BODY LANGUAGE
16 Essential Body Language Examples and Their Meanings
Body language is the science of nonverbal signals. I’ve studied body language for over 10 years—
here are my top 16 body language cues you can use today.
By Vanessa Van Edwards
This article is part of our body language guide. Click here for more.
Did you know that we can only spot lies with 54% accuracy?
Did you know there are over 20 muscles in the face that make up over 10,000 facial expressions?
Learning to decode body language is powerful and one of the most important nonverbal
communication skills.
This guide is your key to reading people AND having confident body language.
In this article, we’re going to cover the essential must-knows to mastering your body language skills:
What is body language?
How to make yourself look approachable and relaxed during conversations.
10 negative cues to avoid (that you might be using regularly!).
The 11 types of body language you’ll encounter.
Before we dive in, be sure to take our body language quiz here to find out how good you are at
reading body language!
Can You Read Body Language? (Quiz)
How good are your body language skills? Take our free body language quiz to find out!
TAKE THE BODY LANGUAGE QUIZ
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What is Body Language?
Body Language Definition
Body language is the science of nonverbal signals such as gestures, facial expressions, and eye gaze
that communicate a person’s emotions and intentions. In total, there are 11 types of body language
that we use to communicate. Unlike words, body language is often done subconsciously and
constitutes a large part of our communication.
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Why is Body Language So Important?
What if I told you there’s a way to get almost anything you want? Things like…
secretly knowing what someone’s thinking
getting a raise without working any harder
having your date never forget you and wanting more
People who are good at reading body language typically excel in their careers, have great
relationships, and get “freebies” in life.
But if you’re not good at body language, don’t fret!
Body language is a skill ANYONE can learn.
If you want to learn more about the importance of body language, I recommend checking out my
article here:
5 Powerful Reasons Why Body Language is Important
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What Are Some Body Language Examples?
Body language can be broken down into 2 major categories—positive or open body language, and
negative or closed body language.
And just like how they sound, these 2 broad categories of cues signal just how open (or closed)
someone is from their external environment. Whether at a networking event talking to a random
stranger you’ve just met, giving a presentation or speech, or on a first date, knowing how to read
these cues is key to knowing how receptive others are to you or the situation.
Reading body language is as close to mind reading as we can get.
Open Body Language Examples
THE EYEBROW FLASH
Description: When someone does an eyebrow flash, you’ll typically see their eyebrows raise slightly
for less than ⅕ of a second.
What it Means: The eyebrow raise is a great sign of interest. People tend to use the eyebrow flash in
3 main ways:
The eyebrow flash can show intersest professionally, as when giving approval, agreeing to
something, thanking someone, or seeking confirmation. It’s used as a nonverbal “yes” during
conversation.
The eyebrow flash can also show interest romantically.
Or the eyebrow flash can show interest socially, as when 2 people recognize each other. It signals to
the other person that you are happy to see them.
Whenever we use the eyebrow flash, we call attention to our face. Teachers and speakers often use
it as a way to say, “Listen to this!” Or “Look at me!”
Interestingly, some cultures like the Japanese find this cue indecent and avoid it3.
The Science: According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, the eyebrow flash is a
universally recognized form of greeting and can be found all over the world, suggesting that this
gesture is common among all cultures.
Yes, this gesture is even used by monkeys and apes1 .
Mmm, tasty!
How to Use it: There are so many ways to use the eyebrow flash. Here are a few:
To Show Liking: When you see someone you like or who you want to like you, give them a quick
eyebrow flash followed by a warm smile.
To Increase Engagement: If you want someone to listen to something you are about to say, raise
your eyebrows right before you deliver.
To Show Interest: Are you curious? Your eyebrows are the best way to show it!
THE EQUAL HANDSHAKE
Have you ever had a cold, clammy handshake?
Or an overly dominant handshake?
Or even… a really awkward one?
Yuck! These handshakes are NOT great for building mutual rapport. Enter: the equal handshake.
Description: An equal handshake has these 7 elements:
good eye contact
a warm, genuine smile
an extended arm with a slight bend at the elbow
fingers pointing downward while approaching the other person’s hand
this one’s the big one—EQUAL pressure during the hand clasp
slight forward lean toward the other person
a slow release after 1–2 seconds
What it Means: This handshake is a breath of fresh air and signals mutual respect for both parties.
