The Definitive Book of Body Language

The 13 Most Common Gestures You'll See Daily

continues to pick the imaginary lint, you may need to take an

even more direct approach to discover his hidden objections.

How We Show We're Ready for Action

To appear bigger for fighting or courting rituals, birds will
fluff their feathers, fish can expand their body size by sucking
in water and cats or dogs make their fur stand on end. The
hairless human, however, no longer has a thick pelt to expand
to make himself look more imposing when he is fearful or
angry. When we describe a scary movie we often say, 'It made
my hair stand on end'; if we become angry with someone, 'He
made the hackles on my neck rise'; and when we are smitten
with someone, they can give us 'goose bumps'. All these are
the body's mechanical reactions to circumstances in which we
attempt to make ourselves appear larger and are caused by the
erector pillae muscles on the skin, which attempt to make our
non-existent pelt stand up. Modern humans, however, have
invented a gesture to help them achieve a bigger physical pres-
ence - the Hands-on-Hips gesture.

Elbows up and pointed shows readiness

to dominate; elbows in and head tilted show submission

Hands-on-Hips is used by the child arguing with its parent, the
athlete waiting for his event to begin, the boxer waiting for the