BODY LANGUAGE

An Introduction of reading Body Language

A research was done at the University of Pennsylvania to determine to what extent
does a person's body language affects the impression that people from of him/her.
The shocking result was that people build their impression about you based on:

 55 percent gestures, postures and movements.

 38 percent on the tone of your voice (tempo and frequency).
 Only 7 percent on what you say.

That is a total of 93 percent for body language(which comprises Bodily gestures and
tone of voice) and only 7 percent for spoken words. This means that 93 percent of
what you want to say is not uttered in words but shown in ur body language and
gestures.

Isn't 93 percent for Body Language such a big number?

If you think about it for awhile, you will find that this actually makes sense. In any
society, there is the liar, the imposter and the one who can't express his feelings.
Based on this research, researchers started to study human feelings and how they tie
it in to a person's gestures. What they discovered was that, whenever there was a
change in emotions, there was a corresponding change in gestures and the tone of
voice.

How to interpret Body Language

Researcher’s successive in identifying a lexicon of feelings and their corresponding
gestures. Anyone who has access to this information can read people's feelings
through their body language. Learning to interpret body language is not a hard task.
You just need to know the familiar gestures in body language and their associated
emotional states then link them together.

Uses of Body Language

Body language is now widely used in politics, investigations of all kind (where body
language of suspects are analyzed), sales, negotiations and in any situation involving
communication between people. Body language is not only used in understanding the
emotional states of other people but It can also help you to in letting others precieve
you the way you want. For Example, you can make someone think that you are
feeling confident while you are actually feeling terrified.
Leaving a positive impression
If you succeeded in leaving a positive first impression your chance of getting a job
will become higher, your social relations will improve and people will admire you.

In 2knowmyself I avoid using vague advices like “Be confident” or “Be a good listener”
and these commonly heard phrases but instead you will find effective and practical
advices that are backed by deep psychological principles. If you followed these
advices the first impression you will leave will be 99% of the time positive.

I didn’t say 100% of the time because sometimes the impression people form of you
depends on their own past experience!! For example if you saw someone who looks
just like your arrogant boss you will tend to think of him as arrogant even if he was
not. (For more information checkout this article)

The Psychology of Impression Formation

A person needs about 5 to 10 seconds to form an impression of someone else!! And
then he may need another 10 minutes to confirm his judgment. So if you made a good
use of the first five seconds then you are almost more than 90% done in leaving a
positve impression. I know you may be thinking that the 5 or 10 seconds are very
short and that nothing much can be done in them but if you read the following section
you will discover that lots of things take place in these five seconds but you didn’t use
to notice them.

How to Leave a Positive Impression

 The first thing you can do is proper eye contact. Proper Eye contact shows
respect,interest and that you are not shy. Proper eye contact means that the eye
contact should be around 70% to 80% of the time.
 Another thing that happens in the first few seconds is the handshake, a firm
handshake combined with proper eye contact leaves the impression that you are
a confident person. people who don't shake hands in a firm way will most likely
leave the impression that they are not confident. (see the handshake
psychology for more information).
 If you did the previous two points you will appear to be confident but in the same
time you may appear to be a little cold and that’s why you need to add a smile on
 your face. This smile will not only make the other person think that you have got
a sense of humor but he will also feel more comfortable in dealing with you
 Sit with your back straight and your shoulders stretched. A straight back leaves the
impression that you are confident happy or interested.(see watch your back for
more information on this topic) Never ever cross your legs or fold your
armswhen sitting because this leaves the impression that you are not that
comfortable or even afraid. Don't place an object like a bag or a file between you
and the interviewer because this leaves the same impression that folding your
arms leaves
 if you felt like scratching your nose do not do it because this shows that you are
negative evaluating something, after all your emotions are private and you
shouldn't let anyone know what are you thinking about unless you want that
 If you can wear blue clothes then do it, in the psychology of colors blue gives the
impression of loyalty and honesty, wearing blue will leave an unconscious
impression in the mind of other people that you are loyal and honest.