An equal handshake signals confidence, openness, and power during an interaction and leaves both
interactants feeling warm and fuzzy inside.
How to Use it: Before shaking hands, consider the context. Salespeople learned early on that an
uninvited or surprise handshake from nowhere was damaging to their sales—the buyer obviously
didn’t welcome them, and they felt forced to shake hands.
Handshakes also aren’t universal—some cultures, like Japan, commonly bow as a greeting, and other
cultures, like Italy or Spain, give a kiss on the cheek.
A good rule of thumb is to only shake hands when you know the other person will warmly
reciprocate it. Otherwise, a head nod is a good option—or wait for the other person to initiate first.
On another important note, older people require less pressure, so avoid crushing their hand with
your firm grip. When shaking hands with a higher-status individual, allow them to set the length and
pressure of the handshake first, and follow up with an equal exchange for maximum bonding.
AUTHENTIC MIRRORING
Description: Displaying similar body language to other interactants during a social situation.
What it Means: Mirroring is a highly rapport-building cue that signals a desire to connect with
someone else. People tend to mirror only those they like, and seeing someone else mirror our own
body language creates a feeling of similarity and likeness.
The Science: Mirroring is powerful. Studies have shown that mirroring leads to:
Greater compliance from requests. So mirror if you want to persuade someone.
Higher sales numbers. So be sure to mirror if you are in sales.
Positive evaluations. So mirror your manager to build rapport.
Even larger tips from customers!
Mirroring others is literally hardwired into our brains. Professor Joseph Heinrich from the University
of Michigan explains that mirroring others helps us cooperate—which leads to more food, better
health, and economic growth for communities.
How to Use it: Make sure to mirror subtly. If someone nods their head vigorously in agreement, and
you do the same, you may come off as too obvious—this can even lead to suspicion or decreased
rapport.
Best friends often mirror without even realizing it!
You can also avoid mirroring someone entirely if you’re disinterested in them or want to create
boundaries.
If the other person is displaying negative body language cues, try displaying open positive language
cues yourself to get them to open up, instead of copying their closed gestures.
MUTUAL GAZING
Type: Interest
Description: Eye contact that is mutual—neither lacking eye contact or being a little… err, too
interested.
What it Means: Longer eye contact, especially from people who are high-status, makes us feel
favored. This is especially true when receiving eye contact from celebrities or movie stars2.
Increased eye contact also indicates the other person may be curious, as when people are more
attentive to their surroundings, their blink rate will generally decrease3.
Warning:
Do not make 100% eye contact! That is actually a territorial signal and shows aggression. People
often do it before a fight:
You want to do mutual gazing. Eye contact when you agree, when you are listening, when you are
exchanging ideas, or when staring at your amazing self in the mirror:
The Science: Making eye contact just 30% of the time has been shown to significantly increase what
people remember you say.
You can also give a boost to your perceived persuasiveness, truthfulness, sincerity, and credibility
just by mutual eye gazing3.
Interestingly, certain personality traits were found to relate to more mutual gazing—namely,
extroversion, agreeableness, and openness3.
How to Use it: Increase your eye gaze to bond. However, make sure to glance away occasionally,
since too much eye contact can be seen as threatening and make people feel uncomfortable.
Pop Quiz: Real vs. Fake
Take a look at the photo below. Can you tell if this is a real or fake smile?
Click to Reveal Answer
DUCHENNE SMILE
Description: The Duchenne smile is a smile characterized by the “crow’s feet” wrinkles around the
corners of the eyes along with upturned corners of the mouth. This is a real smile.
What it Means: When you see a Duchenne smile, this likely indicates genuine happiness.
It is difficult, but not impossible, to fake a real smile. In most cases, we smile dozens of times in
normal conversation, but many of these smiles are given out of politeness or formality.
The Science: Research shows that babies several weeks old will already use the Duchenne smile for
their mothers only, while using a more polite, social smile for others2.
People also tend to smile more with others than when alone—in fact, when we see a smiling face,
endorphins are released into our system1.
Studies show that athletes will smile noticeably differently, whether they finish in first, second, or
third place. This distinction was the same even in congenitally blind athletes who never even saw a
smile before1.
How to Use it: When smiling, remember to “smile with your eyes,” instead of just your mouth. It also
helps to smile widely enough to bring the cheeks up, helping activate the muscles around your eyes.
