01. Crossing one’s finger is a way of making the Sign of the Cross. It began as a way to ask God for protection without attracting the attention of pagans.
02. Body language is the means by which humans (and some other animals) convey information through conscious or subconscious body movements or facial expressions. Body language is officially known as kinesics (kin-EE-siks).
03. Body language seems to have three major uses: 1) as a conscious replacement for speech, 2) to reinforce speech, and 3) as a mirror or betrayer of mood.
04. The first modern book on body language appeared more than 350 years ago. John Bulwer’s Chirologia: Or the Natural Language of the Hand (1644) was a pioneering work on hand movements.
05. A woman has a wider-ranging peripheral vision, which allows her to check out a man’s body from head to toe without getting caught. A male’s peripheral vision is poorer, which is why a man will move his gaze up and down a woman’s body in a very obvious way. Men do not “ogle” more than women—their tunnel vision means they just get caught more easily.
06. A normal, relaxed blinking rate is 6–8 blinks per minute, and the eyes are closed for about 1/10th of a second. People under pressure (such as when they are lying) are likely to dramatically increase their blinking rate.
07. Americans usually stand 18–48 inches away from each other, which is the size of their “personal bubble.” Japanese, however, have a personal bubble, or intimate zone, of 10 inches. And people from rural areas tend to have larger personal bubbles than those that live in a city.
08. The Duchenne smile brings health benefits more powerful than any other smile
09. Of all the facial expressions, the smile may be the most deceptive. There are around 18 different smiles, but only one, the Duchenne smile, reflects genuine happiness.
10. The “Crotch Display” is predominantly a male gesture. This is where a person plants both feet firmly on the ground with legs apart. It is used as a dominance signal by men because it highlights the genitals and puts masculinity on show.
11. When a person crosses both legs and arms they have emotionally withdrawn from the conversation.
12. A woman is instinctively four times more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man. Additionally, while women also mirror men’s body language, men are reluctant to mirror a woman’s gestures or posture unless he is in courtship mode.
13. There are six universal facial expressions: 1) anger, 2) disgust, 3) fear, 4) happiness, 5) sadness, and 6) surprise. Recently, some scientists have argued that looks of contempt and embarrassment are also universal expressions.
14. Britain, along with most of Northern Europe and the Far East, is classed as a “non-contact” culture, in which there is very little physical contact in daily interactions. By comparison, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southern Europe are considered “high contact cultures” where physical touch is a large part of socializing.
15. Studies show that women laugh at men they’re attracted to, and men are attracted to women who laugh at them. From a man’s perspective, saying a woman has a good sense of humor doesn’t mean she makes jokes; it means she laughs at his jokes.
16. In the Middle East, same-gender eye contact tends to be more intense and sustained than in the West. However, in many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, unbroken eye contact is considered aggressive and confrontational.
17. An early landmark in the scientific study of nonverbal communication was the naturalist Charles Darwin’s The Expression of the Emotions of Man and Animals (1872). It was the first to claim that humans and apes expressed similar facial expressions inherited from a common ancestor. In 1969, British zoologist Desmond Morris argued that humans owed their nonverbal communication to their animal nature.
18. The “flight response” is an instinctual response to a threat. However, in the modern world, we have adopted it to meet our modern needs. Subconscious “evasive” actions include closing the eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing objects (e.g., a purse) on a lap, turning feet to the exit, and leaning away from a person.
19. People often subconsciously sniff their right hand after shaking another person’s hand.
20. Some scientists believe that humans shake hands in order to exchange body odors.
21. Eye blocking (covering the eyes, delaying opening the eyes, lowering the eyes for a prolonged time) is a very powerful display of consternation, disbelief, or disagreement.
22. Subconscious pacifying behaviors take various forms, such as massaging/stroking our necks or playing with our hair. Sometimes people pacify by rubbing their cheeks or lips from inside with their tongues. All these pacifying behaviors release calming endorphins to soothe the brain.
23. When feeling discomfort, men typically prefer to touch their faces. Women, on the other hand, prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms, and hair.
24. Neck touching and/or stroking is one of the most significant and frequent pacifying behaviors we use in response to stress. Specifically, when women subconsciously touch or cover their suprasternal notch (the hollow area between the Adams apple and the breast bone: “the neck dimple”), she typically feels distressed, threatened, uncomfortable, insecure, or fearful.
25. Neck touching or massaging is a powerful and universal stress reliever and pacifier. Interestingly, a pregnant woman will initially move her hand to her neck and then at the last movement divert to her belly, as if to cover her fetus.
