2020-05-01 iD

HOW CAN I

ANALYZE AN

OPPONENT?

A poker game is the perfect place to practice reading

body language. All the players at the table are trying

to hide how good or bad their respective cards are.

But Joe Navarro knows that all of them are constantly

transmitting information through their body language.

How do opponents react when a new card is turned

up? Do they briefly stop breathing? Do their pupils

expand or contract? “Sitting across the table from a

poker player is like sitting across from a spy,” says

Navarro. “In both cases you can observe involuntary

reactions that they are trying to hide as best they

can— but they can’t.”

How do you hold your cards? Players

who hold their cards close to their body

are signaling that they’re serious.

The players’ respective

postures reveal how

nervous they are.

The positioning of the hands

relative to the chips can indicate

how risk-tolerant a player is.

“WHEN HIS PUPILS NARROWED, WE

KNEW WHO HIS ACCOMPLICES WERE.”

INTERVIEW WITH JOE NAVARRO

Joe Navarro worked as an FBI agent and instructor for 25 years.

Today he writes books on the topic of nonverbal communication,

advises investigators, and teaches university courses.

WHAT SIGNALS DO MY FACE AND BODY SEND

WHEN I LIKE SOMEONE OR SOMETHING?

When we like something, our pupils dilate; when we don’t, they

constrict. We have no control over it. It is the brain’s automatic

response to allow more light to enter the eyes whenever we see

something we like. I once had to debrief a spy who refused to

name any coconspirators. I made a set of index cards, each with

the name of a potential accomplice written on it. When he saw two

names in particular, the man’s pupils constricted, so we brought

those men in for questioning. It turns out he had recruited them.

WHY DO OUR FACES REVEAL SO MUCH

ABOUT WHAT WE ARE THINKING?

The face is the most carefully studied element of the body. It is

literally at another person’s eye level and clearly indicates whether

we are doing well or not. We can tell when someone is smiling

sincerely: The face appears relaxed, both halves of the face are

involved in the smile, and there are crow’s feet around the eyes.

A false smile involves only the lower portion of the face. When

we see someone we don’t like, we still smile to be polite, but the

rest of our body betrays our honest feelings: There is increased

tension in our shoulders and arms, and our feet instinctively turn

away from the other person. From that point of view, the feet

are a lot more honest than the face because they’re not being

watched as closely.

HOW CAN I TELL WHEN MY BOSS IS IN THE

RIGHT MOOD FOR ME TO ASK FOR A RAISE?

You can tell by the way the boss is holding his or her head: Is the

head stiff and straight, or is it tilted slightly to one side? A tilted

head is a good indication. You can observe this in dating couples.

It’s a sign that we are listening and interested in what the other

person has to say. And that we don’t see each other as a threat.

Your boss does the same thing to indicate that he or she is willing

to listen and isn’t reluctant to respond. People don’t do that when

they are wary and tense.

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