But I feel like there's a chance people are gonna see me as this one-dimensional cartoon character and forget that, there's a self-aware and self-conscious human being under. And maybe the time to reveal that won't be when I'm in the middle of judgment.

Bhanu Gopal: So the first thing people [do] when they look at me, they think that, "Oh my god, he's 5'11". He looks muscular." And they think that I'm a very strong guy. And maybe a lot of people would think that, "Oh, we should vote him out." So that's a perception I just want to navigate through. Because I don't know how much I should be disclosing about my medical history. I've dislocated my right shoulder ten times. And I had recently undergone shoulder surgery to be on Survivor because that's how much I love Survivor.

Charlie Davis: Oh, man. I think people will probably get a read on me that I'm somewhat book-smart sounding, at least. I mean, I'm not. I don't totally try to be that way. I don't think I usually sound that way. But also, I'm usually around a lot of law students. So it's tough to say what people are gonna think of me. They might hear me talking like, "Wow, this kid is a law student." It's like, "Okay, there goes my lie." [Laughs.] I don't think necessarily being book-smart is the exact type of Survivor smart. That is the most threatening. But people will use it no matter what. So I think that's a big one for sure. Also kind of the young hotshot. I hope not, but people might think I'm arrogant or cocky. I am competitive. So I hope it doesn't come off in a sort of cocky way. But those are probably the couple of things that I would think people would say.

David Jelinsky: I think they're gonna look at me as a really great guy. I'm very personable. I love getting to know people. My entire life, I've been someone to accept everybody. I thrive on differences. So, especially in a game like Survivor, everybody is so different [and] comes from a unique background. I'm just going to use that to my strengths, and find who I want to work with as an ally, find their greatnesses, and exploit them.

Hunter McKnight: I know how I want to be perceived. Apparently, I'm one of the bigger guys out here, which I didn't expect to be. I didn't expect to be because, in my normal life, I coach. And so I'm surrounded by lots of other pretty big guys. And so I didn't think that I would be perceived as that. But all of a sudden, now that seems like how I'll come across. But I'm fine with that. I just really want to sell that I'm here to have a good time. I'll be fine being labeled as kind of like a meathead, doesn't understand the strategy a whole lot. Just go with the flow, has a good time, wants to climb the coconut trees and build cool shelters. That's what I want to be perceived as.

And even if that is a final Tribal Council reveal of what I do, how my life has shifted, and everything I am. Really, up until that point, you don't wanna flame out too early. There's a balance there. I have to do some finagling early in the game. I don't want to be the one to be pushing pretty hard. But I know that at least the pattern is people who aren't seen as challenge threats go off pretty early. But then right when the merge hits, it's like boom, boom, boom, it's open season on me. And so that's where I've got to somehow work that to where, even if it is open season on people that are perceived like me, there's more of us. I've got to make sure that there's a larger group of us. And then, from there, really try to take control.

Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 46

Jemila "Jem" Hussain-Adams: Honestly, it's a thing that I've been thinking [about] a lot. One person is going to be the winner, and 17 of us are [not]. Do you want to play a mediocre game? Or do you want to go balls to the wall? It doesn't matter how people perceive me; I think I'm going in with a genuine heart, and I'm going in with a mentality of just having fun. And I think if I have strong alliances, I'm very loyal. So if I have my alliances, when I say the word, "I trust you," I'm that person that, no matter what, it's not going to break. My words are all I have. So I feel like other people that are probably not in my close group, I don't care how they perceive me. Because, at the end of the day, it is a game. And if you're okay with talking your way out of it at the end, I think it doesn't matter. A lot of people get caught up at the Final Three talking their way out of it. And people can perceive it if you don't explain it in a different light.

Jessica "Jess" Chong: [Sighs.] I think once people start to talk to me, you can already tell from even nonverbal communication that I don't take myself that seriously. So when you use the word "frivolous," that's the word that my dad also likes to use sometimes. And it's not the right word to describe me. I think I can come off as hapless and kind of fun loving and very friendly. And that is a fine perception for me. I don't want them to be like, "She's smart." I don't really think of myself as smart. But I feel like I don't want people to think that.

Kenzie Petty: I mean, we as a society like to look at decorated things. We like Christmas trees. We like the Sistine Chapel. We like beautiful women with tattoos. So yeah, people are gonna look at me. And I'm sure I'm one of the easiest ones to point out in the group. "The one with all the tattoos." I know what I look like. I like what I look like. I'm no fool to that. So I'm sure people are gonna perceive me as probably a mixture of Yam Yam and Carolyn and think I'm really dangerous. And you know what? I am! So they're not wrong for thinking that. But that's up to me to be like, "No, I'm stupid!" [Laughs.]

I think I'm gonna play up being dumb a little bit. And then I think I'm really just gonna go for the hard connections to the point where people don't want to get rid of me. They're like," No, I can trust her. I need her. I'm vulnerable. I know she'll vote with me." And maybe they don't, but I need them to believe that. And I am good at making connections. That's what I do in my job. Anyone can cut hair. Trust me; it's not that hard. But it takes someone special to get someone to feel comfortable and vulnerable and keep coming back to you. I have clients that have been coming back to me for over ten years. They keep coming back. And that comes from me giving them a place to be vulnerable and safe and someone they like to be around. I think that's important out here. We're going to be starving and getting rained on and terrible. We're going to need some morale, okay? And I'm bringing morale.

