BODY LANGUAGE: EYES, HEAD, AND HANDSmanly to show emotion, and this can affect the subtext of his
gestures. Still, we are reasoning creatures, and we can change
our habits.
While some gestures are more prevalent among members of
one sex or another (a man straightening his tie, a woman pushing
back her hair), none is absolutely linked to one sex. And even
though many are automatic gestures, they can still be brought
into the conscious realm and made in a calculated way.
Learning to use gestures deliberately and understand their sub-
texts can become a powerful tool to project honesty and truth. It
is a clever form of manipulation, but it must be done with subtlety.
GESTURES AND THEIR MEANING
Here is a brief summary of some of the more important gestures
we use and the subtexts they send.
An open-palmed gesture with the hand moving forward at chest
height, fingers up and palm out, sends a forceful subtext of serious-
ness and importance.
Both hands open at chest level and spread sideways, palms
up, sends a subtext of helplessness, a plea to be understood.
One hand raised above the head emphasizes a point; two hands
raised above the head signal triumph.
An index finger to the ear or rubbing the eye signals rejection.
A hand or fingers in front of the mouth betrays a reluctance to
talk, a holding back, telling only half the story.
A placating subtext is sent with the palm up, hand out—if it
is used by a man. The same gesture used by a woman has a
courting or flirting subtext.