What Every BODY Is Saying_Navarro, Joe & Karlins, Marvin

104 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING

flight or fight, the body attempts to take in as much oxygen as possible,
either by breathing more deeply or by panting. The stressed individual’s
chest is heaving because the limbic brain is saying, “Potential problem—
step up oxygen consumption in case we suddenly have to escape or f ight!”
When you see this type of nonverbal behavior in an otherwise healthy
person, you should consider why he or she is so stressed.

Shoulder Shrugs

Full and slight shoulder shrugs can mean a lot in context. When the boss
asks an employee, “Do you know anything about this customer’s com-
plaint?” and the employee answers, “No,” while giving a half shrug,
chances are the speaker is not committed to what was just said. An hon-
est and true response will cause both shoulders to rise sharply and equally.
Expect people to give full (high) shoulder shrugs when they confidently
support what they are saying. There is nothing wrong with saying, “I
don’t know!” while both shoulders rise up toward the ear. As discussed
previously, this is a gravity-defying behavior that normally signifies the

BOX 26: ONE TIME YOU DON’T WANT THE

SHIRT OFF HIS BACK

Years ago I witnessed two neighbors verbally sparring over a sprinkler

system that had accidentally sprayed a freshly waxed vehicle. As things

escalated, one of the neighbors started unbuttoning his shirt. It was then

that I knew fists were going to fly. Sure enough, the shirt came off and the

chest bumping began between them. This was a mere precursor to the

punching, which soon followed. It seemed incredible that grown men

would fight over water spots on a car. What was really remarkable, how-

ever, was the chest bumping between the two guys, as though they were

gorillas. It was actually embarrassing to watch them engage in such a lu-

dicrous torso display. It’s just something that shouldn’t happen.