Remember to maintain the smile even after an encounter—in fake happiness encounters, you may
often see an “on-off” smile that flashes and then vanishes quickly after 2 people go their separate
ways4.
Example: In this example, George W. Bush flashes a childish Duchenne smile (“Oops, I got caught!”)
when he tries to open a door, but fails:
THE HEAD TILT
Description: The head tilts to one side, exposing the neck.
What it Means: A head tilt is a sign of openness. Your neck is one of your most vulnerable areas.
Neck skin is much thinner and requires protection. And exposing your neck and throat opens you up.
When someone tilts their head, they are showing that they’re comfortable enough to let their neck
be exposed. You can often see the head tilt (especially from women) when others are attracted to
someone, although this can also be used to indicate platonic interest.
It can also show that someone is curious about what you’re saying, especially if you get the head tilt
and head nod cluster:
The Science: Studies of paintings from the last 2,000 years show that women are depicted 3 times as
often as men using the head tilt1. Today, you can also see women tilting their heads 3 times more
than men in modern advertising:
How to Use it: Since this is a very powerful disarming behavior, you can tilt the head to the side,
along with other open body language cues, to ease a tense situation or get someone to open up.
The head tilt is a very warm cue—it softens you. You want to be careful not to use it too much during
sales pitches or meetings.
Example: In The Bachelor, you can often see the head tilt during romantic encounters. Watch this
scene as Cassie tilts her head during their first date before she sleeps with Colton (timestamp 2:46):
SHARED LAUGHTER
Description: Simultaneous laughter shared between individuals in response to a joke or funny
observation.
What it Means: When you crack a joke and the other person shares a laugh with you, this is a good
sign that they are open to connecting with you. Laughter is meant to establish potential relationships
or maintain existing ones, especially if the joke wasn’t particularly funny.
Laughter is also an indication that someone is relaxed, since stiff and nervous people usually do not
laugh genuinely, or instead give a tense laugh if they are in a nervous situation.
The Science: Neurologist Henri Rubenstein found that just one minute of laughter provides up to 45
minutes of subsequent relaxation1! The relaxation boost you get certainly justifies watching your
favorite comedians on TV. And you know who’s great at laughing? Will Smith. In this funny “insult”
episode of Will Smith vs. Margot Robbie, Will’s laughter is so contagious that his laughter even
makes others laugh!
As we age, we usually laugh less. Adults laugh an average of only 15 times per day, while
preschoolers laugh 400 times daily1.
A great way to boost your laughter is to get more social! Robert Provine found that laughter is more
than 30x more likely to occur in social situations rather than when alone. In his study, participants
were videotaped watching a funny video clip in 3 different situations:
alone,
with a same-sex stranger, and
with a same-sex friend.
Those who watched alone had significantly less laughter than when watching with a stranger or
friend.
How to Use it: Try incorporating humor into your conversations, such as giving the opposite answer
to a yes/no question.
Example: If people are expecting you to say yes, say no; if people are expecting you to say no, say yes
instead. It’s simple but effective.
This is Jennifer Lawrence’s go-to strategy.
The World’s Funniest Joke
In 2001, Richard Wiseman set out to find the world’s funniest joke. In his experiment, Wiseman set
up a website named LaughLab, in which users could input their favorite joke, and participants could
rate them.
By the end of the project, which garnered 40,000 jokes and had over 350,000 participants from 70
countries, one joke was found to stand out above the rest:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing,
and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He
gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s
make sure he’s dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK,
now what?”
OPEN PALMS
Type: Gesture
Description: When using hand gestures, make sure you display your palms and don’t hide them from
others. Pockets, hands behind back, and closed fists can all act as barriers against open palms.
What it Means: People who display open palms are seen as honest and sincere:
And have you ever been in a situation where you met someone, and they seem nice, but something
inside you felt a bit… off? It might have been that their palms weren’t showing.
Evolutionarily, when we see closed palms, our brains receive signals that we might be in danger—
after all, they could be brandishing a weapon or hiding something even more dangerous…
How to Use it: When gesturing with your hands, make sure your hands are open most of the time
and people can see your open palms. It is also a good idea to keep the palms facing upward most of
the time, rather than downward.
