The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language

As long as the boss's leg stays over the arm of the chair, his indif-

ferent attitude will persist. When the employee leaves the office,

the boss breathes a sigh of relief and says to himself, 'Thank

heavens he's gone!' and takes his leg off the arm of the chair.

The Leg-Over-the-Arm-of-Chair can be annoying when it

occurs during negotiation, and it is vital to make that person

change position because the longer he stays in it, the longer he

will have an indifferent or aggressive attitude. An easy way to

do this is to ask him to lean across and look at something, or,

if you have a wicked sense of humour, tell him there's a split in

his trousers.

Straddling a Chair

Centuries ago, men used shields to protect themselves from the

spears and clubs of the enemy, and today, civilised man uses

whatever he has at his disposal to symbolise this same protec-

tive behaviour when he is under physical or verbal attack. This

includes standing behind a gate, doorway, fence, desk or the

open door of his motor vehicle and straddling a chair.

The Straddler wants to

dominate or control while,

at the same time, protecting

his front

The back of the chair acts as a shield to protect the body and
can transform a person into an aggressive, dominant person-
ality. Men also have their legs spread in a wide Crotch Display,
adding male assertion to the position. Most Straddlers are
dominant types who will try to take control of others when
they become bored with the conversation, and the back of the