202 I Can Read You Like a Book A
you get from her? Vulnerability and softening to look more appealing
and feminine. From the men? Likely an exaggerated strut, hands
on hips framing genitalia with overly blocky masculine moves. If
this behavior yields rewards, what is the long-term impact for the
person—either man or woman?
Super-typical people
When traveling with superiors, whether a boss or simply someone
you perceive as super-typical, your body language will be constricted.
Think of the expression “big fish in a small pond.” The cliché refers
to having the ability to be super-typical in a defined and confined
environment. When you are the super-typical, your body language
is uninhibited and expansive. When you perceive yourself as typical
or sub-typical, you may limit how demonstrative you are with body
language.
If being in the company of the super-typical causes you anx-
ious moments, what happens when you are in the company of the
sub-typical who appears to be super-typical? How can that happen?
They know the routines of the culture better than you do.
Every year, Estes Park, Colorado, hosts the largest Scottish
Highlands Festival in North America. On the fairgrounds, I saw
hundreds of men in kilts and people of all ages in period costumes
spanning a thousand years of Scottish history. I didn’t think it was
the least bit odd to see these people wandering around town in their
outfits in the days just prior to the festival. The whole town was
getting into the spirit and created a context for these people to
broadcast their Scottish heritage.
