Body+language

**"Confusius" **
Body language is a powerful concept which successful people tend to understand well.

So can you.

The effect happens both ways - to and from:


 * When we meet someone for the first time, their body language, on conscious and unconscious levels, largely determines our initial impression of them.
 * In turn when someone meets us for the first time, they form their initial impression of us largely from our body language and non-verbal signals.

And this two-way effect of body language continues throughout communications and relationships between people.

Body language is constantly being exchanged and interpreted between people, even though much of the time this is happening on an unconscious level.

Remember - while you are interpreting (consciously or unconsciously) the body language of other people, so other people are constantly interpreting yours.

The people with the most conscious awareness of, and capabilities to read, body language tend to have an advantage over those whose appreciation is limited largely to the unconscious.

You will shift your own awareness of body language from the unconscious into the conscious by learning about the subject, and then by practising your reading of non-verbal communications in your dealings with others.

== The six universal facial expressions - Recognized around the world ==

It is now generally accepted that certain basic facial expressions of human emotion are recognized around the world - and that the use and recognition of these expressions is genetically inherited rather than socially conditioned or learned.

While there have been found to be minor variations and differences among obscurely isolated tribes-people, the following basic human emotions are generally used, recognized, and part of humankind's genetic character:

These emotional face expressions are:


 * Happiness
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Sadness
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Fear
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Disgust
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Surprise
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Anger

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Charles Darwin was first to make these claims in his book The Expressions of the Emotions in Man and Animals, published in 1872. This book incidentally initially far outsold The Origin of Species, such was its wide (and controversial) appeal at the time.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Darwin's assertions about genetically inherited facial expressions remained the subject of much debate for many years.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In the 1960s a Californian psychiatrist and expert in facial expressions, Paul Ekman, (with Sorenson and Friesen - seereferences) conducted and published extensive studies with people of various cultures to explore the validity of Darwin's theory - that certain facial expressions and man's ability to recognize them are inborn and universal among people. Ekman's work notably included isolated tribes-people who could not have been influenced by Western media and images, and essentially proved that Darwin was right - i.e., that the use and recognition of facial expressions to convey certain basic human emotions is part of human evolved nature, genetically inherited, and not dependent on social learning or conditioning.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif;">Body language analysis
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Body language is instinctively interpreted by us all to a limited degree, but the subject is potentially immensely complex. Perhaps infinitely so, given that the human body is said to be capable of producing 700,000 different movements (Hartland and Tosh, 2001 - see references).

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">As with other behavioural sciences, the study of body language benefited from the development of brain-imaging technology in the last part of the 20th century. This dramatically accelerated the research and understanding into connections between the brain, feelings and thoughts, and body movement. We should expect to see this effect continuing and providing more solid science for body language theory, much of which remains empirical, i.e., based on experience and observation, rather than scientific test.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Given the potential for confusion, here are some considerations when analysing body language:

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">**Context**
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Body language also depends on context: body language in a certain situation might not mean the same in another.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some 'body language' isn't what it seems at all, for example:


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Someone rubbing their eye might have an irritation, rather than being tired - or disbelieving, or upset.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Someone with crossed arms might be keeping warm, rather than being defensive.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Someone scratching their nose might actually have an itch, rather than concealing a lie.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">**Sufficient samples/evidence**
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A single body language signal isn't as reliable as several signals:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">As with any system of evidence, 'clusters' of body language signals provide much more reliable indication of meaning than one or two signals in isolation.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Avoid interpreting only single signals. Look for combinations of signals which support an overall conclusion, especially for signals which can mean two or more quite different things.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">**Culture/ethnicity**
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Certain body language is the same in all people, for example smiling and frowning (and see the six universally recognizable facial expressions above), but some body language is specific to a culture or ethnic group.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">See examples of cultural body language differences below.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">**Awareness of possible cultural body language differences is especially important in today's increasingly mixed societies.**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Management and customer service staff are particularly prone to misreading or reacting inappropriately to body language signals from people of different ethnic backgrounds, a situation made worse because this sort of misunderstanding tends to peak when emotions are high.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Personal space preferences (distances inside which a person is uncomfortable when someone encroaches) can vary between people of different ethnicity.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In general this article offers interpretations applicable for Western culture.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">**If you can suggest any different ethnic interpretations of body language** please send them **and I'll broaden the guide accordingly.**

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">Body language is relative to age and gender
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many body language signals are relative.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A gesture by one person in a certain situation can carry far more, or very little meaning, compared to the same gesture used by a different person in a different situation.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Young men for example often display a lot of pronounced gestures because they are naturally energetic, uninhibited and supple. Older women, relatively, are less energetic, adopt more modest postures, and are prevented by clothing and upbringing from exhibiting very pronounced gestures.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So when assessing body language - especially the strength of signals and meanings - it's important to do so in relative terms, considering the type of person and situation involved.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">Faking/deception
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some people artificially control their outward body language to give the impression they seek to create at the time.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A confident firm handshake, or direct eye contact, are examples of signals which can be quite easily be 'faked' - usually temporarily, but sometimes more consistently.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">However while a degree of faking is possible, it is not possible for someone to control or suppress all outgoing signals.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This is an additional reason to avoid superficial analysis based on isolated signals, and to seek as many indicators as possible, especially subtle clues when suspecting things might not be what they seem. Politicians and manipulative salespeople come to mind for some reason.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Looking for 'micro gestures' (pupils contract, an eyebrow lifts, corner of the mouth twitch) can help identify the true meaning and motive behind one or two strong and potentially false signals.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">These micro gestures are very small, difficult to spot and are subconscious, but we cannot control them, hence their usefulness.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 24px;">Boredom, nervousness and insecurity signals
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Many body language signals indicate negative feelings such as boredom, disinterest, anxiousness, insecurity, etc.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The temptation on seeing such signals is to imagine a weakness on the part of the person exhibiting them.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This can be so, however proper interpretation of body language should look beyond the person and the signal - and consider the situation, especially if you are using body language within personal development or management. Ask yourself:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">What is causing the negative feelings giving rise to the negative signals?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">It is often the situation, not the person - for example, here are examples of circumstances which can produce negative feelings and signals in people, often even if they are strong and confident:


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">dominance of a boss or a teacher or other person perceived to be in authority
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">overloading a person with new knowledge or learning
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">tiredness
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">stress caused by anything
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">cold weather or cold conditions
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">lack of food and drink
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">illness or disability
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">alcohol or drugs
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">being in a minority or feeling excluded
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">unfamiliarity - newness - change

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Ask yourself, when analysing body language:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Are there external factors affecting the mood and condition of the individual concerned?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Do not jump to conclusions - especially negative ones - using body language analysis alone.