166 Part III: The Trunk: Limbs and Roots
The person who slouches, who lets his head droop, his shoulders hunch, and
his feet turn inwards shows submission, a lack of commitment, and indicates
that he’s withdrawing, or holding back. Conversely, people who place their
weight evenly between their legs, with their feet firmly planted under them,
look confident and self-assured, providing the other body parts are working
in harmony with the feet and legs. When standing in this position the natural
inclination is to hold your head high, shoulders back, and stomach in. Presto!
You’re standing like a winner.If you want to assess a person’s attitude, look at how he’s standing. Most
people make the majority of their important decisions when both of their feet
are on the ground. If you want to be perceived as powerful, influential, and in
control, stand with your legs slightly apart with your weight evenly distrib-
uted between them.Straddle stance ...................................................................................
The straddle stance is a stable position and the one most favoured by those
who are showing dominance. It requires that your legs are straight, and that
your feet are placed wide apart with your weight equally distributed between
them.With their higher centre of gravity, men adopt the straddle stance more fre-
quently than women. Their height notwithstanding, men also adopt this posi-
tion more frequently in the company of other people when they’re using their
posture as a means of communication.The expressions ‘Having your feet on the ground’ and ‘Standing on your own
two feet’ refer to the ancient Chinese custom of binding women’s feet. This
custom was mostly reserved for royalty and meant that the women whose
feet had been bound were unable to stand on their own two feet without
causing pain.Macho messages
A resolutely immovable posture, in which someone has planted his feet so
firmly that there’s no room for budging, tells you that he’s standing his
ground (see Figure 10-1). He’s also showing you who’s boss by filling more
space and covertly presenting his bits.During his last year at junior school, Tommy, aged twelve, was in the school’s
winning rugby team. At the celebration party after the match, a group of boys
stood in a circle, talking amongst themselves. As proud winners, each one of
them had adopted the straddle stance, demonstrating his commonality and
team spirit. Even at such a young age the boys were showing their machismo
and their solidarity.