It is very easy to watch people’s facial expressions and body movements, and make judgments about what they mean.
Known as non-verbal signs or body language, there are commonly recognised signs:
- Crossed arms – means defensive, or dislike of a situation. Or does it? It could just as easily be somebody is feeling cold, or it is just a naturally comfortable position. And for some, it is a gesture indicating they are in problem solving mode.
- Rubbing eyes – tiredness or sadness. Equally, somebody could have something in their eye!
- Slouching in chair – laid back or disinterested. However, for some, this is just a naturally comfortable sitting position.
- Inability to make eye contact – lying or hiding something. But some people are just naturally shy, or feel uncomfortable being looked at. You also need to be mindful of cultural differences – in some cultures it is not appropriate for females to make eye contact with men.
- Too much eye contact – aggression. Again, be aware of cultural differences – some countries make eye contact for longer than others.
- Poor handshakes – too weak or too strong – shows weakness or aggression/dominance
Be careful of making snap judgements about people’s character and opinions based on trying to interpret body language.
However, there has been plenty of research done on emotionally intelligent people, which points to an increased awareness of the non verbal signals they give out.
If you are committed to developing your own emotional intelligence, you may enjoy this LinkedIn post from Dr Travis Bradberry – author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 – about body language.