Body Language of Chin Stroking
Cue: Chin Stroking.
Synonym(s): Beard Stroking, Rubbing The Moustache.
Description: Rubbing the chin or beard with the hand.
In One Sentence: Rubbing the chin signifies evaluation and thought process.
How To Use it: When trying to come up with a solution, rubbing the chin can activate the mind to seek creative and profound solutions to problems. During negotiation you might use the chin rub to show that you are contemplating options and weighing the benefits. Rubbing the chin can buy you some time to think as it is universally seen as contemplation gesture.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I am thinking or evaluating and I show this by grooming my chin as my source of wisdom.”
Variant: Often the hand is lightly rested on the thumb and index finger when evaluating and thinking. See Hand Supporting The Chin.
Cue In Action: He couldn’t make up his mind between plain vanilla or cookies and cream. He stroked his chin for some time while contemplating the difficult decision.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Chin stroking is an evaluative gesture which was made popular by movies, television shows and cartoons. The cliché says that the chin scratcher is old, wise and bearded! Beard or chin stroking signifies that the decision making process has begun, but that a conclusion hasn’t yet been reached.
Cue Cluster: Decision making can often be accompanied by other evaluative gestures such as rubbing the head, cheek or temple, head tapping, tapping a pen against the chin. Pacifying such as brushing the arms, rubbing the back of the head and neck may also be observed.
Body Language Category: Auto contact or self touching, Buy signals, Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Pensive displays.
Resources:
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