The Definitive Book of Body Language- Closed Positions
When two people want intimacy, their body angle changes
from 45 degrees to 0 degrees, that is, they face each other. A
man or woman who wants to monopolise a person's attention
uses this position, as well as other courtship gestures, when
they make their play. A man will not only point his body
towards a woman, he also closes the distance between them as
he moves into her Intimate Zone. To accept his approach, she
need only orient her body angle to 0 degrees and allow him to
enter her space. The distance between two people standing in
a Closed Position is usually less than in the open formation.
Direct body pointing
in the Closed Position
to attempt to get a
captive audienceIn addition to courtship displays, both may mirror each other's
gestures and increase eye contact if they are both interested.
The Closed Position can also be used between people who are
hostile towards each other in order to issue a challenge.
Research has shown that men fear attack from the front and
are more wary of a frontal approach, while women fear attack
from behind and are wary of approaches from the rear. So never
stand front-on with a male you have just met. He perceives it as
aggression from a man and sexual interest from a woman. If
you are male, it's acceptable to approach a woman from the
front and eventually you can angle yourself to 45 degrees.
How We Exclude OthersThe next illustration shows the 45-degree Open Position taken