Body Language

The nonverbal signals we use to communicate with others is called body language. Experts believe that these unspoken signals form a large part of our communication with each other.

While understanding body language is essential, it is equally important to pay attention to context and other cues. You should consider signals in a series of actions rather than one.

body languageOur facial expressions and body movements can convey volumes of information.

According to some, body language could account for 60-65% of all communication.

What is Body Language?

In a nutshell, body language is a series of gestures, expressions and postures intended to convey a message to other people in our vicinity.

We use these signals when verbal communication is not necessary and almost always at the subconscious level. This means that we are mostly unaware that we're doing anything.

Women tend to be much better at picking up signals especially from men when they are unwittingly making it plain that they want to hook up with them.

Men, on the other hand are often dismally blind when a woman wants to non-verbally communicate her interest in him!

Facial Expressions

Consider how much emotion a person can convey by just their facial expressions. Smiles can signify approval or happiness. Unhappiness or disapproval can be signaled by a frown.

Sometimes, facial expressions can reveal how we feel about a situation. Even if you claim that you feel fine, your facial expressions could be telling people the opposite.

Even the expression of a person's faces can tell us if they trust us or not.

According to one study, a slight lift of the eyebrows and smile was the most trusted facial expression. Researchers suggested that this expression conveys friendliness as well as confidence.

The Eyes

Because the eyes can reveal a lot about a person's feelings and thoughts, they are often called the "windows of the soul."

Eye movements are an important part of communication when you have a conversation with someone.

You may be able to notice common signs such as whether someone is making eye contact, averting their gaze or blinking.

Pay attention to these eye signals when evaluating body language.

Eye Gaze

If someone looks into your eyes during a conversation, it is a sign that they are paying attention and interested in you. But, it can be threatening to have prolonged eye contact.

However, if someone is looking away or avoiding eye contact, it could indicate that they are either distracted, uncomfortable, or trying hide their true feelings.6

Blinking

While blinking is normal, you need to be aware of whether someone blinks too often or too much.

When they feel anxious or uncomfortable, people tend to blink faster. A person may blink less often if they are trying to control their eye movements.

A poker player might, for example, blink less often because he's trying to seem uninterested in the hand that was dealt to him. Size of the pupil

The size of the pupil can be used as a subtle nonverbal communication sign. Although light levels can control pupil dilation, emotions can sometimes cause tiny changes in pupil size.

You may have heard the expression "bedroom eyes", which is used to describe someone's look when they feel attracted to another person. Highly dilation eyes can be a sign that someone is interested in or aroused.

The Mouth

Reading body language can be as simple as recognizing the movements and expressions of your mouth. Chewing on the bottom of the lips, for example, could indicate feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry.

While covering the mouth is polite in the case of someone coughing or yawning, it could also be a way to show disapproval by covering up the frown.

Sometimes a smile is genuine. Other times, it can be faked to express happiness, sarcasm or cynicism.

Gestures

Gestures are one of the easiest and most obvious ways to communicate non-verbally. It is easy to grasp gestures such as waving, pointing and using fingers to indicate numerical numbers.

However, some gestures can be cultural. For example, a thumbs up or peace sign in another country could have a different meaning than in the United States.

The Arms and Legs

Nonverbal information can also be conveyed by the arms and legs. Crossing your arms can signify defensiveness. Crossing your legs in front of another person can indicate dislike or discomfort.

You may also notice subtle signals like extending your arms outwardly to make you appear larger or more powerful. However, keeping your arms close to your body could be an effort to reduce attention or to withdraw.

Posture

The way we hold our bodies is an important part of our body language.

The way a person looks can tell a lot about their feelings and also give clues about their personality traits, such as how confident, open or submissive they are.

For example, sitting straight up can indicate that someone is paying attention and focused. On the other hand, a person who is sitting with their back against the wall can indicate that they are bored or indifferent.

The term posture refers both to the way we hold our bodies and how they shape us as individuals.

Summary

We all display an array of non-verbal signals to each other practically all the time we are in the company of other people or just walking down the street where others are about.

It is possible to consciously learn and decode many of the more obvious body language signals, while greater study can reveal much more about a person than they realize they are displaying.

References:

www.bodylanguagect.com

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Last Updated: February 21, 2023

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