Genius Tricks for Reading People's Body Language

PowerPoint PresentationReading
People's
Body
Language
Overview
Body language can provide an amazing amount of information on what other people are thinking if you
know what to look for. And who hasn’t wanted to read people’s minds at some point? You already pick
up on more body language cues than you’re consciously aware of.
A research has shown that only 7 percent of communication is based on the actual words we say. As
for the rest, 38 percent comes from tone of voice, and the remaining 55 percent comes from body
language. Learning how to become aware of and to interpret that 55 percent can give you a leg up in
interpersonal communication.
When you’re working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an
edge can be powerful in streamlining your path to success.
If they're hiding their hands, they're
lying about something
be hiding something else, too. Take children, for
instance: When they want to conceal something
naughty they did, they'll often hide their palms
behind their back. Similarly, men who have something to hide will
keep their hands in their pockets. The palms
were originally like the vocal cords of body
language because they did more 'talking' than
any other body part. Putting them away was like
keeping one's mouth shut.
And if their palms are up, they're telling the truth
When the police tell you to turn around and
put your hands up, you do so with your palms
spread open in order to emphasize the fact
that you're unarmed and harmless. In a court
of law, you use your open palm to swear under
oath that you will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth. The open palm
gesture is used in various facets of society to
convey that a person is telling the truth—and
so naturally, it has become generally associated
with truth, honesty, allegiance, and submission.
But if their palms are facing down, they are closed-minded
This gesture is a pretty solid indication
that someone is "closed to
negotiation"—so if you're fighting with
your spouse about doing the dishes or
talking to your boss about a raise and see
that their palms are facing down, you
might want to pick up the conversation
at a later date. People automatically
pronate their hands (rotate their palms
down) when they feel strongly about
something.
People instinctively tend to cover their bodies
when they feel nervous. The more you cover
your torso with folded arms, crossed legs, and
so on, the more it appears that you need to
protect or defend yourself.
nervous sometimes, but if you notice that an
acquaintance or coworker is covering their
body unconsciously, you might be able to help
simply by asking what's wrong.
If they're touching their neck,
they're anxious
torsos when they feel anxious, others will focus
on another area of the body: the neck. Women
will lightly touch the side of their neck, cover the
notch at the base of the neck, or play with a
necklace. Men will more robustly grasp the front of the
throat near the Adam's apple.
If their chest is puffed out, they're
secretly insecure
puffed-out chest can signal overconfidence,
which is often due to underlying insecurities.
If their head is lowered, they
disagree with you
take a look at the way that person's head is
positioned. Though it's not a conscious
movement, odds are that their forehead is
lowered toward the ground. Lowering the head
like this … implies that the listener dislikes or
disagrees with what the speaker is saying.
If their legs are stretched out in front of them, they're bored
When it comes to boredom, body language has
a habit of giving people's true emotions away.
When you see someone yawning, drumming
their fingers on their desk, or constantly
glancing over at the clock, you can almost
guarantee that they'd rather be anywhere else.
However, there are also some less obvious
body language cues that indicate someone is
bored.
might secretly be losing interest in what you're
saying, even if they don't want to admit it.
If they're playing with their belt
loops, they're interested in you
Even when they're trying to be coy, women
can be surprisingly easy to read. Lip-biting
and hair-flipping are obvious signs of female
flirting. You can also tell that a woman is interested
in you if she has a thumb in her belt loop or
pocket. Normally a male aggression or
superiority gesture, this action aims to draw
attention to the crotch
The position of a person's feet can give away
how they feel about you just as much as their
facial expression can. For instance, if you're in
a room with someone you don't like, you
won't scowl or make faces because you don't
want to come off as insensitive or mean, but
your feet will almost immediately turn away
from that person.
Curious whether your new coworker is
going to be loud or keep to themselves?
Give them a good old-fashioned handshake.
One 2000 study of 112 subjects published in
the Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology concluded that "a firm
handshake was related positively to
extraversion and emotional expressiveness"
And if they have a weak
handshake, they're shy
introverted from the force of their handshake.
In the same 2000 study, researchers found that
people who had weaker handshakes tended to
be shier and more neurotic.
If they avoid eye contact, they're timid
If you're on a first date and your new fling
won't make eye contact, you might want to
fake a phone call and get out of there. Per one
1996 analysis published in the journal
Personality and Individual Differences, gaze-
avoidant men tend to repress their emotions,
while gaze-avoidant women are often viewed
by others as "disagreeable, unconscientious,
unattractive, and even somewhat lower on
intelligence." Ouch!
Crossed arms and legs are physical
barriers that suggest the other person is
not open to what you’re saying. Even if
they’re smiling and engaged in a pleasant
conversation, their body language tells
another story. Psychologically, crossed
mentally, emotionally and physically
It’s not intentional, which is why it’s so
revealing.
want to get involved
gesture, shrugs are anything but.
A full shrug—one with arms out, palms up,
mouth corners lowered, and raised eyebrows—
is a clear indication that someone is shirking
responsibility and wants no part of what's going
on.
they're stressed
manifests in people's body language no matter
how hard they try to hide it. Some frequent
stress tells include clenching the jaw, rubbing
the neck, lowering the chin, and narrowing the
eyes.
Wondering if your new significant other is
getting close to using the L word with you?
Reading their body language can help you gauge
how they truly feel.
mirror their behavior, tilt our heads, and blood
will flow to our lips, making them full, even as
our pupils dilate. Our limbic brain communicates through our
bodies precisely the true sentiments that we feel
and orchestrates accurate corresponding
in the eye when you talk to me!” Our parents
were operating under the assumption that it’s
tough to hold someone’s gaze when you’re
lying to them, and they were right to an extent.
But that’s such common knowledge that people
will often deliberately hold eye contact in an
attempt to cover up the fact that they’re lying.
The problem is that most of them
overcompensate and hold eye contact to the
point that it feels uncomfortable.
Raised eyebrows signal discomfort
There are three main emotions that make your
eyebrows go up: surprise, worry and fear. Try
raising your eyebrows when you’re having a
relaxed casual conversation with a friend. It’s
hard to do, isn’t it? If somebody who is talking
to you raises their eyebrows and the topic isn’t
one that would logically cause surprise, worry
or fear, there could very well be something else
going on.
room, and immediately, you got the feeling they
were in charge? That effect comes largely from
body language and often includes an erect
posture, gestures made with the palms facing
down, and open and expansive gestures in
general. The brain is hardwired to equate
power with the amount of space people take
up. Standing up straight with your shoulders
back is a power position; it appears to
maximize the amount of space you fill.
Conclusion
Reading body language is far from easy—it takes patience, practice, and a whole lot of observation. But
considering a person's eyes and hands tend to say more about how they actually feel than the words
coming out of their mouths, it's worth studying up on common gestures that hint at something deeper.