The Dictionary of Body Language A Field Guide to Human Behavior by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub

The Arms

Our arms not only protect us, balance us, and help us carry things, they also

communicate extremely well. From our self-hugs when we are stressed, to

the raised arms of a person who just came in first place, to the outward reach

of a child seeking a loving hug, our arms are continually assisting us,

warming us, attending to others for us, and communicating our needs as well

as how we feel—far more than we realize.

232. HUGGING —Hugging, in all its forms, is universally indicative of

closeness, good feelings, warmth, and cooperation. While in some

cultures a brief social hug, an abrazo (in Latin America), can serve as a

greeting gesture similar to shaking hands, how it is performed can

indicate how the participants feel about each other. Consider American

athletes and movie stars giving each other bro hugs. As an observer, I

always note the hug and the facial expressions to give me a reliable

sense of how two individuals really feel about each other.

233. ANIMATED GESTURES —Animated gestures reflect our emotions and also

get us noticed. Broad gestures are powerful displays when we’re

speaking and are essential to dynamic communication. In many cultures,

emphasis requires exaggerated gestures. To an outsider, people making

such gestures might look like they’re about to fight when in fact they are

just being emphatic.

234. GESTURING WHILE SPEAKING —I often get the question “Why do we

gesticulate?” Gestures are considered an integral part of communication.

Gestures help us to get and maintain attention as well as to highlight

important points. Gestures even help the person speaking by facilitating

greater flexibility in speaking and even with the recall of words.

Gestures affect how our message is received and how much of it other

people remember. When gestures echo the message, the message is

potentiated. We want to be seen gesturing as we speak. If you look at

successful TED Talks, you will notice that gestures are an essential

element utilized by the best speakers.

235. ARMS AGAINST BODY, HANDS FLEXED —This is often referred to as

restrained elation. When people are pleased with themselves but are

trying not to show it, they might hold their arms against their body and

then lift their hands at the wrist so the wrist is almost at a ninety-degree

angle, with the palms facing down. This can also take place when people

are trying to control their excitement and don’t want to be noticed. The

behavior may be accompanied by a rise in the shoulders and of course

facial displays of joy.

236. ELATION/TRIUMPH DISPLAYS —Displays of elation or triumph tend to be

gravity-defying—in other words, the gesture is made upward or outward

away from the body. Sometimes we actually jump out of our seats into

the air with our arms and fingers extended. Positive emotions drive

gravity-defying gestures, and so around the world triumph displays at

sporting events tend to be similar: arms up in the air.

237. ARMS HELD BEHIND BACK —The regal stance is performed by placing the

arms and hands behind the back. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and

other British royals often walk this way when they want others to remain

at a distance. For the rest of us, too, it signals to others to give us space.

It

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.