Body Language

[rhubarbo]

I thought this was an excellent video on body language:

Gestures and Body Language 2

There are a few other videos there as well as this person's site that are also interesting.

 

[Aalo]

It'd be great to hear if someone has found help in learning these.

I've sometimes tried watching some, but it is in fact really difficult trying to fit these wises into real life as most people can be really subtle with their expressions. And I've heard that some things like looking in certain directions isn't that simple and won't always work like that. I've also came to conclusion that I myself, surprise, do some of these wrong. It makes it difficult to remember how certain things should work as my own mode will overrun right theories.

 

[Nolan1971]

I have never completely trusted body language as some people know how to fake that also.
Look how many people take our lack of expression the wrong way!

 

[Lector Tiberius]

The thing that I don't understand is: I see making eye contact as a "challange" exspecially amongst males. I tend to not look at anybody for this reason so how is one suposed to figure out what peoples eyes mean? Also I absolutly hate being looked at for too long, exspecially by a stranger. I never trust the intention or motive of the eye contact.

 

[Truck]

What I've learned about body language is that it's just too hard to keep up with. "She crossing her legs at the ankle, what does that mean?" You simply cannot carry on a conversation and think about body language. But, I have discovered a couple of short cuts.

Firstly, you can think of every person having an arrow sticking out of their chests. As an example, think of two people sitting on bar stools. If they look like this > ^ the person on the left is interested in the person on the right. However, if the person on the left is doing the talking the person on the right is not very interested in what being said.

> < In this example both people are facing one another They are both engaged in what the other is saying. Maybe they're in love?

I have found pointing my own arrow at the other person only as much as their arrow points at me works best in social interactions.

 

[rhubarbo]

For me it's easier to note the body language. I am generally not that good at anything sent from the eye area.

I generally use this type of knowledge for two things:

1) As a general guideline - even if it's faked they are still trying to say something.

2) To make sure I am not inadvertently sending messages to a boss or someone.

I also have noticed at least a few times, and perhaps you have also, when a person appears to use these things in an exaggerated fashion - to such an extent that they appear to be flailing around. It's oddly entertaining.