26. “Leg cleansing” is one of several pacification behaviors. In this calming behavior, a person places the hand or hands palm down on the leg or legs and slides them down the thighs toward the knee. While it often occurs in people who are being deceptive, innocent people who are merely nervous also use it.
27. People under stress will often exhibit “ventilation action,” which relieves stress and emotional discomfort. A man often will put his fingers between his shirt collar and neck and pull the fabric away from his skin. Women may do it more subtlety by tossing the back of her hair to ventilate her neck.
28. In stressful situations, some individuals will pacify themselves by crossing their arms and rubbing their hands against their shoulders, in a self-administered body hug. This is reminiscent of the way a mother hugs a young child.
29. When two people talk to each other, they normally speak toe to toe. If one person turns his feet slightly away or repeatedly moves one foot in an outward direction, this is a strong sign of disagreement, and they want to leave. In fact, the feet and legs are the body parts most likely to reveal a person’s true intentions.
30. People are typically perceived as more attractive when they tilt their heads.
31. Even when a person is standing still, a person’s body is telling a story.
32. When people find themselves in confrontational situations, their feet and legs will splay out, not only for greater balance but also to claim more territory. They typically will not cross their legs while standing because it puts them slightly off balance.
33. One prison inmate noted that in prison “it’s all about posture, how we stand and how we look. We can’t look weak, not for one moment.”
34. People who tend to take up more space (territory) through their daily activities also tend to be more self-assured, more confident, and of higher social status. This has been demonstrated throughout history and in most cultures.
35. During high-comfort social interactions, our feet and legs will mirror those of the person with whom we are talking (also known as isopraxism).
36. When people sit side to side, the direction of the leg crosses become significant. If they are good terms, the top leg crossed over will point toward the other person. If a person is uncomfortable, he will switch the position of the legs so that the thigh becomes a barrier.
37. Custom officers note that passengers who point their feet toward the exit while turning to the officer to make their custom’s declaration are more likely to be concealing something they should have declared. While their faces and the words are obliging, their feet reveal otherwise.
38. When a foot suddenly begins to kick, it is usually a good indicator of discomfort. This is seen in people being interviewed as soon as a question is asked that they don’t like.
39. The “face platter” or when a person places one hand on top of the other and rests his or her face on top of the hands is often used in courtship. It’s used mainly by women and by gay men who want to attract a man’s attention. Their face is placed as if it were on a platter for the other person to admire.
40. The “face platter” is a common courtship gesture
41. A sudden crossing of the arms during a conversation often indicates discomfort. Or a businessperson may suddenly decide to button his or her jacket when talking to someone disagreeable, only to undo the jacket once the conversation is over.
42. Splaying out on a couch or a chair is normally a sign of comfort. However, when serious issues are being discussed, splaying can indicate territorial or dominance display. Teenagers, in particular, will often sit splayed out on a couch or chair as a nonverbal way to dominate their environment and show disrespect while being chastised. Splaying is also very inappropriate during a job interview since it shows a nonverbal message of disrespect for authority.
43. Humans like many other animals (e.g., lizards, birds, dogs, and primates) puff up their chests when they are trying to establish territorial dominance. Human males may also bare their torso. Scientists are unsure whether this is to show off muscles, protect discarded clothing, or rob an opponent of a type of hold.
44. A partial shoulder shrug indicates that the speaker is not committed to what was just said. A more honest and true response causes both shoulders to rise fully, sharply, and equally. When only one side rises, the message is dubious.
45. Sometimes called the “regal stance,” arms behind the back means “don’t come near.” Royalty often uses this stance to keep people at a distance.
46. Arms akimbo (a standing person whose extended arms are out in a V pattern with the hands placed on the hips, thumbs backward) is a powerful territorial display that is used to establish dominance or indicate that there are “issues.” Women tend to use arms akimbo less often than men.
47. Arms akimbo with thumbs forward represents a more inquisitive, less authoritarian position than arms akimbo with thumbs backward.
48. Genital framing is a way men (typically) subconsciously assert their dominance.
49. Genital framing, or when someone hooks their thumbs inside their waistbands on either side of the zipper, is a powerful dominance display, especially for males.
50. Each person has a space requirement called “proxemics” that is both personal and cultural in origin. Some people have larger space “bubbles” than others, and if a person enters another person’s space bubble, it causes arousal. The definition of that arousal depends on the context and who is invading.
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