To interpret the ‘hands behind the back’ body language gesture, you should first look at its context. This is because it is one of those body language gestures that can have different meanings depending on the context and accompanying gestures. In this article, I’ll cover the possible meanings of this gesture, providing examples and accompanying …
Crossing the legs in body language conveys two meanings: 1. Defensiveness Crossing legs, like crossing arms, is a subconscious attempt to protect one’s vital organs. In crossing one’s arms, one tries to protect the vital organs of the upper body, like the heart and lungs. In crossing legs, one tries to cover the genitals. Our …
To furrow one’s eyebrows means to wrinkle them. Someone with furrowed eyebrows has visible lines on their forehead. The furrowing of eyebrows occurs when eyebrows are lowered, brought together, or raised. When eyebrows are in the neutral position, they don’t cause lines on the forehead. Eyebrow movement in humans is a robust social signaling system. …
People blink excessively for a variety of reasons. The biological function of blinking is to lubricate the eyeballs to keep them moist. When our eyes become dry due to irritation, eyestrain, or contact lenses, we blink more. In addition, excessive blinking is caused by some medical conditions and treatments such as: Tourette syndrome Strokes Nervous …
Like every other universal emotion, sadness shows in our body language. People often don’t even have to utter “I’m sad” because they have sadness written all over them. Sadness is easily recognizable in facial expressions and body language. Often, we experience mixed emotions, and this mixedness is reflected in our body language. This can make …
Nonverbal communication includes all aspects of communication minus the words. Whenever you’re not using words, you’re communicating nonverbally. Nonverbal communication is of two types: 1. Vocal Also called paralanguage, the vocal part of nonverbal communication includes the conversational aspects of communication minus the actual words, such as: Voice pitch Voice tone Volume Talking speed Pauses …
Human beings are sensitive to social hierarchies. They want to know their status in their group and the status of their group members. Therefore, when people interact with others, some questions naturally run in their heads, such as: These questions are important because they tell us how we should approach the other person. If they’re …
People display nervous body language when they find themselves in threatening social situations. When a person believes they won’t be able to handle a high-stakes, threatening social situation the way they want to, they get nervous and anxious. When you display signs of nervousness and discomfort, you make others uncomfortable as well. People have this …
When someone gives you a sideways glance, they look at you from the corners of their eyes. Normally, when we have to look at someone, we turn our heads towards them. If we’re really interested in engaging with them, we also turn our bodies towards them. These are direct modes of engagement with the other …
Patting another person’s shoulder is common in social interactions. This body language gesture is highly context-dependent. Who does it and when determines what it means. In this article, we’ll explore all the possible meanings of ‘pat on the shoulder’ body language gesture. After that, we’ll discuss the meaning of a closely related ‘resting hand on …