Category: How to Read Body Language

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Picturing People Nude To Read Their Hidden Emotions!

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Picturing People Nude To Read Their Hidden Emotions!

Christopher Philip

A useful way to appreciate how body language works and to make it appear more logical in our minds is to picture specific body language postures as they would appear if the person were nude. This is especially important since the cues have evolved under these circumstances. For example, take legs crossed versus uncrossed. How would legs spread wide open appear on a woman? How about on a man? What about a person with their legs uncrossed with their hands up behind their head slouched down in a chair? This would most certainly come across as a dominant and an in-your-face kind of posture. Now imagine this very same posture coming from an arrogant boss if he was completely nude with his genitals fully exposed!  What if he played on height differences, for example, by him standing and you sitting while he encroached into your workspace serving to display his genitals just inches away from you?  What kind of message would be sent?

(photo of the “fig leaf” posture)

While our clothing masks some of the offensiveness of these postures, the meaning is still relevant because both the postures and their meaning evolved without clothing.  Picturing people naked can also help when reading timid body language.  For example, imagine the “fig leaf” posture where the hands are cupped together or interlaced and placed over the midsection or genitals so as to cover them from exposure. 
This happens with clothes on, but our minds are hardwired to act as if we are nude and when we feel shame, guilt, timidity or shyness we cover our most vulnerable parts, whereas when we feel confident, happy, and comfortable we fully expose ourselves to the world.  Women can also be seen holding books or articles of clothing that have been removed over their chests to hide their breasts from others, especially creepy men.  The 70’s movie cliché made it nearly universal to expect women to walk around campus this way.

So next time you want to read people you feel are arrogant or timid, imagine how the posture would appear nude.  Are they covering their private areas or are they exposing them?

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Body Language in Motion, How to Read Body Language

Fordham’s Brian Kownacki Leaps The Catcher To Score!

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Fordham’s Brian Kownacki Leaps The Catcher To Score!

(Video courtesy of the Fordham athletic department) WFUV’s Gregg Caserta on the call.)

Watch the video of Fordham’s Brian Kownacki leap the catcher to score in the win against Iona!  Amazing on its own, but what, if any, nonverbal language can we read from the video?  Actually, there’s a lot going on here about dishonest and non committed body language, most notably from the catcher.  You’ve seen the video, but without reviewing it, could you decide if the catcher really did tag the runner?  What does the catcher do to indicate his case?  His case, by the way, is made from the moment he motions to tag.  After leaping, the catcher quickly turns around and tries to track the runner down.  Why would he do this?  Obviously, it is because he knows he hasn’t made the tag and goes for a second try.

The second obvious clue to his failed case is that he uses an uncommitted upward motion to indicate how he tagged the runner.  He pulls his arms upward in a lax way, as if he’s not really trying.  He puts no emphasis in his motion, his arms are loose and non-committed, and instead of emphasizing his tag over and over again and defy gravity with exuberance as an honest person would, his arms seem to form an arching or rainbow motion and come back down.  This is typical of someone who is lying.  They simply fail to commit to their case.  The coach does his job well though by coming out arms flailing all over the place gesturing with enthusiasm.  What separates the coach and the player is very obvious, the catcher knows he hasn’t made the tag, the coach doesn’t.  What does the catcher do next?  He quietly exits to the dug-out because he knows he didn’t make the tag!  His exit is another example of a lack of commitment.  Honest people gesture over and over again, commit to their case, and take the time to correct misinterpretations no matter how long it takes.

The text and images are provided to you by www.BodyLanguageProject.com and are not to be reprinted or posted without prior written consent by the author. We take our copyright seriously. If you would like to use or reprint any material on this site, please contact us with your information including the website you intend to use it on, along with all pertinent details. In most cases, we will be more than happy to oblige!