Protecting the Mouth with the Hand

Protecting your mouth with your hand is one of the few gestures of an adult and has the same meaning as a child's gesture. The hand covers the mouth and the thumb is pressed to the cheek, while the brain at the subconscious level sends signals to restrain the words spoken. Sometimes it may only be a few fingers near the mouth or even a fist, but the meaning of the gesture remains the same.

The gesture of “protecting the mouth with one’s hand” should be distinguished from evaluative gestures, which will be discussed below.

Some people try to fake cough to disguise the gesture. Humphrey Bogart, when playing the role of a gangster or criminal, often used this technique when discussing his criminal plans with other gangsters or during interrogation, to use non-verbal means to emphasize the lack of sincerity in his character.

Touching the Nose

In essence, touching the nose is a subtle, disguised version of the previous gesture. It can be expressed in several light touches to the dimple under the nose, or it can be expressed in one quick, almost imperceptible touch. Some women perform this gesture very carefully so as not to smear their lipstick and damage their makeup.

One explanation for the nature of this gesture is that when bad thoughts enter the conscious mind, the subconscious mind tells the hand to cover the mouth, but at the very last moment, out of a desire to disguise this gesture, the hand is withdrawn from the mouth and a light touch is obtained on the nose. Another explanation could be that when lying, tickling sensations appear on the nerve endings of the nose, and one really wants to scratch the nose to get rid of them. The question may arise: “What if a person just has an itchy nose often?” If the nose itches, the person will intentionally scratch or scratch it, which is different from lightly touching the nose with the hand in a situation of deception. Like touching the mouth, touching the nose can be used both by the speaker to disguise his own deception, and by the listener who doubts the sincerity of the speaker's words.

Rubbing the Century

The wise monkey says, “I see no sin,” closing his eyes. This gesture is caused by the brain's desire to escape from the deception, suspicion, or lie it encounters, or the desire to avoid looking into the eyes of the person to whom it is telling a lie. Men usually rub their eyelid in a very vigorous manner, and if the lie is very serious, they turn their gaze to the side, usually to the floor. Women perform this movement very delicately by running their finger under the eye. This can be caused by two reasons: due to their upbringing, they are not familiar with rude gestures; caution of movements is explained by the presence of makeup on the eyelids. Averting their eyes to the side, they look at the ceiling.

The expression “Lie through your teeth” is well known. This expression refers to a complex of gestures consisting of clenched teeth and a tight smile, rubbing the eyelid with a finger and looking away to the side. Film actors use this complex gesture to portray the insincerity of their characters, but in ordinary life this gesture is rare.

Scratching and Rubbing the Ear

In fact, this gesture is caused by the desire of the listener to isolate himself from the words by placing his hand near or on top of his ear. This gesture is an adult improved modification of the gesture of a small child when he covers his ears so as not to listen to the reproaches of his parents. Other options for touching the ear include rubbing auricle, drilling in the ear (with a fingertip), pulling on the earlobe, or bending the ear in an attempt to cover the ear hole with it. This last gesture suggests that the person has heard enough and perhaps wants to speak out.

Neck Scratching

In this case, the person scratches the area under the earlobe or the side of the neck with the index finger of his right hand. Observations of this gesture revealed an interesting point: a person usually makes five scratching movements. Very rarely the number of scratches will be less than five or more than five. This gesture speaks of doubt and uncertainty of a person who says: "I'm not sure that I agree with you." It is especially noticeable when it contradicts verbal language, for example, if a person says something like: “I understand exactly what you are experiencing.”

Collar Pull

In a study of people's gestures that accompany their lies, Desmond Morris observed that lying produced an itching sensation in the delicate muscle tissues of the face and neck, requiring scratching to soothe the sensation. This seems to be an acceptable explanation for why some people pull back their collar when they are lying and suspect that their deception has been discovered. The cheater also appears to have beads of sweat on his neck when he senses that you suspect he's cheating. This gesture is also used when a person is angry or upset, pulling the collar away from the neck to cool it down. fresh air. When you see a person making this gesture, you can ask him, “Could you do that again?” or “Could you clarify this point?” And this will make the deceiver refuse to continue his cunning game.

