Body Expressions

8/2/2019 Body Expressions

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People lean away from each other subconsciously whenthey disagree or feel uncomfortable around each other.

The turtle effect (shoulders rise toward theears) is often seen when people are humbledor suddenly lose confidence.


2/16

Eye blocking is a very powerful display ofconsternation, disbelief, or disagreement.

Covering of the neck dimple pacifies insecurities,emotional discomfort, fear, or concerns in real time.

Playing with a necklace often serves the same purpose.

Rubbing of the forehead is usually a goodindicator that a person is struggling withsomething or is undergoing slight to severediscomfort.


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Neck touching takes place when there is emotional discomfort,doubt, or insecurity.

Cheek or face touching is a way topacify when nervous, irritated, orconcerned.

Men adjust their ties to deal with

insecurities or discomfort. It also coversthe suprasternal notch.

Men tend to massage or stroke their necks to pacify distress. This area is rich with nerves, including the vagus nerve,which when massaged will slow down the heart rate. Men typically cover their necks more robustly than women as a

way to deal with discomfort or insecurity.


4/16

Even a brief touch of the neck will serve to assuageanxiety or discomfort. Neck touching or massaging is apowerful and universal stress reliever and pacifier.

When stressed or nervous, people will

cleanse

their palms on their laps in order to pacifythemselves. Often missed under tables, it is avery accurate indicator of discomfort or anxiety.

Where one foot points and turns away during aconversation, this is a sign the person has to leave,precisely in that direction. This is an intention cue.

Clasping of the knees and shifting of weight on the feet is an intention cue that the personwants to get up and leave.


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When the toes point upward as in thisphotograph, it usually means the personis in a good mood or is thinking or

hearing something positive .

When two people are talking and both havecrossed their legs, this is an indication that theyare very comfortable around each other.We normally cross our legs when we feelcomfortable. The sudden presence ofsomeone we don't like will cause us touncross our legs.

A sudden interlocking of the legs may suggest discomfortor insecurity. When people are comfortable, theytend to unlock their ankles.


6/16

The sudden locking of ankles around the legs of achair is part of the freeze response and is indicativeof discomfort, anxiety, or concern.

People lean toward each other when there is high comfort andagreement.

We lean away from things and people we don't like, even from colleagueswhen they say things with which we don't agree.

A sudden crossing of the arms during aconversation could indicate discomfort.


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In public, many of us comfortably crossour arms while waiting or listening to aspeaker. Around the house we rarely sitthis way unless something is botheringus, like waiting for a late ride.

Crossed arms with hands tightly gripping

the arms is definitely an indication ofdiscomfort.

Partial shoulder shrugs indicate lack ofcommitment or insecurity.


8/16

We use shoulder shrugs to indicate lackof knowledge or doubt. Look for bothshoulders to rise; when only one siderises, the message is dubious.

Shoulders rising toward the ears causesthe

turtle effect

; weakness, insecurity,and negative emotions are the message.Think of losing athletes walking back tothe locker room.


9/16

Sometimes called the

regal stance,

arms behind the back mean

don

t draw

near.

You see royalty using this behaviorto keep people at a distance.

Arms akimbo is a powerful territorialdisplay that can be used to establishdominance or to communicate that thereare

issues.

Fingertips planted spread apart on a surface are asignificant territorial display of confidence and authority.


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Arms spread out over chairs tell the world you are feelingconfident and comfortable.

Self-preening is acceptable, but not when others aretalking to you. This is a sign of dismissiveness.

Nail-biting is generally perceived as a sign ofinsecurity or nervousness.

Hand-wringing is a universal way of showing we arestressed or concerned.


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Often seen with high-status individuals,the thumb sticking out of the pocket is ahigh-confidence display.

Thumbs up is usually a good indicationof positive thoughts. This can be veryfluid during a conversation.

The thumbs can suddenly disappear,as in this photo, when there is lessemphasis or emotions turn negative.


12/16

Squinting, furrowing of the forehead, andfacial contortions are indicative of distressor discomfort.

Head tilt says in a powerful way,

I amcomfortable, I am receptive, I am friendly.

It is very difficult to do this around peoplewe don

t like.

In this diagram you can see pupil dilation and constriction. From birth we find comfort in dilated pupils, especiallythose with whom we are emotionally attached.


13/16

We squint to block out light or objectionablethings. We squint when we are angryor even when we hear voices, sounds, ormusic we don

t like.

Eye blocking with the hands is aneffective way of saying,

I don't like whatI just heard, saw, or learned.

A brief touch of the eyes during aconversation may give you a clue to aperson

s negative perception of what isbeing discussed.


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A real smile forces the corners of themouth up toward the eyes.

This is a fake or

polite smile

: the cornersof the mouth move toward the ears andthere is little emotion in the eyes.


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When the lips disappear, there is usuallystress or anxiety driving this behavior.

We purse our lips or pucker them whenwe are in disagreement with something orsomeone, or we are thinking of a possiblealternative.

Lip licking is a pacifying behavior thattends to soothe and calm us down. Yousee it in class just before a test.


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We crinkle our noses to indicate dislike ordisgust. This is very accurate but at timesfleeting. In some cultures it is reallypronounced.

The palms-up or

rogatory

position usually indicates theperson wants to be believed or wants to be accepted. It is

not a dominant, confident display.

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Body Expressions