The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

bout to start and males who want to issue a non-verbal chal-
lenge to other males who enter their territory. In each instance
the person takes the Hands-on-Hips pose and this is a univer-
sal gesture used to communicate that a person is ready for
assertive action. It lets the person take up more space and has
the threat value of the pointed elbows that act as weapons,
preventing others from approaching or passing. The arms
being half raised show readiness for attack and this is the posi-
tion taken by cowboys in a gunfight. Even one hand on the hip
will send the intended message, particularly when it's pointed
at the intended victim. It's used everywhere and in the Philip-
pines and Malaysia it carries the even stronger message of
anger or outrage.
Also known as the 'readiness' gesture, that is, the person is
ready for assertive action, its basic meaning carries a subtly
aggressive attitude everywhere. It has also been called the
achiever stance, related to the goal-directed person who is
ready to tackle their objectives or is ready to take action on
something. Men often use this gesture around women to
display an assertive male attitude.

Hands-on-Hips makes you look bigger and more

noticeable because you take up more space.

It's important to consider the context and other body language
immediately preceding the Hands-on-Hips pose in order to
make an accurate assessment of the person's attitude. For
example, is the coat open and pushed back on to the hips, or
is it buttoned when the aggressive pose is taken? Closed-Coat-
Readiness shows frustration, whereas coat open and pushed
back is directly aggressive because the person is openly expos-
ing their front in a display of fearlessness. This position is
further reinforced by placing the feet evenly apart on the
ground or by adding clenched fists to the gesture cluster.