Use of Micro Gestures

The most famous thing micro gestures are used in is investigations, videos are
recorded for people whom are believed to be guilty and then these videos are
reviewed in slow motion in order to spot the micro gestures the person made while
being asked questions. Micro gestures are so tricky so take care not to Receive
distorted input, try to notice them on yourself first before you start making judgments
on people.

Eye Contact in Body Language

Maintaining proper eye contact during a conversation will give the impression that you
are interested in listening to what a person has to say, that you are not shy and that
you are respecting person talking to you.

Eye contact should not be maintained 100% of the time because the other person
may feel uncomfortable. What is meant by "Proper Eye Contact" is that it should be
maintained around 70 to 80 % of the meeting.

Eye Contact in Body Language

Maintaining proper eye contact during a conversation will give the impression that you
are interested in listening to what a person has to say, that you are not shy and that
you are respecting person talking to you.

Eye contact should not be maintained 100% of the time because the other person
may feel uncomfortable. What is meant by "Proper Eye Contact" is that it should be
maintained around 70 to 80 % of the meeting.

Where to Look if You Are Shy

Some people have the problem of not being able to look others in the eye because
they are not used to it. If you are one of those people, then just look at what we call
the positive area of eye contact which is represented by the triangle in the picture
below.

If you looked anywhere in this area, the other person will think that you looking into his
eyes even if you were looking at his nose.

Eye Contact and Authority

If you want to give someone an order, then don’t look at the area of positive eye
contact; instead look just above it. Looking at this area of the face will give the
impression that you are leading the situation.

2knowmyself is without doubt the only complete source for information on body
language on the entire internet. If you dare to challenge this statement, then check the
2knowmyself’s body language section and you will know what I am talking about.
Body Language and Straight Back
Body language (nonverbal communications)

Watch Your Back!!

Tim was sitting in front of his laptop and browsing the web. While being online one of
his close friends that he haven’t talked to since a long time came online, Tim’s back
suddenly became straight. Few minutes later his friend left and Tim started to feel a
little bored, without noticing his back curved and he slid a little into the chair. After
some time his phone rang and when he answered he discovered that he has to
deliver something to his aunt who lives at the other end of the town, this time his back
was bent more and he dived into his chair.

While Tim was planning for this unexpected trip in his mind the phone rang again and
it was his aunt who told him that she won’t be at home today and so he doesn’t have
to come today. Tim's back became straighter then ever and he felt happy.

Body Language and Straight Back

What made Tim’s back move back and forth from being straight to being curved as if it
was a yoyo? Just notice your back's position for a few hours and you will discover that
your back is doing the same exactly as what Tim’s back did.

Your back will become straighter when :

You become happy
You become interested in something
Your back will curve and you will slide into your chair when :
You feel down or when your mood swings
You become bored or loose interest in something

Body Language’s Reverse effect

What’s great about body language is that it can be used to change emotions, just as
your emotions affects your gestures your gestures too affect your emotions. Just try to
force yourself to keep your back straight for a while and see if anything happens, you
will discover that not only your mood changed but even your way of thinking changed
too. Don’t wonder, when you were acting like a defeated person you were thinking like
a defeated person and when you stared acting like a happy person you started to
think like happy people.
Watch Your Back

Body Language & Thinking

when you start to evaluate something or to think about it then most probably you will
find yourself taking the gesture shown in the picture below. What's good about this
gesture is that its unique, that is if you saw someone taking this gesture then you can
make sure 100 % that he is currently evaluating someting.

Face Reading introduction(personology)

Your face is the mirror of your personality. Yes, it's true, it's not some kind of magic, it
has always been there, but you are the one who did lack the required knowledge.
Statistical studies showed that there is a strong connection between face features and
personality; you may have noticed that people who look alike tend to behave the
same or at least have some common behavior.

You may have also noticed that all small babies act the same way and that their face
features are almost the same(Curved forehead for creativity, big cheeks for energy,
wide eyes for sensitivity...etc).