Fingers in Mouth

Morris gives the following explanation for this gesture: a person puts his fingers in his mouth in a state of great oppression. This is a person's unconscious attempt to return to that safe, cloudless time in infancy, when the child suckled at his mother's breast. Small child sucks a finger, and as for an adult, in addition to the finger, he puts objects such as cigarettes, pipes, pens and the like into his mouth. If gestures associated with covering the mouth with one's hand indicate deception, fingers in the mouth indicate an internal need for approval and support. Therefore, when this gesture appears, it is necessary to support the person or reassure him with guarantees.

The meaning of gestures associated with touching hands to the face

Encyclopedia "Facial expressions and gestures - Psychology of gestures"
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The meaning of gestures associated with touching hands on various parts of the face

Deception, Lie, Doubt

How can you tell if a person is lying? Recognizing nonverbal gestures that signal deception is one of the most important communication skills that can be learned by observing human behavior.

So, what gestures can give a person away if he is lying?

These are gestures associated with touching hands to the face.

When we watch or hear others telling lies, or lying ourselves, we try to cover our mouth, eyes or ears with our hands. We have already said that children quite openly use gestures that indicate deception. If a young child is lying, he will cover his mouth with his hand in an attempt to stop the lying words coming out of his mouth. If he does not want to listen to his parents' lectures, he simply plugs his ears with his fingers or covers his ears with his hands. If he sees something he doesn't want to look at, he covers his eyes with his hands. As a person matures, his gestures using his hands on his face become more subtle and less noticeable, but they still occur. If this gesture is used by a person at the time of speech, this indicates that he is not telling the truth. However, if he growls his mouth with his hand at the moment when you speak and he listens, this means that he feels like you are lying!

One of the most depressing images for a speaker is the sight of an audience where every single one of them holds their hands to their mouths during a speech. In a small audience or when communicating face-to-face, it is wise to pause your message and ask the audience, “Would anyone like to comment on what I said?” This will allow the audience to voice their objections, and will give you the opportunity to clarify your statements and answer questions.

when a person lies, covers up a lie, or gives false testimony. These gestures can also indicate doubt, uncertainty, lying or exaggeration of a real fact.

When a person makes a hand-to-face gesture, this does not always mean that he is lying. However, this may be the first sign of deception, and further observation of the person's behavior and gestures may confirm your suspicions. This gesture should be considered in conjunction with other gestures.

Dr. Desmond Morris conducted an experiment with nurses who, in a role-play setting, were instructed to tell patients lies about their condition. Those nurses who had to lie were more likely to use hand-to-face gestures than those who told the truth to their patients. This chapter examines various hand-to-face gestures and the conditions under which they occur.

Protecting the Mouth with the Hand

Protecting your mouth with your hand is one of the few gestures of an adult and has the same meaning as a child's gesture. The hand covers the mouth and the thumb is pressed to the cheek, while the brain at the subconscious level sends signals to restrain the words spoken. Sometimes it may only be a few fingers near the mouth or even a fist, but the meaning of the gesture remains the same.

The hand-over-the-mouth gesture should be distinguished from the evaluative gestures discussed later in this chapter.

Some people try to fake cough to disguise the gesture. Humphrey Bogart, when playing the role of a gangster or criminal, often used this technique when discussing his criminal plans with other gangsters or during interrogation, to use non-verbal means to emphasize the lack of sincerity in his character.

Touching the Nose

In essence, touching the nose is a subtle, disguised version of the previous gesture. It can be expressed in several light touches to the dimple under the nose, or it can be expressed in one quick, almost imperceptible touch. Some women perform this gesture very carefully so as not to smear their lipstick and damage their makeup.

One explanation for the nature of this gesture is that when bad thoughts enter the conscious mind, the subconscious mind tells the hand to cover the mouth, but at the very last moment, out of a desire to disguise this gesture, the hand is pulled away from the mouth, and the result is

light touch to the nose. Another explanation could be that when lying, tickling sensations appear on the nerve endings of the nose, and one really wants to scratch the nose to get rid of them. I am often asked: “What if a person just has an itchy nose often?” If the nose itches, the person will intentionally scratch or scratch it, which is different from lightly touching the nose with the hand in a situation of deception. Like touching the mouth, touching the nose can be used both by the speaker to disguise his own deception, and by the listener who doubts the sincerity of the speaker's words.

