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Understanding Body Language Signals

Body language can reveal much about a person and their background. Sherlock Holmes was able to determine a person's occupation based on details of their appearance including nails, sleeves, boots, knees, and hands. Specific gestures also communicate meanings universally. When people want to appear open, they will hold their palms outward. The direction of the palm also carries significance - upward palms appear non-threatening while downward palms project authority. Smiles and laughter can have social and health benefits by building connections and reducing stress and illness.

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Silvia Karla
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235 views13 pages

Understanding Body Language Signals

Body language can reveal much about a person and their background. Sherlock Holmes was able to determine a person's occupation based on details of their appearance including nails, sleeves, boots, knees, and hands. Specific gestures also communicate meanings universally. When people want to appear open, they will hold their palms outward. The direction of the palm also carries significance - upward palms appear non-threatening while downward palms project authority. Smiles and laughter can have social and health benefits by building connections and reducing stress and illness.

Uploaded by

Silvia Karla
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Body Language

Body Language
By a man's fingernails, by his coat sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser knees, by the calluses of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuffs, by his movements - by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent enquirer in any case is almost inconceivable. SHERLOCK HOLMES, 1892

Examples
The Shoulder Shrug is also a good example of a universal gesture that is used to show that a person doesn't know or doesn't understand what you are saying.

When people want to be open or honest, they will often hold one or both palms out to the other person and say something like, 'I didn't do it!', 'I'm sorry if I upset you' or 'I'm telling you the truth'. Like most body language signals, this is a completely unconscious gesture, one that gives you an 'intuitive feeling or hunch that the other person is telling the truth.

The palm power


One of the least noticed, but most powerful, body signals is given by the human palm when giving someone directions or commands and in handshaking. When used in a certain way, Palm Power invests its user with the power of silent authority.

Palm up X Palm Down


The palm facing up is used as a submissive, non-threatening gesture, reminiscent of the pleading gesture of a street beggar and, from an evolutionary perspective, shows the person holds no weapons When the palm is turned to face downwards, you will project immediate authority.

The Palm-Closed-Finger-Pointed is used like a symbolic club with which the speaker figuratively beats his listeners into submission.

Smile
A natural smile produces characteristic wrinkles around the eyes insincere people smile only with their mouth.

Laugh
Studies show that women laugh at men they're attracted to, and men are attracted to women who laugh at them. From a man's perspective, saying that a woman has a good sense of humour doesn't mean she tells jokes; it means she laughs at his jokes.

When you smile at another person they will almost always return the smile, which causes positive feelings in both you and them, because of cause and effect. () Evidence shows conclusively that smiles and laughter build the immune system, defend the body against illness , medicate the body, sell ideas, teach better, attract more friends and extend life. Humor heals. So...

References
The definitive book of body language. How to read others thoughts by their gestures. Alan + Barbara Pease

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