The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

How Smokers End a Session

Most smokers smoke their cigarette down to a certain length

before extinguishing it in an ashtray. Women tend to slowly stub

the cigarette out while men are likely to crush it with the thumb.

If the smoker lights a cigarette and suddenly extinguishes it

earlier than he normally would, he has signalled his decision to

terminate the conversation. Watching for this termination

signal can allow you to take control or to close the conversa-

tion, making it appear that it was your idea to end things.

How to Read Glasses

Almost every artificial aid a person uses gives them an oppor-

tunity to perform a number of revealing gestures and this is

certainly the case with those who wear glasses. One of the most

common gestures is placing one arm of the frame in the mouth.

Using the glasses to

stall for time

As Desmond Morris pointed out, the act of putting objects
against the lips or in the mouth is a momentary attempt by the
person to relive the security he experienced as a baby at his
mother's breast. This means that the Glasses-Arm-in-Mouth
gesture is essentially a reassurance gesture.
If you wear glasses you may sometimes feel as if you are
looking at life through two toilet paper rolls, but you are per-
ceived by others as being more studious and intelligent,
particularly in the early stages of a meeting. In one study,
people pictured wearing glasses were judged by respondents as