106 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
will seemingly sink lower and lower, their shoulders rising higher and
higher in a subconscious attempt to hide their heads.
This turtlelike behavior also shows up in families when the father
says, “It really hurt my feelings to find that someone broke my reading
lamp without telling me.” As the father looks at each of his children, one
will be looking down, shoulders rising toward the ears. You will also see
these weak shoulder displays demonstrated by a losing football team as
they walk back to the locker-room—their shoulders seeming to swallow
up their heads.
Shoulders rising toward the ears causes
the “turtle effect”; weakness, insecurity,
and negative emotions are the message.
Think of losing athletes walking back to
the locker room.Fig. 38