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

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212 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING


each other, or at the least their expressions will be at odds, if not totally
disparate. Asynchrony is a barrier to effective communication and is a
serious obstacle to a successful interview or discussion.
If you are relaxed and poised during a conversation or interview,
while the other party continually looks at the clock or sits in a way that is
tense or lacks movement (referred to as flash frozen), this is suggestive
that there is no comfort, even though to the untrained eye it may appear
that everything is all right (Knapp & Hall, 2002, 321; Schafer & Navarro,
2004, 66). If the other person seeks disruptions or talks repeatedly of fi-
nalizing the conversation, these too are signs of discomfort.
Obviously, displays of comfort are more common in people speaking


Here is an example of isopraxis: Both people are
mirroring each other and leaning toward each
other, showing signs of high comfort.

Fig. 87
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