Body Language

The unintentional gestures imply that you have no intention of moving from

where you are. They hold you back, won’t let you go, and your body says that

you’re not budging. And no amount of outside influence to get you to move is

going to succeed.

Examples of unintentional gestures are

Folded arms

Lips pressed together

A hand or finger in front of the mouth

Crossed legs

These actions all keep you in place. You can’t walk when your legs are

crossed. You can’t speak with your hand in front of your mouth. Crossed

arms say that you’re holding back.

Standing or sitting with your legs crossed is no position to take if you want

to get out of town quickly. The scissor stance is a prime example of a gesture

that keeps you in your place. One leg is crossed over the other, rendering

you immobile (see Figure 1-3). When someone adopts this position you know

she’s staying put.

Figure 1-3:

The finger

over the

mouth

and the

scissored

legs

indicate

she’s

holding

back.

18 Part I: In the Beginning Was the Gesture