How accurate is Face Reading (personology)

When statistical research was made the result was the identification of 68 personality
traits that are related to face features, and the accuracy of the findings was up to 90%.
And so was the development of face reading. Face reading is not something new, it
has been around since the ancients lived, but like all other similar skills which people
become skeptical about before even testing them, face reading is only known to the
few.

Personology Reverse Effect

What's more interesting about face reading is that the personality/face features
relation is believed to be reversible. For example, if you changed your personality your
face features may change too over the years. you may have noticed that After years
of marriage, married couples start to look alike, this happens because their
personalities come closer and so heir face features follows.

Note: In the face reading section i didn’t only talk about personology but I have also
added some of the face reading observations which i believe to be accurate.

2knowmyself is, without doubt, the only complete source for face reading information
on the entire internet. If you dare to challenge this statement, then check the
2knowmyself’s Face reading section and you will discover it yourself.
How To Read Body Language - Top 10 Tips
By Neal Hendes

Interested in learning how to read body language? Would you like to be able to tell
when people are lying and understand people's intentions? This article will provide you
with the top 10 tips for reading body language.

I feel Body Language is the most important language you can learn. It bypasses the
verbal communication barriers and gives you an insight into what others might be
thinking, or what actions they are likely to take.

Remember that the art of being able to read body language is to be able to look at some
one, pick up the signals, and at the same time not let on to that person you are doing
this. If you do the person will become uncomfortable.

Tip 1. - Eyes

Dilated pupils - the person is interested in the topic.

People say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. They can tell so much
information about the person if you know what you are looking for. As in most
situations, the same signal can be interpreted in a different way. It depends entirely on
the circumstances at hand. The example above could also mean that the person is on
drugs, or it could mean that they are focused.

Tip 2. - Hands

Open palm.- the person is relaxed and comfortable.

The hands have many expressions and are a good place to start when learning how to
read body language. Generally when some ones hands are open it means that their
defenses are relaxed.

Tip 3 - Mimicking

When you are talking to someone, if they are mimicking your body position and action
it means that they are comfortable in the situation and most likely interested by you
and what you are saying.

Tip 4 - Eyes

If someone's eyes are gazing to the side it is a trait that they are feeling guilty.
Likewise if they are gazing down this express's shame. Remember the eyes have so
many meanings and it's easy to make the wrong evaluation. Practice makes perfect.

Tip 5 - Arms
The main two expressions with arms is that they are either closed (folded) or open.
When folded the person is possibly angry or disapproving. When their arms are open
the person is in an honest position and is accepting of the situation.

Tip 6 - Rubbing of the Chin

If someone is rubbing their chin it generally means that they are thinking.

Tip 7 - Feet

When you are in conversation with someone you can tell if they are comfortable and
interested by what you are saying by their feet position. When standing opposite one
another the other persons feet are facing in your direction. This means that they are
comfortable and their head and eyes will also be focused on you.

When standing opposite someone their feet are pointing away and their head and eyes
are not focused on you. They will most likely be nodding and agreeing with a fake
smile. This means that the person n question is not interested and might even feel
uncomfortable in the situation.

Tip 8 - Legs

When stood up Legs are a good indicator of how confident someone is. If someone is
standing with their legs shoulder width apart they are relaxed. If they are standing with
a stance wider than that they are a confident and are in a grounded position to show
they are in control.

When stood up with legs crossed the person is probably shy.

When sitting down if the legs are crossed it shows the person is in protective mode.
This is very much used alongside crossed arm action.

If the legs are open when the person is seated then they are in a relaxed position. The
same as when standing.

Tip 9 - Fingers

Fingers can create many gestures and are great for reading body language. A pointing
finger can either be someone pointing to a item or place, it can also indicate anger. If
someone is curling their fingers tightly they are usually pleading for some thing.

Drumming or tapping with the fingers indicates frustration. The faster the beating, the
greater the frustration and tension inside the person.