Rubbing the Century

The wise monkey says, “I see no sin,” closing his eyes. This gesture is caused by the brain's desire to escape from the deception, suspicion, or lie it encounters, or the desire to avoid looking into the eyes of the person to whom it is telling a lie. Men usually rub their eyelid in a very vigorous manner, and if the lie is very serious, they turn their gaze to the side, usually to the floor. Women perform this movement very delicately by running their finger under the eye. This can be caused by two reasons: due to their upbringing, they are not familiar with rude gestures; caution of movements is explained by the presence of makeup on the eyelids. Averting their eyes to the side, they look at the ceiling.

The expression “Lie through your teeth” is well known. This expression refers to a complex of gestures consisting of clenched teeth and a tight smile, rubbing the eyelid with a finger and looking away to the side. Film actors use this complex gesture to portray the insincerity of their characters, but in everyday life this gesture is rare.

Scratching and Rubbing the Ear

In fact, this gesture is caused by the desire of the listener to isolate himself from the words by placing his hand near or on top of his ear. This gesture is an adult improved modification of the gesture of a small child when he covers his ears so as not to listen to the reproaches of his parents. Other options for touching the ear include rubbing the pinna, drilling into the ear (with a fingertip), tugging on the earlobe, or bending the ear in an attempt to cover the ear hole. This last gesture suggests that the person has heard enough and perhaps wants to speak out.

Neck Scratching

In this case, the person scratches the area under the earlobe or the side of the neck with the index finger of his right hand. Our observations of this gesture revealed an interesting point: a person usually makes five scratching movements. Very rarely the number of scratches will be less than five or more than five. This gesture speaks of doubt and uncertainty of a person who says: "I'm not sure that I agree with you." It is especially noticeable when it contradicts verbal language, for example, if a person says something like: “I understand exactly what you are experiencing.”

Collar Pull

In a study of people's gestures that accompany their lies, Desmond Morris observed that lying produced an itching sensation in the delicate muscle tissues of the face and neck, requiring scratching to soothe the sensation. This seems to be an acceptable explanation for why some people pull back their collar when they are lying and suspect that their deception has been discovered. The cheater also appears to have beads of sweat on his neck when he senses that you suspect he's cheating. This gesture is also used when a person is angry or upset, pulling the collar away from the neck to cool it with fresh air. When you see a person making this gesture, you can ask him, “Could you repeat that, sir?” or “Could you please clarify this point, sir?” And this will make the deceiver refuse to continue his cunning game.

Fingers in Mouth

Morris gives the following explanation for this gesture: a person puts his fingers in his mouth in a state of great oppression. This is a person's unconscious attempt to return to that safe, cloudless time in infancy, when the child suckled at his mother's breast. A small child sucks his finger, and as for an adult, in addition to his finger, he puts objects such as cigarettes, pipes, pens and the like into his mouth. If gestures associated with covering the mouth with one's hand indicate deception, fingers in the mouth indicate an internal need for approval and support. Therefore, when this gesture appears, it is necessary to support the person or assure him with guarantees (Fig. 57).

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One of the most revealing gestures in determining sincerity are those in which the hand touches the face. All hand-to-face gestures represent a subconscious attempt to deter deception. Take a close look at your interlocutor. The one who tells a lie touches his face or scratches it in different places during his speech.

Hand to mouth. The gesture of covering your mouth with your hand comes from childhood. It is most clearly expressed in childhood. If you manage to catch a child telling a lie, do you know what his first reaction will be? So, he will immediately cover his mouth with his hand, unconsciously trying to hold back the flow of lies. Similar ways of responding persist into adulthood, although in a more refined form. In adults, all children's gestures of touching their faces with their hands are somewhat smoothed out and modified. But this does not change the essence.

Adults, unlike children, when telling a lie, do not cover their mouths with two palms, but very delicately and as if imperceptibly, touch the corners of their lips or the tip of their nose. The most informative thing here is the initial impulse-movement in the direction of the mouth. Be careful! A liar, suddenly aware of this impulse, can interrupt it. And thus the movement will not be completed. Or, realizing that the hand involuntarily crawled to the mouth and the interlocutor may understand that he is being deceived, the liar may try to disguise his “wrong” gesture with a cough. But the initial impulse to direct the hand to the mouth will not escape the attentive observer.

Tapping your lips is a clear sign that you are being deceived. This is a child's reaction to lying, like covering your mouth with your hand. If the interlocutor pats himself on the lips while talking about something, then you don’t have to delve into the details of his story. Whatever you hear will not be true.

