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 upper body:
o Pushing back one’s shoulders can demonstrate power and courage
o Open arms means one is comfortable with being approached and willing to talk/communicate
o Folded arms show that there is a sort of barricade between them and other people (or their surroundings) and indicate dissatisfaction
o Resting one’s arms behind their neck shows that they are open to what is being discussed and interested in listening more
o Pointing one’s finger can be construed as aggression or assertiveness
o Touching the front of the neck can show that someone is interested and concerned about what another is saying
o Hand movements that are upward & outward signify positive and open messages
o Palms that are faced outwards towards another indicate one’s wish to stop and not approach
o If one’s fingers are interlaced or if the finger tips are pressed together, it usually shows that a person is thinking and evaluating
o If offering ideas to other people, many times the sides of one’s palms are close together, with fingers extended
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.