What Every BODY Is Saying : An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed Reading People

GETTING A GRIP 143

may indicate prior military experience. A guitar player may have calluses
on the tips of the fingers on one hand.
Hands also indicate how much we care for ourselves and how we view
social convention. Hands may be tended to or they may be filthy. Nails
may be manicured or look ratty. Long nails on men are seen as odd or
effeminate, and people typically interpret nail-biting as a sign of nervous-
ness or insecurity (see figure 48). Because our brains focus so much on the
hands, you should pay extra attention to hand hygiene, since others will.

Learn How to Manage Sweaty Hands

No one really enjoys shaking a hand that is moist, so I advise people who
develop sweaty hands when meeting others (particularly important people
like potential employers, future in-laws, or individuals in a position to
grant favors) to dry off their hands before they attempt a handshake.
Hand sweating not only occurs when we are excessively warm, it also
happens when we are nervous or under stress. When you make contact

Nail-biting is generally perceived as a sign of

insecurity or nervousness.

Fig. 48