Sometimes, however, an adult can use the childish gesture of covering his mouth with his hand almost unchanged. This can look different: a palm covering the mouth, a thumb pressed against the cheek, several fingers pressed against the lips, a hand clenched into a fist covering the mouth, and similar variations. Regardless of the variations in the external manifestation of the gesture, its meaning remains the same - it is an unconscious desire to close your mouth and thus try to stop the flow of lies.

Regarding the gesture of covering your mouth with your hand, there is another point. When a person lies, he uses this gesture at the moment when he himself speaks. But if the indicated gesture is used by the interlocutor while you are speaking and he is listening, then be careful! He suspects you of insincerity.

It's important to note that there is one gesture that can be confused with the hand-to-face gesture. This is a gesture in which the tip of one or more fingers is placed in the mouth. This unconscious movement also comes from childhood. How do young children calm down? Only when sucking on the mother's breast, bottle, pacifier or own thumb. Likewise, adults, when placing a finger in their mouth, subconsciously strive to calm down. If you notice this gesture from your interlocutor, know that he is experiencing anxiety and uncertainty.

People who are indecisive, unsure of what decision to make, and who want to delay as much as possible the moment when they need to speak out, subconsciously resort to various tricks in an effort to close their mouths. Some, after making gestures to assess the situation, take off their glasses and take one arch into their mouth, others bite the tip of a pencil or pen, and still others compress the middle phalanx of the bent index finger with their lips. This gesture reflects a subconscious desire to stall for time, and any object in the mouth will justify silence, because everyone knows that talking with your mouth full is bad form.

Hand to nose. Hand touching the nose is a more subtle form of the gesture of covering the mouth with the hand. The gesture of touching the nose can take the form of a light rubbing under the nose, one quick and almost imperceptible touch of the hand to the nose, and several light blows with a finger on the nose.

Scientists say that this gesture is an interrupted gesture of covering the mouth with one's hand. That is, the first unconscious impulse of a person telling a lie is the desire to make the movement of closing his mouth with his hand, but at the last moment a command comes from the brain to make the gesture less noticeable, and the hand quickly moves away from the face, touching, as if finally, only the tip of the nose. The gesture of rubbing your nose, as well as the gesture of covering your mouth with your hand, can be used during a conversation by both parties: both the speaker and the listener. If the speaker uses this gesture, it means that he is not entirely sincere. When the listener touches his nose, this is a sign that he does not trust the words of the speaker.

Hand to eyes. If during a conversation your interlocutor begins to rub his eyes, this does not necessarily mean that a speck has got into his eye. More often than not, this is a gesture that signals the other person’s subconscious attempt to avoid your gaze. Agree, not everyone can lie, looking them in the eyes, and not experience internal discomfort.

If the person you are talking to rubs his eyes when you speak, it means that he does not believe your words. In this case, the use of this gesture means a subconscious attempt by the listener to block the lie that he has recognized. It has been noticed that men usually rub their eyes, looking down, while women more often either rub their eyes with a light touch and look at the floor, or rub the area under the eye, looking up. In any case, if the interlocutor is telling a lie, he will try to avoid eye contact with you at the moment of telling the lie.

Psychologists have noticed that lying causes an itching sensation in the delicate muscle tissues of the face and neck. It is for this reason that those who tell lies often begin to scratch their faces, necks, and pull at the collar of their shirts.

Hand to neck. The gesture of scratching the neck is a signal of doubt or uncertainty. Here it is very important to know which hand the interlocutor has is the leading one. A right-handed person who unconsciously uses such a gesture scratches the delicate skin in the area of ​​​​the neck that is located directly under the earlobe, or the entire neck with the index finger of the right hand.

The one whose dominant hand is the left will scratch the neck with the index finger of the left hand. Alan Pease, who studied the manifestations of various gestures, established one curious fact during his observations: most people who unconsciously use the gesture of rubbing their neck with a finger in the process of communication make five scratches. A very useful figure from a practical point of view. You can easily determine that the interlocutor is insincere by noticing that he suddenly rubs his neck area with his index finger about five times.

This gesture is especially indicative if it is made simultaneously with words. For example, when a friend tells you: “Yes, yes, you did absolutely right,” and at the same time scratches his neck, then you should not trust his words. In fact, he doubts the correctness of your action, but for some reason he wants to hide his true thoughts on this matter from you. Maybe he just doesn’t want to upset you and is trying to support you.

