How to Read Body Language
Top 10 Tip
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.