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Closed Body Language Examples
CROSSED ANKLES
Description: The feet are crossed, and one ankle lies on top of the other. This can be done whether
sitting or standing—or even with the feet on the table.
What it Means: A person crossing their ankles might feel uncomfortable and closed-off, although
there is an exception (I’ll talk about that below). The tighter their ankles are locked, the more anxiety
or stress the person may be experiencing.
Women often sit with their ankles locked2, especially if they are wearing a skirt. However, it is
unnatural to sit like this for a prolonged period of time and should be considered strange, especially
if done by males.
When taken a step further, people may lock their feet around the legs of a chair under high-stress
situations. I call this the “ejection seat” position, because it’s something many people would do if
they were about to be launched out of their seat:
The big exception to this rule is if you see the ankles crossed while legs are outstretched on the floor.
This can be a relaxed posture with the legs taking up space:
The Science: In a study of 319 dental patients by the Peases1, ankle locking was a common body
language cue done by most patients: 68% of patients getting a checkup locked their ankles, 89% of
patients locked their ankles as soon as they sat in their chair to get some dental work done, and a
whopping 98% of them ankle-locked when they received an injection.
It’s safe to say that these patients felt de-feeted during this situation!
HAND CLASPING
Description: You know that affectionate, tender feeling of holding hands with a significant other?
Well, sometimes we don’t have that option (there’s no shame in that!). In these cases, we might
choose to hold our own hand. Sometimes we interlace our fingers, and other times we hug one hand
on top of the other.
Here’s an interesting fact: every time we interlock our fingers, one thumb is on top, and this is our
dominant thumb4. For most people, it feels super weird if we switch thumbs and put our dominant
one underneath!
What it Means: Interlaced fingers are a form of “self-hug.” Essentially, people who perform this
gesture are comforting themselves with their hands, and it acts as a nostalgic reminder of the
security we felt when holding hands with our parents as kids.
As adults, we do this when we’re insecure—you’ll find this during overly formal events or when
meeting a nervous client at work.
How to Use it: Use this gesture if you want to conclude a meeting or end an interaction with
someone. If you want to appear confident, you can even use this cue but with your thumbs stuck out
—this signals confidence instead of stress.
If you see someone with interlaced fingers and want to open them up, try humor. Once they start
laughing, you’ll see their body language start opening up!
BLADING
Description: Have you ever seen a fencing bout before? These guys are on their feet, constantly
moving back and forth in a game of who-can-stab-the-other-guy-first. It’s basically chess but with
swords.
But the way that fencers use their stance is exactly what people do when closing off. When blading,
the torso is turned away, maximizing reach in case violence occurs, while minimizing damage to the
oh-so-vulnerable frontal parts.
Since up to 90% of people are right-handed, when you see blading, the left foot (which is also non-
dominant in most cases) is usually the one that steps forward, or the right foot may step backward.
What it Means: Blading can commonly be seen right before a fight begins. You can see it before a
bar fight breaks loose, during a boxing match, or if you made a statement your conversation partner
disagrees with.
If you’re talking to a buddy in a front-to-front situation, and you see him blade all of a sudden, he
might be feeling a bit defensive or threatened.
An exception to blading is when both people are observing an event and square up shoulder-to-
shoulder, such as sitting on the couch and watching TV together.
THUMBS HIDDEN
Description: The thumbs are hidden away from view, such as inside pockets or even wrapped around
the other fingers.
What it Means: Usually a display of lower self-confidence, hiding thumbs usually signals concern,
insecurity, or feelings of threat. High-status people have been observed to do this sometimes when
relaxing2 but never when they’re “on.”
Dogs also perform a similar cue by hiding their ears during times of stress. They do this in order to
streamline themselves in case they need to make a mad dash… like if they manage to bite a hole
through your $50 doggy bed while you were out dining with your partner (oddly specific?).
How to Use it: Around close friends and trusted others, it’s totally fine to relax your hands in your
pockets once in a while. But if you want to make the other person feel a bit insecure for whatever
reason, sticking your hands deep in your pockets is a surefire way to do it!
Pop Quiz: Thumbs Out
In the picture below, the person has their hands in their pockets, but their thumbs are sticking out.
What does this likely indicate?
