All the gestures we make speak of our thoughts through our body language.
When we interact with someone, we accompany our words with (more or less obvious) movements so automatic that we don’t realize we’re making them.
Have you ever found yourself talking and scratching your head? Or instinctively having difficulty staying still? These gestures are part of the sphere that tells our most truthful thoughts about the conversation or the person in front of us.
Anthropologist Albert Mehrabian established that only 7% of the information from a speech comes from words.
The remaining percentage concerns non-verbal behavior: 38% of the information comes from the tone of voice and 55% comes directly from body signals such as posture or eye movements.
Body Language: Understanding the Most Common Gestures
What Does Touching the Tip of the Nose Mean in Body Language?
If you touch the tip of your nose during a conversation, you might not like that particular topic. This gesture, in fact, could indicate a rejection of the subject being discussed.
Gesturing Less than Usual
Contrary to what many might think, liars gesture less than usual. In fact, the liar in question will have to be much more focused on what they are saying and will neglect gesturing to feel less observed.
Crumpling Up Papers
Squeezing or manipulating objects, crushing them, and tearing up little pieces of paper. How many times have we done that? You should know that this gesture unconsciously helps us release some of the accumulated tension. With this gesture, we can focus on something other than the gaze of the interlocutor.
Scratching the Head
It often happens unconsciously. While we speak or listen, we scratch our heads, and this could be a sign of not being sure about what we’re saying, or not fully understanding what we’re hearing.
Leaning Forward
This instinctive movement could be a sign that your interlocutor is interested in what you’re saying. Moving forward is a symbol of listening and involvement.
Continuous Posture Change
A piece of advice: if you’re in a job interview, try to stay as still as possible. Continuous changes in posture could communicate restlessness, and you won’t give off the impression of confidence that you would want to convey.
What Does it Mean to Feel Itchy?
Itching is an emotional discharge. Do you feel itchy while someone is talking to you, or do you scratch yourself while you’re speaking? Probably the threshold of emotion has reached its limit and needs to vent in the body. Itching, in fact, is triggered by chemical reactions required by the nervous system that react and trigger the gesture of scratching.
Online Dating, Beware of the Digital Body Language
This article first appeared on Grazia.it – Author: Elisa Castellano
