66 WHAT EVERY BODY IS SAYING
when they are stressed or upset, when they are being threatened, or, con-
versely, when they are threatening others. In each case, they will exhibit
behaviors indicating they are trying to reestablish control of their situa-
tion and their territory. Law enforcement and military personnel use
these behaviors because they are accustomed to being in charge. Some-
times, they will try to outdo each other, at which point it becomes farci-
cal as each person tries to splay out wider than his colleagues in a
subconscious attempt to claim more territory.
When people find themselves in confrontational situations, their feet
and legs will splay out, not only for greater balance but also to claim
greater territory. This sends out a very strong message to the careful ob-
server that at a minimum there are issues afoot or that there is potential
for real trouble. When two people face off in disagreement, you will
never see their legs crossed so that they are off balance. The limbic brain
simply will not allow this to take place.
If you observe a person’s feet going from being together to being
spread apart, you can be fairly confident that the individual is becoming
increasingly unhappy. This dominant stance communicates very clearly,
“Something is wrong and I am ready to deal with it.” Territorial leg
When feet shift from flat footed to the
“starter’s position,” this is an intention cue
that the person wants to go.Fig. 21