Pulling the collar is a very significant gesture. As already noted, by telling a lie, a person begins to experience slight irritation in the delicate tissues of the neck. Deception is not so easy, especially if a person is not skilled in the art of deception. It is very difficult for such a person to tell a lie; he experiences the fear of being exposed at any moment. He experiences such internal tension and excitement that he feels short of breath and even thinks he is sweating. This is why some people, inexperienced deceivers, pull back their collar when telling lies.

Having seen that the interlocutor uses this gesture, you can immediately bombard him with clarifying questions, ask him to clarify what he meant or repeat what he said. Most likely, such a liar will quickly give up and the truth will be revealed. His stress was so great that it would be a real relief for him to tell the truth and get rid of the further torment of hiding the truth.

A somewhat exaggerated version of the collar-pulling gesture is a gesture in which the interlocutor rubs his neck with his palm as if it hurts.

Typically, the person using this gesture is trying to avoid eye contact. He looks to the side or down. The interlocutor, rubbing his neck with his palm, non-verbally says that his patience is at its limit, he is tired of everything: the topic of discussion, and maybe you yourself. In any case, the person is extremely negative or critical. We advise you not to torment your interlocutor further and move the conversation to another topic.

For example, you accidentally met former classmate, whom we haven’t seen for fifteen years. You start chirping cheerfully about your past years, talking about yourself, asking him about everything. The conversation is fun and casual until you ask about work. And then he, saying that he is not working at the moment, and explaining the situation in his life, puts his hand behind his neck and begins to make movements as if he was suddenly overcome by an attack of unbearable pain in his neck.

This means that he, in all likelihood, has to explain his position too often, this is unpleasant for him, since he himself knows that an adult man and the father of a family is supposed to earn money... Speaking once again on this topic, he feels discomfort and irritation. In such a situation, quickly start talking about something else, and you will see that your interlocutor’s neck pain will immediately go away.

Hand to ear. It is always very important not only to trust the words of the interlocutor, but also to be sure that they believe you and want to listen to what you say. There is one gesture that allows you to clearly determine whether it is worth continuing to express your thoughts to your interlocutor or whether it is better to stop. When you see that, while listening to you, the interlocutor begins to rub his earlobe, this is a signal that he no longer wants to continue listening.

Remember the children who, not wanting to listen to the request repeated by their mother for the fifth time, cover their ears with their palms. The gesture of rubbing the earlobe in adults comes from this childish gesture. But for adults this gesture has many variations. This includes scratching the auricle with the back of the hand, plunging the tip of a finger into the ear, twitching the earlobe, and twisting the ear into a “tube.” An adult using this gesture is unconsciously trying to close his ear and not allow the words of the speaker to penetrate him.

If you do not pay attention to the non-verbal signal given to you by the interlocutor, he will form a negative attitude towards you, and in his eyes you risk remaining for a long time an uninteresting interlocutor, a person who is not at all interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people, self-obsessed, too talkative and inattentive.

Therefore, as soon as you see that the interlocutor has extended his hand to his ear, stop talking, engage the interlocutor in a discussion of what was said, find out whether everything is clear to him, and ask his opinion on the issue under discussion. He probably has something to say. By doing this, you will avoid innuendo and take the conversation to the next level. The interlocutor rubbing his ear will not be able to hide from you those moments in the conversation that were especially uninteresting for him. Be observant and draw conclusions.

Hand to cheek. By gestures, anyone can determine that the interlocutor is bored. We all remember from school how a hand placed on a desk became a support for the head, and we tried with all our might to keep our eyes wide open. When you see that your interlocutor is supporting his head with his hand in an effort to stay awake, this is a sure signal that he is bored. By the way a person supports his head, you can determine how tired he is of listening.

If your head rests completely on your palms, this means an absolute lack of interest in the conversation.

And if he also taps his fingers on the table or his own knee, then things are bad. He can't wait to end the conversation as soon as possible. However, when the interlocutor is still holding his fingers to his cheek, there is a chance to awaken his interest in the conversation. Perhaps he is simply tired of listening to you, in which case you need to give him the opportunity to speak. And you will see that the person will immediately perk up and remove his hands from his head.

Do not confuse the gesture of a bored person with a gesture indicating, on the contrary, an increase in interest, in which the folded hand rests on the cheek and forefinger stretched along the cheek.