Liz Wilcox: I don't know, I think they'll perceive me as a social player, someone who's fun. Hopefully not too smart. I actually have a Master's Degree in leadership. That's the only thing I'm not going to tell people. I know that I'm never going to blend in. I was born to stand out. But I want to stand out in a good way. Oh, she's really friendly. She's personable. She's trying to get along. She's helpful to the tribe. She's not the strongest, but she's not the weakest. So, hopefully, I'll be able to assimilate myself rather than blend in. I think that's how people will perceive me, hopefully until it's too late.

Maria Shrime Gonzalez: That's a really good question. Hopefully, they'll perceive me well. I think I make connections with people pretty easily. I find myself to be funny, but maybe I'm laughing at my own jokes. [Laughs.] As they say, "She's so annoying." I think people will perceive me to be easy to get along with and work with, strong.

Moriah Gaynor: I think we're gonna be playing a little bit against that. I'll be honest. My personality, I am a very social person. I love talking to people. And I think I talk to people pretty well, to be honest. So I think if I get into that nerd perception, people are gonna put two and two together and be like, "Well, she's smart. She can do puzzles. I like her." That's a red flag on Survivor. That's a one-way ticket to Ponderosa, my friend. So, I think I'm almost trying to play that down a little bit. But at the same time, I'm okay to dork out. And what that means is maybe I'm not talking about NASA or how I do the crossword every day. But I can relate to someone over if there are any fantasy people there. I play some video games. Not that many, but enough to make conversation with, and something I can lean into.

Related: Survivor 46 Contestants Give Their Most Controversial Hot Takes

Q Burdette: I think that I will be perceived as a shield. But what they don't realize is I'm gonna perceive a lot of them as my shield. And I have to talk. I have to make sure that they understand that that's what I am until it's too late. There is going to be an opportunity that I've already built up in my head. If I can make it to 10, I'm good. And then, if I can get to seven, game's over. Because I plan on winning challenges at seven, six, five. And I'll make [expletive] fire at four.

Randen Montalvo: Remember, I told you I do not have the first impression I think. According to my wife, [I'm not the guy] that brings cookies and milk on Sundays. So I think I'm gonna have a really tough game. I'm not gonna lie. I think the odds are heavily stacked against me. In my livelihood, I analyze things. That's part of my other job. I have to play so hard to connect with people. If I don't connect with people, if I can't build a relationship using my words. No matter if I win challenges. I know people are gonna see me as a threat, because my presence is a threat unless I speak to you. And I can tell you right now, I'm not the fastest. I'm not the fastest runner here. I'm not the fastest swimmer here. I'm not the tallest, not the shortest, not the strongest. So, all we have is our bonds at this point. That has to be my body.

Soda Thompson: I think people are gonna think I'm funny, that I crack a lot of jokes. I have to be careful with that. Because if people think I'm looking to be funny and looking to be sociable too much, then that could be perceived as a threat or annoying. It could go either way, social contract. But I think people are going to perceive me as smart, calculating, and adept. I'm not going to try to hide necessarily all of my wits, because I want people to see me as useful as contributing something. And we'll see how I do in challenges. I personally think I'm strong. I can hold a lot of weight, things like that. But I've never run a Survivor challenge. So we'll see what happens when I get out there. And that will also alter people's perception of me, probably.

Tevin Davis: I love me some Carolyn. Can I just insert that? I can't wait to meet that woman and wrap my arms around her. I love Carolyn to death. And what was so great about Carolyn was that everyone thought she was all over the place. She was crazy, she was spastic, she was all these things. And she fooled almost all of you with a red X. She's playing the game. She has an idol. She's told none of y'all about it until she used it for Carson. Y'all had no idea.

And I think that people are perceiving me the way that I am, which is energetic, enthusiastic. I sing to myself all the time. I am praying, I'm thanking Lord every second. And that's just me. But I think that they're gonna write me off. And I'm skinny too, so I know that that's a perception I have coming in. So you combine flamboyancy, you combine energy, you combine the sing-songy, and you combined being slender, and people write you off immediately. They go, "He's weak. He is bubbly and in his own little world. He's not real competition." And I hope that they do that.

Tiffany Nicole Ervin: I hope they think that I'm just this really docile, sweet, and easy-to-beat artist who doesn't really know much about the game. You can kind of take her along, use her for votes. I don't want to be perceived as somebody who's doing a whole bunch of overthinking and strategizing. Because those are the people that get up out of here first.

Tim Spicer: That's a tough one, man. Because I think Jeff brought it up. Prepping us, he was like, "My whole team had no doubt about anyone here. We 100% believe you should be here." So, I could be perceived as a threat, but everybody could be the same as me in a different way. So I don't know. I'm gonna be perceived as funny. I'm definitely gonna tell some jokes. A good swimmer, social threat. I get along with everybody, even those that don't get along with me. So people could find that threatening a bit.

Venus Vafa: Oh my God, I hate this question. Because I feel like it's gonna be negative. I feel like people are gonna see me, and they're gonna think," Oh, she's some princess. She doesn't wanna get her hands dirty." Queen of Sheba, whatever you may say. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I can get my hands dirty. I handle my own [expletive]. I'm a very independent woman. So I'm excited to flip the script and show people exactly what I made of.

Next, check out our Survivor 46 interview with host and executive producer Jeff Probst.