74 I Can Read You Like a Book R
about being at a party with her husband. They both said “hello” to a
man that the husband knew very well professionally, but didn’t think
she knew. She did know him, though, from parties in years past—
before she met her husband. My student described the man’s look
as an eyebrow flash followed by a knit brow: He clearly recognized
them both, but had some concern about seeing them together. She
later told her husband the man was probably concerned about what
incriminating stories she might pass along.
Your brows also might flash when you recognize an idea, as
in, “I know what you mean.” Similarly, they will jut up as a way of
asking the person you’re with if she recognizes your idea. It’s your
body’s way of inquiring, “Catch that?”
Eyebrows in “request for approval”
If the eyebrow flash
is a snippet of body lan-
guage, then request for
approval is its pregnant
cousin. Just as in a
“catch that” moment,
the person is asking
whether or not you no-
tice what he is saying.
More importantly, with
the request for approval
he is asking how you per-
ceive what he is saying.
