Body Language

What is Body Language?

It is well known that 55 percent of the communication is dependent the body language of the speaker. The dictionary defines it as ‘the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person communicates with others’. Body language is the factor that determines how effective your message will be to the person receiving. Body Languages is derived from sub-conscious of the people and interacts with it as well.

Body language is significant to communication and relationships. It is relevant to management and leadership in business and also in places where it can be observed by many people. It can also be relevant to some outside of the workplace. It is commonly helpful in dating, mating, in family settings, and parenting. Although body language is non-verbal or non-spoken, it can reveal a lot about your feelings and meaning to others and also how other others reveal their feelings toward you.

Importance of Body Language

A Princeton University study discovered that people make judgments about a person's likeability and competence in one tenth of a second just by looking at their headshot.
Though a headshot cannot record physical movement, it can capture the essence of a person. And that's what selectors want to see in your photograph - not who you think you can portray - but who you are right now.

Body Language and Attitude

Being able to read body language is one of the most crucial aspects of a successful interaction. The only thing that differentiates body language from spoken languages is this: everyone can speak it, but almost no one can read it. We are always saying something with our body language whether we are aware of it or not. If you can read body language, you’ll be able to get information from people that they’re not aware they’re sharing.

When you are trying to transmit a message to someone via body language, the emotional transfer that occurs should have an effect on their body language. If you notice that their body language is not sending the signals that you intended, then yours wasn’t right to begin with. You might think you’re saying one thing, but people are reading another. You have to take full responsibility for the messages your body sends, because you can have a remarkable amount of control over them if you study the way body language works. When you’re talking to someone, your job as speaker doesn’t end when the words leave your mouth; your job ends when the message enters their brain.

Humans begin to learn how to read body language when they are children. We haven’t developed strong conscious minds at that age, so most of the things that we learn mature inside our subconscious minds. The subconscious mind is home to your emotional brain, which is why body language is sent there rather than to the logical brain. That is a far more powerful ability than evoking a logical response because attraction is based on emotions.

The above video is long, so should be watched with a lot of time in hand, but it'll clear all your doubts about body language cues and messages.

Body Language Cues

• A man in power has a faster, longer stride and when his shoulders follow his stride he projects a masculine charisma.
• The last man through the door is the man in the power position and he'll gently put his hand on the submissive's back and lightly tap to further demonstrate who's in control.
• The man in power gets the upper hand - literally. Palm facing down is the dominant person, palm up is submissive. If you get in a position where you cannot do the palm down, you grab the person's elbow while still in the handshake position to balance the show of power.
• In a photo of three or more, the person in the center of the photo is the most important.
• In a photo op, the person on the right when facing the camera is the person in power and is in the correct position for a palm down, power handshake.
• A definitive statement followed by a subtle step back indicates the person is aware they're lying and their body is retreating from that statement. A quick arm cross suggests a need for protection from that lie.
• Holding hands behind the back suggests nothing to hide. But stroking hands or wrists while they're behind the back is a sign the person is uncomfortable and trying to self-soothe.
• Holding a podium suggest defensiveness. Holding the podium while the body is leaning back is self protection. Holding the podium while the body is hunched a little indicates insecurity.
• A person with confidence and integrity has their face, head, body and gestures all going in the same direction.