- HOW DO I STAND
WHEN I’M TRYING
TO EXPRESS
DOMINANCE?
TRIGGER: threatening gestures
CONSEQUENCE: In a confrontational
situation, we tend to put our hands on
our hips to communicate our sense
of dominance. This posture makes us
appear wider than we really are. Such
space-filling stances are a result of
evolution, and analogous postures
can be observed in many animals.- HOW DO I SIT WHEN
I FEEL UNTOUCHABLE?
TRIGGER: arrogance
CONSEQUENCE: When we seek to
demonstrate dominance and show
an interview partner that our position
is unassailable, we lean back. Such
a posture has an intimidating effect,
reflects a low opinion of our partner,
and conveys the feeling of (possibly
unfounded) superiority.- DOES MY FOREHEAD
REVEAL MY DEGREE
OF SINCERITY?
TRIGGER: empathy and concern
CONSEQUENCE: “If you want to
know whether someone is actually
empathetic or just pretending to be,
observe the forehead,” says body
language expert Bernhard P. Wirth.
You can see this on the face of any
TV news anchor: When newscasters
are personally moved by a story, you
can detect horizontal furrows across
the brow. If the story is less gripping,
there are no furrows.- WHAT DO I DO WITH
MY TOES WHEN I’M
FEELING DELIGHTED?
TRIGGER: happiness
CONSEQUENCE: One indicator that
a person is genuinely happy about
something is found in the toes. When
people are happy, they turn their toes
up. “Our feet often reflect emotions
more accurately than our faces,” says
body language expert Joe Navarro.- CAN MY TONGUE REVEAL
THAT I THINK I’M GET TING
AWAY WITH SOMETHING?
TRIGGER: the expectation of not
getting caught
CONSEQUENCE: Whether it’s during
a poker game, business negotiation,
or an FBI interview, people who think
they’re getting away with something
tend to briefly run their tongue across
their lips. This happens because the
high degree of vigilance we exercise
when we’re trying to hide something
often makes our lips dry out.
FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS,
GESTURES,
AND ATTITUDE
REVEAL
OUR TRUE
INTENTIONS