The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

'It is always the best policy to speak the truth,

unless of course you are an exceptionally good liar.'

J.K. JEROME

So how can you tell when someone is lying, stalling or simply

thinking it over? Recognition of deceit, procrastination,

boredom and evaluation gestures can be some of the most

important observation skills you can learn. In this chapter,

you'll learn the body language signals that give people away.

The first part of the chapter will deal with lying and deceit.

The Three Wise Monkeys

These monkeys symbolise those who hear no evil, see no evil

and speak no evil. Their simple hand-to-face gestures form the

basis of the human deceit gestures. In simple terms, when we

see, speak and hear lies or deceit, we are likely to attempt to

cover our mouth, eyes or ears with our hands.

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

People who hear bad news or witness a horrific accident will
often cover their entire face with their hands to symbolically
stop themselves from seeing or hearing the awful news. This
was the gesture that was most observed worldwide when