|
|
Decoding & Interpreting Body Language
by Kevin Hogan
Reading, decoding and interpreting
body language is art and science! Every action or micro-action
takes place within a context and in reaction to other
actions that go on around the individual. Body language
has meaning that few understand and most mis-interpret.
This free article will show you some of the basic and
advanced techniques used to interpret body language!
Flirting and sexual body language is something you can
quickly spot in a woman's body language as well as a
man's in both business and personal context. Body language
revealing lying is easily identified in both business
and personal context. Nonverbal communication is the
least understood and most important facet of communication.
The course from which this article is adapted, will
take you through step by step so you will understand
body language quickly and accurately.
Whether
you want to learn the body language of love, dating
or closing the deal, welcome. The analysis I'm going
to give you as part of this article includes both
"liking" and deception judgments. It is fairly complex
to analyze human behavior in snapshots in time. I
made judgments on the relationships of these couples
(seen below) based solely upon these photographs and
the apparent context in which they were taken.
In
this article my goal for you is to become aware of
a few of the subtle nuances that you are going to
begin picking up from now on. Instead of telling you
each little nuance in a boring, clinical way, I'm
going to let you have some fun and invest just a few
minutes into being a body language expert with me.
In the course, (which I designed equally with business
and personal relationships in mind) I will go into
much greater detail, but if you look closely you will
learn a great deal today about the nuances of nonverbal
communication.
The
question I was asked to answer about these specific
body language pictures was, "Who is the boss." "Who
rules the family, and are they likely to stay together?"
Let's take a look and see... |
| |
|
Photo
1 - Arnold Schwarzanegger and Maria Shriver.
Arnold has a straight back, thumb up, and focus on someone
in the audience. He is engaged with both his wife and
fan at the same time. His smile, however, is not his
normal limbic smile. It's forced as you can see by the
lines between chin and cheekbone. He is in control of
the setting but he is pushing his smile. Maria
Shriver (wife) is also engaged with someone else while
completely happily in love and comfortable with her
husband. That smile is a genuine limbic smile and
she couldn't be happier with whatever the setting
is and her husband. The hand to the heart is a sign
that she adores this man when the smile is in place
as it is. Her body posture is leaning toward Arnold
and it would be tough to do otherwise as it appears
that Arnold's left hand is making sure that she is
leaning into him. Nevertheless it is natural and she
is brilliantly happy.
These
are two people, very much in love who have a different
agenda for the day. The mix of business and pleasure
is obvious from the body language point of view. Both
are going well. She appreciates the crowd more than
Arnold and she appreciates Arnold, at this moment
more than he does her.
What
can you learn? Go back to Maria's smile. See those
two lines that go back to her ears? When the smile
is genuine (with the vast majority of people), you
see those lines go back to people's ears and you see
two or more. The more the better.
This
couple is happy and nothing is likely to get in their
way. |
|
| |
|
|
Photo
2 - Chelsea Clinton and Boyfriend.
This is a very interesting picture of the former President's
daughter. Again, a snapshot in time. First the boyfriend.
Notice where his hands are. They aren't up in the air,
they are "holding the ceiling up." Generally when a
man does this kind of "Samson" gesture (holding/pushing
the pillars) you can read it as an intentional show
of strength (which usually actually means quite the
opposite!) Next look at his eyes. They are looking right
down at his....correct. What he is seeing is anybody's
guess but his facial expression indicates he is pleased
with it... Chelsea
is close to this young man...but not as close as you
might suspect given the depth perspective of the photo.
Her eyes do NOT attend to her boyfriend but something/someone
else off to the side. She also (in this snapshot in
time) does not actually touch her boyfriend and that
is interesting.
She
appears happy and yet uncomfortable with the setting.
A bit shy for this really now outgoing girl. Perhaps
because of the camera in her face? You can't tell
but the overall chemistry plays out like this. Samson
and a distant Delilah. There is no talking going on
between the bodies and although it appears they have
fun together on some levels, this looks short-term
from this moment in time forward. A full body shot
would have added a great deal to the context. Her
smile is genuine. Notice the lines... |
| |
|
Photo
3 - Liz Hurley and boyfriend.
Look at the power Liz Hurley has here. Start with her
body position. She is holding him like a man holds a
woman. Her right hand cupped tight against his right
side. Very masculine. In charge. Her smile is irrelevant.
It is only for the audience. There is no sign of anything
in the smile that leads you to believe she likes what
she is looking at. It is a prefrontal cortex smile.
A smooth face with a smile is a sign of polite boredom.
Notice where Hurley chooses to put her hand for the
photo? Not like Maria Shriver with Arnold right? Correct.
Her hand goes to her hip and unconsciously gives the
feelings she has deep inside for this man away. I suspect
they enjoy their intimacy and little else. Looking
at the boyfriend you see no happiness, not even contentment.
Why is he here? I don't know. Whatever the context,
it doesn't matter. The affection he shows for her
is miniscule and forced.
These two have a short
life expectancy together based upon only this snapshot
in time. |
|
| |
|
|
Photo
4 - Nicky Hilton and Boyfriend.
This is a great photo and you don't need me to analyze
it all that much for you so I'll let you do this. What
is his body posture compared to hers? Is her affection
level comparable to his? Do they appear to share the
same level of desired connection? Compare facial expressions.
Which one appears adoring and admiring? Right
on all accounts. Notice that she gives her cigarette
in the right hand far more physical attention than
he does from her. She is sitting in the shade but
her face squints as if she's in the sun. This is usually
a sign of dislike or annoyance. Difficult to tell
without another snapshot in time.
Notice
his right leg that he has positioned right into her
legs. She has given nothing back. This poor man will
be with another woman very soon. |
| |
|
Photo
5 - Tom Arnold and woman.
Does this photo remind you of Nicky Hilton's and to
a lesser extent Liz Hurly's? It should. Tom
Arnold is being held on a string here. He might actually
be married to this woman now, I believe this is the
case. Let's look at affection. You work this out with
me:
- Does her face indicate
she is appreciating Tom's affection?
- Does her face seem
to want to look toward Tom?
- Does she appear to
be grabbing Tom tightly and pulling her close to
him?
- Does she give more
attention to the handbag at the end of the arm which
appears to have a dead weight attached to it than
Tom?
The affectionate touch
to the stomach like Maria did is nowhere to be found.
Tom clearly is very fond of this lass. Her smile is
a combination of the prefrontal and limbic. Only one
line usually means that there is some "truth" in the
smile but not joy or happiness. The young ladies rear
end is far too far back there for her to be feeling
intimate toward Tom who appears that he could ignore
his outdoor surroundings at any moment and ....well
yes. |
|
| |
|
Now,
there is much more that you can glean from each photograph.
I'm going to reveal to you how to determine whether
everyone you meet likes you or not. I'm going to show
you how to read with precision whether they are leaning
"yes" or "no." Like any skill, it simply take a little
time investment to learn. The payoff? Enormous. Being
able to control every situation you are in.
I'm
going to let you participate in the course where we
have about 100 candid photos of celebrities in different
settings. Working with celebrity photos is the best
way to learn because these are people who are taught
to control their emotions and feelings. But just like
what you have already learned to see, the little nuances
like the cigarette in Nicky's hand, the handbag in
Tom's girlfriend's hand. They tell quite a story.
The story that the unconscious is revealing, but the
conscious mind is not.
Read
Body Language Like an Expert! Learn How
|
|
|
