Do you always speak what you feel? No you don’t and neither the person at the other side of the table. We all have mastered the art of hiding our true feelings in social situations pretty well, however, still, there are cues that can be interpreted to get exactly what you might be thinking. Body language refers to the non-verbal signals that are often shown consciously or subconsciously by a person to communicate his or her true feelings or exactly what is going on in his or her mind.
Being able to understand body language can not only help you to interpret other people better and to understand their true intentions, but it can also help you to express yourself better. Often, unconsciously we show some body language signs that work negatively for our interest. Being able to understand body language can help you stay aware of those negative body signals and can make you more efficient in communicating yourself. So, here is how to understand body language,
The eyes
It is rightly said that “the eyes says it all”. You can read the true feelings of a person as well as what is actually going on in his or her head by taking a good look at his or her eyes. The gaze, the blinking of the eyelids, the positing of the eyebrows all speaks a lot, only you need to know how to understand them. Do not worry, we have done the decoding for you and here is your guide to read those quick gazes as well as the intense stares and blinks.
When a person makes frequent eye contact, be sure that he or she is interested in you or what you are talking about. If a person talks with you looking directly into your eyes, usually there is nothing to be worried about his or her intentions. On the other hand, if a person seems to not to hold your gaze and taking his gaze away nervously if you happen to meet his or her gaze, it might actually put a doubt about his or her intentions, particularly in professional aspects.
However, do not make the mistake of interpreting a quick eye contact, followed by looking down in a shy or nervous manner with a light grin on the face, particularly when it comes from a woman who is not professionally related or well known to you. In this case, her behavior vows for her interest in you.
If a person looks at you and then raises his or her eyebrows, even just a bit, it says that he or she liked you. If a person is looking away from you, most probably he or she did not like you much. Fixing the gaze on a particular part of the face, but not on the eyes or lips, indicates that the person did not like you or is shy.
Widening of the eyes indicates that the person at the other side is amazed. On the other hand, looking down is a sign that the person is giving something a thought. Closing your eyes on the halfway down says that you are suspicious about something. Batting of the eyelids is normal but if someone batts eyelids repeatedly and quickly while talking it signifies either the person is not telling the truth which is making him nervous or he is afraid.
So, this is all that you can interpret from the eyes of a person. However, before you reach any conclusion by interpreting what the eyes of the person might be telling you; make sure to check for more than one signs, just to be confirmed.
The lips
Just like the eyes, the lips of the person and the mouth can also tell you so many things about how the person is feeling or what his or her body is communicating unconsciously. If the person is licking his lips while talking with you, most probably he is nervous or worried. Drying mouth and lips is the most common reason of licking the lips and is often a result of nervousness.
Biting lips is not a very common sign amongst men rather it is more common in women. If you find that a women sitting in front of you or talking with you is biting her lower lip, it indicates that she is trying to hide her feelings. She might be interested in you but too shy to express. When a person is excited, male or female, he or she will do something with the lips or tongue.
So, if you find that the person is showing unconscious movement of lips and tongue, most probably he is excited. Now the excitation might come due to arousal as well as from trying to hide something. It is upto you to interpret it correctly considering the circumstances.
Movement and positioning of hands
The hands of a person say so much, only if you know how to read them. If a man is suddenly out of place to keep his hands, know for sure that he is onto you. It is a common unconscious sign of flirting exhibited by males. He might keep his hands in his pockets and then take one out to smother his hairs and then again put the hands back in the holster of his belt or even on his hips. All these signs tell you that the guy is onto you.
When a person is interested in you he or she will always keep his or her hands open. She might keep her hands in front of her, touching the fingers of the two hands lightly, but she will never cross her arms fully if she likes you. It goes the same for men as well.
When a person tries to move his hands behind him while talking with you or tries to hide his or her hands, it might indicate that he or she has something to hide or he is not completely honest with you.
If a woman suddenly seems to not know what to do with her hands, it simply means that she is interested in you. If she touches her hairs, or neck or collarbone with her hands while talking with you know for sure that she is aroused by you in some way. On the other hand, if she starts playing with her jewelry, the chain in her neck or the wrist band, she is most probably interested to flirt or to take things further.
Movement and positioning of legs
It is not only the hands that speak the mind of a person the legs can also say a lot. If a person seems to be uncomfortable with his or her legs, he or she is certainly onto something. If it is only you in front of him or her, be sure that the person is more than interested in you. In most of the cases, when men flirt or find someone attractive they tend to lean onto one side or move the legs uncomfortably. Trying to pose a stance is another common body language that you can see in a man who is trying to impress a woman.
If the legs of the person are pointing towards you, be sure that he or she is interested in you. On the other hand, if his or her legs are pointed or directed away from you or towards the door, he or she is not really planning to spend more time with you.
Posture and head tilting
Posture of the body as well as the tilting of the head is also indicators of a person’s interest or disinterest in you. If a man or woman has a good posture but he is slouching near you, it simply means that he or she is attracted to you. In the same way, if his or her head is tilted towards you it means that she is interested in you. The opposite means the other way round.
An open shoulder of a woman gives a welcoming sign whereas a closed or slouched shoulder can indicate that she is trying to be reserved. When a man is interested in you, he will always make sure that his torso is facing you, even if he looks the other way moving his neck or eyes.
The personal space
You can judge a many things about a person by noticing how he or she uses the space between you two. 4 feet of distance is considered as socially acceptable distance between two people. If he or she is close to you than this distance and shows no sign of taking a step back, it shows his or her interest in you.
A boy or a girl, who likes you, will always try to close in this space subconsciously. So, if you find that the lady is leaning towards you to close this place or if the man is moving his legs in such a way that it reduces the space in between, it indicates that the person wants to be closer to you and to know you more.
The best thing about understanding body language is that, these signs do not lie. However, it is really important that you always make the judgement depending on the circumstance as well as the relation you have with the other person. For example, if a woman whom you do not know well tries to close in the personal space, it sure indicates that she is interested in you; but on the other hand, if a women who is a friend or already know you well might close in that space only because she is comfortable with you.