1. confidence
2. nervousness or anxiety
3. anticipation
4. fear
Click to Reveal Answer
NECK RUBBING
Description: When people rub their necks, they’ll usually do it on the side or back of the neck. In
more extreme cases, you’ll see the suprasternal notch, or the part where your neck meets your
clavicle, being touched (usually more in women).
What it Means: People usually rub their neck when feeling insecure or stressed. For some people,
this is their go-to method to relieve stress.
Those who habitually rub the neck also have a tendency to be more negative or critical1 than others.
The Science: When the nerve on the side of the neck called the vagus nerve is massaged,
acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that sends signals to the heart, causes the heart rate to go down.
A Deadly Example:
Warning:
This example contains graphic content.
In the formal interview of a Canadian-born Chinese-Vietnamese woman named Jennifer Pan, she
told detectives that her parents were murdered in her house by 3 unknown thugs.
However, the interview officially turned into an interrogation when the detectives became
suspicious. They noticed her story didn’t line up, and the nonverbal cues she displayed weren’t quite
normal for her situation. It turns out that she actually staged the murder herself, and she was faking
her story the entire time!
One nonverbal cue she consistently displayed that signaled high stress was touching her
suprasternal notch:
CROSSED ARMS
Description: Chances are, you know this one. Practically everyone has crossed their arms at some
point or another.
What it Means: Most people who do this are projecting anger, anxiety, or stress—it’s also known as
the “self-hug”2.
That’s why people will usually cross their arms only in public and not when alone. You’ll see it often
in public, such as in line at the DMV, in doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms, or with first-time air
travelers1.
People who are feeling angry, hostile, or defensive may clench their fists and even combine this
gesture with a tight-lipped smile or clenched teeth1.
The Science: Research on over 1,500 volunteers was conducted by the Peases1 to find out exactly
how the crossed-arms gesture made people feel. The volunteers, asked to attend a series of lectures,
were divided into 2 groups:
One group was asked to keep their legs uncrossed, arms unfolded, and take a relaxed sitting
position.
The second group did the same, except they were asked to cross their arms throughout the lectures.
The result? The second group learned and retained 38% less information than the group with
unfolded arms. They also gave more critical opinions of the lecturers and the lecturer.
How to Disarm it: If you see someone with this gesture, you can break their barrier by giving them
something to hold onto1—a pen, book, coffee, or brochure will work just fine. You can also ask them
to lean forward to look at something to open their arms up.
Example: Right before a tug-of-war competition, most of the men on a tug-of-war team face off
against 4 big Strongman competitors. Their crossed arms are a dead giveaway that they’re feeling
tension from the upcoming struggle:
How Do You Cross
Here’s a simple self-test you can do right now: cross your arms. Now let me take a guess… Did you
cross your left arm over your right one?
Research has found that 7 out of 10 people cross their left arm over their right arm1. This implies
that this gesture might be genetic, with the less dominant left arm protecting the more useful right
one. If you try crossing your arms the other way, you might be surprised that it feels completely
wrong!
And we all cross differently. Take a look at the chart below and see a handful of the quirky ways we
tend to cross our arms!
HUNCHED SHOULDERS
Description: How many times have you heard “shoulders back, head straight!”
Believe it or not, hunched shoulders are becoming even more common nowadays, as you’ll see
people slumped over, looking at their cellphones. Over time, this might even become the norm, as
people develop chronically-hunched shoulders from staring at smartphones and hunched over
laptops all day.
We may all literally end up like the Hunchback of Notre Dame:
All kidding aside, people who are super submissive in social situations, like those with clinical
depression or self-proclaimed “social failures,” may also walk with a permanent stoop, with
shoulders rounded and their neck hunched forward.
Meaning: This is a naturally defensive posture. Forward shoulders may indicate that someone is
trying to hide something or feeling vulnerable, since you are closing off your vulnerable neck and
chest areas.
You’ll also rarely see this in fashion shows and magazines, as it instantly drops your attraction value.
This cue literally reminds me of a turtle withdrawing into its shell:
Perhaps a better name for this cue would be “turtling!”
RUBBING EYES
Type: Pacifying
Description: People who rub their eyes usually use their index finger, middle, or thumb to get in on
that eyelid action. It can range either from a gentle, split-second touch, to more obvious rubbing, to
a very obvious, angry, it’s-raw type of face/eye rubbing:
What it Means: Rubbing the eyelids really helps people calm down, as it acts like a “visual reset.”
