What Every BODY Is Saying_Navarro, Joe & Karlins, Marvin

152 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING

High-Confidence, High-Status Thumb Displays

When individuals carry their thumbs high, it is a sign that they think
highly of themselves and/or are confident in their thoughts or present
circumstances (see figures 52 and 53). Thumbs up is another example of
a gravity-defying gesture, a type of nonverbal behavior normally associ-
ated with comfort and high confidence. Normally, the interlacing of the
fingers is a low-confidence gesture, except when the thumbs are ex-
tended straight up. It has been noted that people who use thumb displays
generally tend to be more aware of their environment, more acute in
their thinking, and sharper in their observations. Observe those individ-
uals who manifest thumbs-up behavior and notice how they fit this pro-
file. Normally, people don’t posture with their thumbs up, so when they
do, you can be relatively certain that this is a significant behavior indica-
tive of positive feelings.

Thumbs up is usually a good indication

of positive thoughts. This can be very

fluid during a conversation.

The thumbs can suddenly disappear,

as in this photo, when there is less

emphasis or emotions turn negative.

Fig. 52 Fig. 53