The Body Language of Body Lowering or Body Shrinking
Cue: Body Lowering
Synonym(s): Body Shrinking, Lowering The Body, Shrinking The Body,
Description: A technique whereby a person takes a lower position relative to another which can include the overall body and posture, the head shrunk into the shoulders, sitting down from a standing position and so forth.
In One Sentence: Body lowering signals a desire to shrink the body’s overall size to appear more submissive.
How To Use it: Use body lowering to signal that one is willing to relinquish dominance to another person. In a dating context, a man might lower himself so that he can match his female partner’s eye level and build intimacy rather than tower over and dominant her. A boss might lower himself to the level of an employee to build trust. A server might crouch down at the edge of the table while taking orders. This can help build trust between him and his patrons giving him a shot at a higher tip. As body lowering also shrinks the size of the overall profile it can reduce punishment by appearing more submissive. It can also allow a person to fly under the radar when avoiding being called on such as in a classroom situation. Use body lowering when you want to build trust, show submission, and hide in plain sight.
Context: a) Social, b) Dating, c) Business
Verbal Translation: a) “I’m lowering my body, cowering, so that you don’t see me as a threat and won’t punish me so severely.” b) “I’m lowering my body so that you don’t see me as a threat and protect me, care for me, or give something to me” c) “I don’t want to be called upon so I’m going to slink down in my chair, head down – I don’t know the answer to this question.”
Variant: See Body Raising, Bow and Body Bend, Sinking In The Chair. The curtsey, bow and body bend are examples of body lowering that shows a willingness to submit to the audience and accept their adulation. Some churches also accept a curtsey went entering a pew.
Cue In Action: a) When pulled over by the cops, Jake shrunk down in his shoulders, propped himself against his car with his legs bent at the knee, head drooping. b) Deborah was beginning to like Jeff and whenever she and he were standing next to him, she shrunk her body and melted into his by placing her head down against his chest.
Meaning and/or Motivation: A technique whereby a person takes on a lower position relative to another. This implies that a person wishes to take on a lesser role by submitting and receive care and authority passively from another (this person is more dominant).
Status and dominance are closely related to the relative height of a person which is why people are naturally seen as needing protection when shorter and conversely, naturally as leaders when they are taller.
Height can be artificially reduced by sitting, standing at the bottom of a staircase, slouching, drooping the head and so forth.
Tall men and women might find their posture suffers because they tend to slink down to fit in with the rest of the crowd rather than standing tall. All techniques indicate the desire to reduce overall size so as not to appear threatening.
Cue Cluster: Body lowering is usually associated with other submissive cues such as head lowered and eye contact avoidance. However, in dating, women may couple eye contact with body lowering so as to take a submissive role to appease and flirt with men.
Body Language Category: Appease, Defensive, Fearful body language, Low confidence body language, Nonthreatening body language, Readiness to submit postures, Submissive body language.
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Stand Up To Increase Feelings Of Closeness – How To Use Body Posture To Influence Perception
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