But pay attention to whether the thumb does not support the chin. When the index finger is positioned vertically up the cheek and the thumb supports the chin, this is a nonverbal signal that the listener is critical or negative about either what you are saying or yourself. If at the same time the index finger also rubs the eye, this means that his negative attitude is getting worse. If you see such gestures from someone with whom you are communicating, do something immediately. Either engage the other person in a discussion of the issue, or move the conversation to another topic. This gesture is often misinterpreted, thinking that it means interest, but this is not the case. Thumb hands supporting the chin reveals the truth about the listener's critical attitude.

Hand to chin. When the chin is not just supported by the thumb, but stroking or scratching movements are made with the fingers on the chin, then this gesture indicates that the interlocutor is thinking hard and is in the decision-making stage.

Further gestures will show what this decision will be - positive or negative. Watch people. Imagine you are telling your friend about how wonderful it was to go to the theater; she listens to your story with interest, holding her hand to her cheek with her index finger extended upward. Then you suggest going to the theater together next time and start discussing possible suitable dates. Your friend, when making a decision, will probably begin to rub her chin with her thumb and forefingers - a gesture characteristic of most women in such a situation. Then, having chosen the appropriate day, she will throw up her open palms, which in sign language will mean that the decision has been made positively.

It is not uncommon to see a combination of gestures of boredom, assessment of the situation and decision making. In this case, the interlocutor holds his hand at his chin, supporting it with his thumb, and at the same time rubs his chin with a bent index finger.

This combination of gestures indicates that the conversation does not arouse much interest in the person, but he cannot completely “switch off” and rest his head on his palm, but must think about the subject of discussion and somehow speak out. This often happens, for example, at various meetings, when, despite the lack of interest in the issue under discussion, you need to think and propose solutions to various issues related to the prosperity of the employer company.

Head movements. One of the most obvious and easy to interpret, at first glance, is head turns made as a sign of agreement or disagreement. In other words, it's a nod that means "yes" and a side-to-side sway that means "no." These movements, by the way, also come from childhood. Scientists believe that shaking the head as a sign of denial is almost the first gesture that a child masters. When a newborn baby is full, he demonstrates this very gesture in order to refuse his mother's breast.

However, for adults, things are not so simple. Pay attention to whether the demonstration of this gesture is at odds with the words of the speaker. This gesture may conceal an objection or denial that is not in speech. For example, you invite your friend to meet next weekend, go to an exhibition and chat a lot. In words, she expresses readiness and joy in anticipation of the upcoming meeting, but at the same time shakes her head from side to side. Believe this head movement. The meeting is unlikely to take place. Your friend will find some completely plausible excuse to cancel your date or reschedule it for another day, someday not soon. You expected that she would return the amount lent to you, but at the moment when you agreed to meet, she assumed that she would not be able to do this. That’s why she said non-verbally that she was unlikely to be able to meet you.

By the position of the head one can judge the attitude of the interlocutor to what is happening.

You should be wary if you see that the interlocutor has lowered his head.

When the head is in a strictly vertical position and the chin is slightly raised, this indicates a person’s neutral attitude towards what he sees and hears. The neutral head position is often accompanied by slight nods of approval or complemented by an appreciative gesture, that is, when the index finger is extended upward and the rest of the fingers of the hand are folded and placed on the cheek.

You can find out that the interlocutor has an interest in the issue under discussion when you see that he tilted his head a little to the side and, as it were, leaned forward a little. If at the same time he periodically nods and demonstrates gestures of assessment or decision-making, then his interest is beyond doubt.

A lowered head signals a negative and very critical attitude towards what is happening. As a rule, all gestures of critical assessment are accompanied by a lowered head. Normal communication will not work with a critical person. You will have to wait and not touch upon the discussion of topics that are important to you until the interlocutor’s head is at least in a neutral position.

Note that many head hand gestures can be used to block what the other person is saying or what the person making the gestures is saying. In order to correctly interpret the body movements of the interlocutor in specific circumstances, it will take some time and observation.

IF YOU ARE INSINCERLY :

Gestures that betray insincerity
largely associated with the left hand.

This is explained by right hand, as more developed (in most people), is more controlled by consciousness and does it “as it should.”

The left, less developed and controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, does what the subconscious wants, thereby revealing the person’s secret thoughts.

If the interlocutor is gesturing with his left hand, then this should alert you: it is very likely that he is deceiving or taking an unfriendly position.!!!

