How You Can Read Someone's Body Language

By: Cow Flipper

Body Language or Nonverbal Communication

Social sciences tells us that over 75% percent of communication is nonverbal.

Facial expressions - we can make and recognize around 250,000 facial expressions.

Ever just meet someone and felt that they just didn't seem to like you. You couldn't put your finger on it at the time and it just made you feel sort of weird. Well more than likely subconsciously you were reading their body language. The body is constantly sending out messages in posture and position. Our perception of sight plays a huge role in what we perceive. Once you realize this fact you can use this information to gain the upper-hand in many situations. By better understanding a persons emotional state by reading their body posture and expressions will help you to gauge how to approach them or if you should approach them at all.

The most important time to read a person is at your first meeting. All associations break down to (do we connect or clash, like or dislike a person we meet). We evaluate people when we first meet them. We wonder if we can trust them or if we will like them and our body language reflects this fact. Most people's body language we pick up on a subconscious level .

The way to use this information would be to help you in meeting new people. To help when going on a job interview or when having a business meeting. It is information that can help you impress a client or a potential mate.

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Your Body Language

Anxiety / Dislike

Your Reaction:

• ^{This person feels uncomfortable with you.}
  
• ^{Make them feel at ease by opening your body posture to them; uncross your arms and legs.}
  
• ^{Face them and lean forward and in to show you are interested and focusing on them.}
  
• ^{Maintain good eye contact.}
• ^{Smile and be friendly.}

Thoughtful / Undecided

Your Reaction:

• ^{This person hasn't made up their mind about how they feel about you.}
• ^{Keep an open posture.}
• ^{Mirror their positive body language.}

Interest / Trust / Like

Your Reaction:

• ^{This person likes you.}
• ^{This person feels comfortable around you.}
• ^{What ever you are doing keep doing it!}

Their Body Language

Emotion: Anxiety / Dislike

Body Language

• _{Looking away}
• _Fidgeting
• _{Pulling on ear}
• _{Adjusting clothing}
• _{Rubbing the neck and head}
• _{Playing with things in pockets, keys}
• _{Looking to windows and doors}
• _{Leaning back or away from you}
• _{Looking at the ground}
  
• _{Clearing of the throat}

Emotion: Thoughtful / Undecided

Body Language

• _{Hand to face}
• _{Chin stroking}
• _Frowning
• _Squinting
• _{Body turned partly away}
• _{Occasional quick smiles}
• _{Looking down}

Emotion: Interest / Trust / Like

Body Language

• _{Body facing you}
• _{Leaning in relaxed}
• _{Makes eye contact}
• _{Smiling and self grooming}
  
• _{Playing with hair and clothing}
• _{Head tilting}
• _Laughing
• _{Making physical contact}
  

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Lips

• Moist, licking, slightly open

Fingertips

• Relaxed, still

Hands

• Open, visible, palms open, relaxed

Lips

• Pressed (often combined with raised chin), biting, curls down at the edge of smile.

Fingertips

• Fidgeting, tapping

Hands

• Fists clenched, fidgeting, hidden behind back or in pockets or under a table, palms are face down, clinging to objects like purse, wallet, keys, pens, clothing.

To be able to use this information one has to first recognize their own body language. Looking at this makes us evaluate ourselves and how we speak to others with our body. We see that far more communication happens between two people than we would expect when no words are exchanged at all. Always remember that what you say with your body is just as important as what you say with your mouth.