Priests, Rabbis, and other heads of religious organisations place their hand
on a supplicant’s head as a sign of divine power.Kissing another person on her head is a way of demonstrating approval and
showing a protective attitude. Because the gesture is a one-sided way of
kissing someone it implies that the initiator has a superior position to the
receiver.Showing Agreement and Encouragement: The Nod ..................................
An almost universal gesture and the most frequent and obvious head move-
ment is the nod. This seemingly simple action has a variety of meanings. In
addition to being a sign of affirmation, agreement, acknowledgement, and
approval, this up-and-down movement serves as a gesture of recognition,
comprehension, encouragement, and understanding.Body language is an outward manifestation of your feelings and emotions, or, in
layperson’s terms, your body is reflecting what’s going on inside. For example,
if you’re feeling upbeat and positive your head naturally nods as you speak.If you want to establish an affirmative environment but you’re not feeling
quite so perky, nod your head intentionally and lo and behold, you start feel-
ing on top of the world. Simply stated, if you consciously nod your head you
create positive feelings. It’s all about cause and effect.Head nodding is catchy. If you nod your head at someone she usually nods in
return. This is true even if the other person doesn’t agree with what you’re
saying. And as for creating rapport, gaining agreement, and getting support,
the head nod is your entry point.Encouraging the speaker to continue ................................................
As a listener’s gesture, the nod plays an integral part in keeping the conversa-
tion going. By using a measured nod, the listener indicates that she’s paying
attention and doesn’t want to take over the speaker’s role. This slow, rhyth-
mic nodding encourages the speaker to say more and talk longer. Likewise,
by failing to nod your head while listening, the speaker thinks you aren’t
interested or paying attention. She finds it difficult to continue and quickly
ends the conversation.Chapter 3: Heading to the Heart of the Matter 51