Crossed arms and legs: These are further signs of holding back an atti-
tude or emotion. As always with body language, in order to obtain as
clear a reading as possible, read the signs in context to avoid misinter-
preting the message.Shifting Positions and Fidgeting Feet ........................................................
Feet shuffle, toes twitch, and legs cross and uncross when someone’s being
deceptive. That person avoids bodily contact with another person, preferring
to keep her distance. While she may wriggle and squiggle her actions appear
stilted rather than animated.Signs of deception are most prevalent in the lower part of the body. Legs and
feet are farthest away from the brain so they’re under the least amount of
mental control. Therefore, they reveal vital signs that the deceiver may not
even knows she’s sending.When a person is being deceitful you may notice an increased number and
more frequent slight changes in body posture. It’s as though the body is
saying, ‘Get me out of here!’ These non-verbal leakages show that an
inner/outer conflict is going on that’s making the deceiver uncomfortable.A flapping foot, a jabbing toe, and repetitive foot jiggling alone or in combina-
tion with squeezed or shifting legs, reveal the conflict between what’s being
said and what’s being felt.Changing Speech Patterns ..........................................................................
People don’t think of speech itself as body language, but the wayyou speak
is. How you say something can tell the observer more about your feelings and
attitude than the words you utter. Someone observing you watches for the
pattern of the speech and how that fits with the words you choose to say.People who are purposely misleading you tend to say less, speak more slowly,
and make more speech errors. They may be likely to take longer pauses
before replying to a question, and hesitate more during their replies. They’re
inclined to quickly fill in any potentially awkward gaps in conversation.Another giveaway area is the tone of a deceiver’s voice, which is likely to be
higher than usual in register, with a lift at the ends of sentences.270 Part V: The Part of Tens