Body Language of Palm Down Displays or Palm Power
Cue: Palm Down Displays
Synonym(s): Palm Power, Palm Down On Desk, Fingertips Spread Palm Down On A Desk, Hands On Desk Or Table, Downward Facing Palm, Planted Fingertips.
Description: Hands are palm down, sometimes on a table, while speaking on a topic or issue.
In One Sentence: Palm down is a signal of authority.
How To Use it: Palms have very powerful powers. To wield them, simply display them palm down rather than palm up. Use the palms down on a desk while leaning the body forward. This shows other people that you are to be taken seriously. Use the palm-on-desk-lean-forward posture in negotiations or when trying to intimate such as in an interrogation. Placing the palms up and then down as a gesticulation against the top of the table is a way to showcase authority and the certainty of your held opinions.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: a) “My palms are down with authority, there is no room for discussion here – just do as I say.” b) “What I say goes. I’m putting my palms down on the issue.”
Variant: See Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture.
Cue In Action: a) The boss stood up, put his hands palm down on the boardroom desk, leaned in, and spoke slowly and deliberately. It was a message no one misunderstood for weakness, but rather high authority and dominance. b) To quiet the room, the speaker waved his hands at chest height, fingers slightly separated. He moved up and down to calm the audience as he prepared to speak.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Palms-up, palms-down and palms even all represent different things, from authority to submission.
The rule of thumb is that palms down “tell”, while palms up, “offer.”
Palm down shows dominance or superiority, palm up shows submissiveness and palm even equality. Palm down displays show emphatically that a position is held confidently.
When used with fingers closed, a palm down display is high authority – think of the Nazi salute.
Cue Cluster: Dominant cues are linked to palm down displays. Watch for palm down with fingertips spread to be accompanied by the body leaning in, head on, loud voice and slow dominant speech. Palm down is coupled with a loud, deep voice, arms spread apart, legs open or in the figure four, leaning back and showing confidence or leaning in with passion.
Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, Closed body language, Dominant body language, High confidence body language, Palm power, Power play.
Resources:
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