I stumbled upon this material created by Jinxi Caddel. To learn more about her and her work, please click here.

Art by Laetitia

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As we all know, communication is essential in society. Advancements in technology have transformed the way that we with others in the modern world. Because of the constant buzz in our technological world, it’s easy to forget how important communicating face-to-face is. When conversing old-school style, it’s not only speech we verbalize that matters, but what our nonverbal gestures articulate as well.

Body language is truly a language of its own. We all have quirks and habits that are uniquely our own. What does your body language say about you? And what can you learn about others by becoming aware of what some of the signs mean?

I thought it would be fun to list some of the well-known signs that body language experts study and recognize. It is said that when talking to a person the information that we receive can be broken down as:

o Only 10% from what the person actually says
o 40% from the tone and speed of voice
o 50% is from their body language.

For example, your head:

o Lowering one’s head can signal a lack of confidence. If someone lowers their head when complimented, they may be shy or timid
o Touching or tugging at one’s ear can indicate indecisiveness
o Sincere smiles encompass the whole face (noticeable in the eyes)
o A false smile usually only engages the lips
o Tilting one’s head can symbolize interest in something or someone
o Overly tilted heads can be a sign of sympathy
o Closing of eyes or pinching at the bridge of one’s nose is often done when making a negative evaluation
o When a listener nods, this is usually a positive message and relays that they are interested and paying attention
o However, excessive nodding can imply that the listener has lost interest but doesn’t want to be rude
o Touching/rubbing one’s nose may indicate doubtfulness or rejection of an idea
o Sticking out one’s chin toward another may show defiance
o Resting a hand on one’s cheek is often done if they are thinking or pondering; and stroking the chin can mean the person is trying to make a decision

To repeat: It is said that when talking to a person the information that we receive can be broken down as:

o Only 10% from what the person actually says
o 40% from the tone and speed of voice
o 50% is from their body language.