Essentially, what you’re saying when you rub your eyes is: “Look, please go away. I wish everything
in front of me just “vanished.” You’ll typically see this gesture with high-stakes poker players as soon
as they lose a hand, or during an argument between an angry and frustrated couple.
Of course, people naturally do this to get those nasty eye boogies out, too, so always take into
account how tired someone is, before placing a negative label on them.
The Science: Rubbing the eyelids stimulates a special nerve in the eyelids called the vagus nerve,
which helps slow down heart and breathing rates when it’s massaged.
You can also see people do this during conversations and interrogations when they are asked a
difficult or stress-inducing question, and if they want to cut off eye contact to reduce their own
stress or anxiety.
You may often see this gesture more in men than women, as women might be conditioned to avoid
rubbing their eyes, especially if they wear eye makeup.
How to Use It: Having a hard day at work? Try closing your eyes in a safe space and gently rubbing
your eyelids while taking a breath. I’ve found just 30 seconds of this helps immensely and gives a
sense of calm during a stressful day.
FIDGETING WITH OBJECTS
Description: Fidgeting involves playing with nearby objects, such as keys, coins, a pen, a ring, or a
necklace.
What it Means: Fidgeting typically signals boredom. Bored of talking, bored of sitting down, and yes
—even bored of you (ouch!).
People who fidget may be subconsciously desiring sensory reassurance, similar to how babies hold
onto their favorite toy. Other times, it may mean that people are anxious or short on time—and in
some cases, even disappointed (Robert Herzegovina definitely knows about that):
Yes, people even fidget with their fingers!
The Science: Observations at railway stations and airports revealed that there are 10x as many
displacement activities in flying situations. In other words, people fidget a lot when they’re about to
fly. These behaviors include:
checking tickets
taking out passports and putting them away
rearranging hand baggage
making sure their wallet is in place
dropping things and picking them up
In contrast, only 8% of people boarding a train showed signs of fidgeting, compared to 80% of
people at a check-in desk of a jumbo-jet flight across the Atlantic4.
How to Use it: If you want an easy out to a conversation, just start jangling your keys or coins in your
pocket or hands. It might be a bit rude, but if you’ve really gotta go, this is a great way to end a
conversation.
Historic Example: In 1969, when Elvis Presley made his first public stage appearance in 9 years, he
displayed signs of fidgeting. What do you think he was feeling, judging by this picture?
TOUCHING EARS
Description: The ear is rubbed, pulled, scratched, touched, picked at… or rubbed vigorously.
What it Means: OK, you might have noticed a trend by now—touching yourself basically means
anxiety. Not in all cases, but unless you’ve just got an itch that won’t go away, repetitive self-touch
in all forms is a way to ease tension throughout your body.
People generally scratch behind their ears, says Dutch biologist Nikolaas Tinbergen, as a way to ease
tension during stressful situations. Such as when you’ve made a public speaking blunder in front of
thousands of people.
Effectively, people who do this may be trying to “block” information that they’ve just heard—
whether it’s a prodding question, or even if they’ve been accused.
Example: You may be familiar with the American actress Carol Burnett, who was famous for tugging
on her left ear. She did this at the end of each show to let her grandmother know she was doing well
and loved her. After her grandmother’s passing, she continued tugging her ear as a tradition and in
memory of her.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
Have you heard of the old Japanese maxim of the Three Wise Monkeys? You know, the picture of
the three monkeys covering their eyes, ears, and mouth?
It turns out this picture is a GREAT example for explaining many blocking behaviors. Generally,
touching the eyes, ears, or mouth are unconscious ways that people try to block out information… or
prevent it from escaping—which is why you’ll often see these cues during intense interrogation
sessions!
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What Are the 11 Types of Body Language?
Besides open and closed, body language can be further broken down into 11 different channels,
including facial expressions, body proxemics, and ornaments.
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Facial Expressions
Researcher Dr. Paul Ekman discovered 7 universal microexpressions—or short facial gestures every
human makes when they feel an intense emotion. We are very drawn to looking at and observing
the face to understand someone’s hidden emotions.
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Body Proxemics
Proxemics is a term for how our body moves in space. We are constantly looking at how someone is
moving—are they gesturing? Leaning? Moving toward or away from us? Body movements tell us a
lot about preferences and nervousness.
