Body Language of Thumb Hiding
Cue: Thumb Hiding.
Synonym(s): Hiding The Thumb, Tucking The Thumb In.
Description: Placing the thumb of the same hand inside the clasped fingers, or placing only the thumbs in a pants pocket with the remainder out, are two ways thumbs can be hidden.
In One Sentence: Thumb hiding indicates insecurity.
How To Use it: Hiding the thumbs is a negative cue and is associated with negative feelings so should generally be avoided. That being said, it is rarely noticed by others so if you feel more comfortable putting your hands (and thumbs) in your pockets, feel free to do so. One should generally avoid this, however, in front of large audiences as the cue is seen as indicating insecurity.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m insecure, timid, or feel social discomfort so I’m hiding my thumbs from view.”
Variant: See Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture.
Cue In Action: a) His mom re-introduced her friend’s daughter – a cute girl. Her son blushed, stuffed his thumbs into his back pocket, put his head down. They were childhood friends, but she had grown up. b) He balled up his fist and tucked his thumb inside his palm when he heard that he’d have to redo the entire presentation. c) The teenage boy thought he was cool, but his thumbs were tucked in his pockets with the rest of his hand hanging out revealing his hidden insecurity.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Hidden thumbs can be found when people are timid and insecure. The polar opposite to the thumb display is the hidden thumb. This posture says “I’m unsure of myself” and denotes low confidence and low status.
Cue Cluster: Watch for submissive cues such as shoulders rolled inward, head lowered or bowed, feet together or crossed at the ankles and eyes averted.
Body Language Category: Body size reduction, Closed body language, Emotional body language, Low confidence body language, Low confidence hand displays, Negative body language, Protective reflexes, Submissive body language.
Resources:
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