Tip 10 - Eyebrows

The eyebrows have many uses. Listed below are some examples. When the eye brows
are raised, normally the person is shocked or surprised. The greater the surprise the
 more raised they will be. When someone flicks their eye brow up and down quickly
they are greeting someone else or are showing they have acknowledged them.

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to read body language tips. Remember reading
body language is not a skill that can be learned over night. The more you practice the
easier it will become and the more subtle you will be able to do it.

Neal Hendes has a passion for body language. He loves to encourage people to become
more developed in reading body language and has an online blog How To Read Body
Language which you can visit to find out more information on the subject.

LEARNING BODY LANGAUAGE

Understanding body language is a skill that can enhance your life. You can know what a person
thinks and feels by examining their subconscious body language. This article will help hone this
social advantage you can gain over people in your life.

Steps

1. Gauge the distance. The closer that someone is to you, the warmer their opinions are of
you. The farther away that someone is, the less they care.

2. Watch their head position.

Overly tilted heads are a potential sign of sympathy. Alternatively the person is trying to
convince you of their honesty.
o Lowered heads indicate a reason to hide something. Take note if someone lowers their
head. If it is when he is complimented, he may be shy, ashamed, timid, keeping distance
from the other person, in disbelief, or thinking to himself. If it is after an explanation, then he
may be unsure if what he said was correct.
o Cocked heads mean that they are confused or challenging you, depending on eye,
eyebrow, and mouth gestures.
3. Look into their eyes.
o Liars will consecutively look at you and look away a number of times. You can actually
learn specifically how to observe behavior to judge whether someone's lying.
o People who look away while supposedly listening to you are thinking about something else.
This is why when you are talking to a group of people, if an item in conversation strikes the
one looking away, they will ask for you to repeat the story.
o Auditory learners may look from side-to-side and repeat phrases in an effort to retain
information.
4. See if they're mirroring you. Mirroring is another common gesture. If someone mirrors, or
mimics your appearance, this is a very genuine sign that they are interested in you.
5. Check their arms.

o People with crossed arms are closing themselves to social influence. The worst thing that
you can do to people with crossed arms is to challenge them in one way or another, no
 matter how they react. This annoys them. Though some people just cross their arms as a
habit, they're (slightly) reserved, or they're just trying to hide something on their shirt.
o If someone rests their arms behind their neck, they are open to what is being discussed
and interested in listening more. They may be waiting to state their opinion on the matter.
o Look at the location of their hands. If their hands are in their pockets, then they are more
relaxed and are more likely to be attracted to you.
6. Be aware of nervous gestures:
o If someone brushes their hair back with their fingers, their thoughts about something
conflict with yours. They might not voice this. If you see raised eyebrows during this time,
you can be pretty sure that they disagree with you.
o If the person wears glasses, and is constantly pushing them up onto their nose again, with
a slight frown, that may also indicate they disagree with what you are saying. Look to make
sure they push up their glasses with an intent, not casually adjusting them. Look for
pushing on the rim with two fingers, or an extra motion of wiggling the side of their glasses.
The frown or raised eyebrows should tip you off.
o If they are playing or fiddling with their hair (a girl may twirl a lock of her tresses around a
finger), they are feeling self-conscious and possibly uncomfortable.
o If someone is biting their lip, they are anticipating something.
o Lowered eyebrows and squinted eyes illustrate an attempt at understanding what is being
said or going on. It's usually skeptical. (Or maybe they have a problem seeing things eg.
short sightedness, agstimatism...)

Tips

 It's easy to spot a confident person, they will make prolonged eye contact and have a strong
posture.

 If people laugh excessively, it may be dishonest, or they just might be very naturally jovial, or
just happy. Use your best judgement.
 Don't isolate yourself by constantly examining body language when interacting with people
otherwise there is no reason to gain a social upper hand anyway. This is paralysis by analysis.

Warnings

 Unfortunately, there are always exceptions. Some people's body languages are not a
representation of how they feel. This is where your instincts must decide.

 There are wide cultural differences, so body language will differ in other countries.