The Hidden Meaning of Blading Body Language, Body Angling or Ventral Displays
Cue: Blading Body Language, Body Angling or Ventral Displays
Synonym(s): Ventral Displays, Ventral Fronting, Ventral Denial, Ventral Distancing, Body Orientation, Body Angling, Seated Body Pointing, Turning The Body Away From Someone, Turning The Body Toward Someone, Chest Orientation, Facing Away, Facing Toward.
Description: The turning of the body, the shoulders and chest, either toward or away from stimuli.
In One Sentence: Bodies turn toward ideas and people they agree with, and turn away from ideas and people they disagree with.
How To Use it: The application of blading body language is simple in practice. To show or feign agreement simply turn your shoulders toward the speaker. To show or feign disagreement simply turn your shoulders away from the speaker. Feigning either condition can force other people to chase you, despite your general agreement. This can be effective in a dating context as your counterpart will work harder to placate your interests. This can also be effective in negotiations. Simply blade away to show that the offer advanced does not meet your conditions. Your “disinterest” will create an incentive to boost their offer in your favour.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: a) “I like what I’m hearing so my body is angling toward you so we’re facing each other even more” b) “I don’t like what I’m hearing so my body is angling away from you so I can leave.”
Variant: Bodies might be angled or leaned in toward someone that is liked the most rather than for any form of agreement or disagreement.
Cue In Action: a) Jill turned her shoulders toward Bill when he paid her an honest compliment. b) When the much more successful associate, Frank arrived, Jill slowly turned away from Bill to focus her attention on Frank. After turning toward Frank, she made eye contact and began preening herself by fixing her hair. Her interest shifted from Bill to Frank which was obvious to onlookers by her shift in orientation.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Torsos house important vital organs that are responsible for keeping the body alive. Heart, lungs, liver, intestines and so forth are all easily accessible through a thin layer of skin, fat, muscle, ribs and a sternum and exposing our ventral side means that we trust we won’t be attacked and is therefore a signal of openness and liking. Ventral sides are usually oriented toward people we like and away from those we dislike.
Torsos will turn and angle away more and more as an encounter becomes more disagreeable. On the other hand, torsos will angle and turn toward as an encounter becomes more agreeable. When torsos face each other head-on, however, this can indicate direct confrontation or, contrarily, high intimacy (and engagement).
“Blading away” is to “turn the back on someone.” This demonstrates dislike, disagreement and disengagement.
“Blading toward” is to “turn to face someone.” This demonstrates liking, agreement and engagement.
Think of a knife, a “blade” that is turned on an angle so as to slice more or less sharply.
The greater the angle the greater the relative nonverbal meaning.
Cue Cluster: a) Ventral fronting or blading toward can be accompanied by leaning in to increase proximity, removing objects to create a clear view and various agreement indicators such as head nodding, eye contact, and touching. b) Ventral denial can appear with slouching, lean backward, orienting the torso away, or placing objects in front of the body such as clothing or books.
Body Language Category: a) Attentive, Courtship display, Liking, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Intention movements, Orienting reflex or orienting response b) Barriers, Defensive, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicators of sexual disinterest (IOsD), Intention movements, Orienting reflex or orienting response.
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