One of the most famous gestures to indicate insincerity is rubbing the eye or the area under it.

It is known that when lying, men tend to look away and rub their eyes, and women tend to lightly touch their eyes and rub the area under the eye.

This gesture can be combined with clenched teeth and a fake smile.

You are perceived as outside aggression

Hair language: self-defense gestures

There are two large groups gestures related to hair. Some have to do with sexuality, others represent a desire to protect themselves from outside aggression. But both of them are ultimately manifestations of weakness and fear of the outside world.

As psychologist Desmond Morris explains, "Every time we touch our hair, we do so because we are unable to touch another person's hair; we connect with our own body because moments of such 'self-intimacy' bring comfort comparable to pleasure." from contact with a “strange” body... According to cultural stereotypes, this position is characteristic of a female type of behavior, but not of a male one.

The deep ambiguity of such a gesture is obvious, especially if it is performed by a man... However, it is also dangerous for ladies, since it looks like an open hint of sexual dissatisfaction.

Another group of gestures is no longer self-excitation, but self-defense. Even one-year-old children often make their parents laugh because, having heard the words “you are good,” they begin to pat themselves on the head: they are well familiar with this “encouraging” gesture, because they actually absorb the understanding of it with their mother’s milk.

For many mammals, stroking a “relative” or a child’s fur is the most understandable sign of expression. good relations, family feelings. And it is precisely these “natural” gestures that we imitate when we stroke the fur of domestic animals, thereby showing a tender, “fatherly” attitude towards a cat or dog.

Carefully! a decision is made!

Decision gesture

This "chin-stroking" gesture means that a person is trying to make a decision.

The following signals will indicate whether their decision will be positive or negative.

You would be unwise to interrupt a person when he starts stroking his chin in response to a request for his decision.

If, for example, after rubbing your chin, a person crosses his arms over his chest and crosses his legs, then leans back in his chair, then you have received a nonverbal negative response.

You should immediately go over the merits of what is being offered again before the person expresses his negative attitude in words.

If stroking your chin is followed by a gesture of readiness for action, it means your idea has been fully approved.

You have a strong personality

Hands behind your head - know-it-all gesture

This gesture, putting their hands behind their heads, is typical of confident people with a sense of superiority over others: If we could read their thoughts, we would read: “I know everything” or even “I am in control of the situation.”

It can also be used as a territorial sign, with which a person emphasizes that he has “staken out” that territory.

If you want to find out the reason why a person behaves with a sense of superiority, lean forward with outstretched palms and say: “I see that you know this. Could you comment on this problem?” Then lean back in your chair, leave your palms in your field of view and wait for an answer.

Another way is to force the person to change his posture, which in turn will cause a change in his attitude. To do this, you can take an object and, placing it at a large distance from him, ask: “Did you see that?”, forcing him to lean forward.

If a person in a “hands behind your head” pose makes you a reprimand or reprimands you, you should not copy his gesture so as not to anger you. For example, two lawyers use this gesture in front of each other to emphasize their equality and coordination, but a rowdy boy will anger the school principal if he puts his hands behind his head in his office.

The situation is under control

Putting your hands behind your back

It has been observed that many male members of the British Royal Family have the habit of walking with their heads held high, their chins jutted out, and their hands clasped behind their backs.

In everyday life, this gesture is used by a police officer on duty, a local school principal passing through schoolyard, senior military officials and people in responsible positions.

Therefore, it is considered a gesture of a confident person with a sense of superiority over others. It allows a person to open his vulnerable areas of the body, such as the stomach, heart, throat, with unconscious fearlessness.

be careful

Gesture of trust and protection

Gesture of trust: "dome"- fingers connect like the dome of a temple.

This gesture signifies trust in the relationship, but also some complacency, confidence in one’s infallibility, selfishness or pride.

This gesture immediately communicates that the person is absolutely confident in what he is saying. Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolf, explaining the course of “elementary” conclusions to their gullible biographers, usually took such a pose in order to strengthen the attitude of absolute trust in themselves.

Observations of executives confirm that the higher their rank, the higher they usually hold their hands. Sometimes they just look at you through their joined fingers. This is a very common gesture in boss-subordinate relationships.

This gesture is also used as an unconscious defense by a person “driven into a corner.” Almost always, his opponents began to treat him as if he knew more than he said, had some important arguments in reserve, and weakened the attack.