Closed-palm, finger-pointed ..............................................................
Close your palm into a fist, point your index finger, and look out, world!
You’ve just created a symbolic club for beating into submission anyone who’s
listening (see Figure 9-4).Think back to a time when someone – a parent, teacher, or boss – pointed a
finger at you and shook it for all it was worth. Don’t be surprised if the
memory makes you cringe. You know just how threatening and aggressive
this gesture feels. That’s because it comes from our primate ancestors who
shake their ‘fists’ before pummelling their opposition into submission with a
right over-arm blow. Ouch!While you’re remembering annoying gestures you’d rather forget, what about
the one where the speaker beats her pointed finger in time to what she’s
saying. Again, it’s as if you’re being beaten with a sharp stick. It may make
you feel like a naughty child being reprimanded.The finger wag moves rhythmically sideways, back and forth like a
metronome. Another annoying gesture, this action is a silent ‘telling off’ and
reminds you of just how badly behaved you are.Figure 9-4:
The closed-
palm,
pointed-
finger is
threatening
and
aggressive.144 Part III: The Trunk: Limbs and Roots