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Gestures
The most common gestures are hand gestures. We often use our hands to express our emotions, tell
a story, or comfort ourselves. My team even did an experiment on TED talks and found the most
popular speakers also used the most hand gestures.
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Ornaments
Clothes, jewelry, sunglasses, and hairstyles are all extensions of our body language. Not only do
certain colors and styles send signals to others, how we interact with our ornaments is also telling. Is
someone a fidgeter with their watch or ring?
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Interest
Interest cues can be signs of attraction or general interest that usually don’t involve touch. From
obvious cues like winking and smiling, to more subtle ones like a flick of the hair or displaying the
wrist, knowing which cues to give and recognizing them is key to building rapport.
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Eye Gaze
Eye movements and changes tell us a lot about others’ intentions. During an interaction, we can
often see changes such as longer eye gaze, sideways glances, and blocked eyes. These cues can
indicate emotions like attraction, skepticism, or stress.
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Pacifying
Pacifying behaviors consist of a wide range of self-soothing behaviors that serve to calm us down
after experiencing something unpleasant. This can be seen with fidgeting, bouncing feet, and arm
rubbing. As a general rule of thumb, any repetitive behavior is likely pacifying.
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Haptics
Haptics refers to body language cues that involve touch. These include handshakes, touching
another’s arm, hugs, a pat on the shoulder, and kissing. Since we interact with the world through
touch, we can observe how others touch us to get an insight on their preferences.
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Blocking
Blocking cues are performed to magically “vanish” the cause of people’s stress or anxiety. Like the
three wise monkeys—“see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”—these cues consist of barriers like
touching the mouth or crossing the arms to block out the environment.
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Paralanguage
Paralanguage is the nonverbal communications of your voice, such as pitch, tone, and cadence.
Often, we can hear how confident or anxious one feels by simply listening to their voice. By learning
paralanguage, we can even master our own voices and give power to our words.
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Emblems
Emblems, or symbolic cues, represent messages that are consciously understood by others, and are
often used in place of words. There are over 800 emblems, from your “OK” sign and “thumbs up,”
and they are heavily dependent on a person’s culture and geographic location.
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Understanding & Interpreting body language
Body language isn’t just about seeing a body language cue and
In the world of body language, there are 2 camps:
Absolutists believe that whenever a body language cue appears, it 100% has the interpreted
meaning. For example, if a person crosses their arms, it means they are feeling blocked off in all
cases.
Contextualists believe that body language depends on the situation. If a person crosses their arms, it
could mean that they’re cold, or it’s simply more comfortable for them.
The key to understanding body language is to be a contextualist, not an absolutist. Learning about
body language cues without knowing how to apply them may skew your opinions about others for
the worse, rather than improving them for the better.
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Body Language Mini FAQ
Here are some other questions I’ve been asked about body language, which I’ve compiled into a mini
FAQ:
Is body language a science?
Yes! Body language cues and their consistency have been scientifically proven time and time again
by researchers such as Paul Ekman, Joe Navarro, Barbara and Allan Pease, Desmond Morris, and
Carol Kinsey Goman. However, it’s important to note that everyone has their individual quirks that
may be different from the norm.
Is body language universal?
What is a nonverbal cue?
What do you do when a person’s body language and words don’t match?
What is the difference between body language and nonverbal communication?
Can body language be misread?
What body language indicates lying?
How long does it take to become good at reading body language?
I hope this article has been useful to you! To continue the guide, please click on the next article link
below.
To your success,
Vanessa
Sources:
1 Pease, A. (2017). The definitive book of body language: How to read others’ attitudes by their
gestures. London: Orion. 2 Navarro, J., & Karlins, M. (2015). What every BODY is saying: An ex-FBI
agent’s guide to speed-reading people. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 3 Knapp, M. L., & Hall, J. A.
(2014). Nonverbal communication in human interaction. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 4
Morris, D. (2012). Peoplewatching: The Desmond Morris Guide to Body Language. London: Vintage
Digital.
Side Note: As much as possible we tried to use academic research or expert opinion for this master
body language guide. Occasionally, when we could not find research we include anecdotes that are
helpful. As more research comes out on nonverbal behavior we will be sure to add it!
This article is part of our body language guide. Click here for more.
Read more at: [Link]
