The skill of interpreting body language is very helpful in many situations. The queries on interpreting body language have been answered in the following extract. Have a look...
Body language is communication via movements or attitudes of the body. The body language of any person depends on many factors. His upbringing, his educational background, or even the place of his upbringing matters. It also depends on the gender. So much so that interpreting body language of a female could be more complicated than that of a male.
Therefore, interpreting body language becomes a little bit difficult. But there are some obvious similarities in body language, on which one can judge what is happening in the minds of people you are having a conversation with. A few pointers on how body language is understood better.
The Eyes
The eyes play the most crucial part in interpretation. If the person in front of you is making direct eye contact while having a conversation, then you can assume that he is calm, composed and confident.
Direct eye contact will also tell you that the person is actually paying attention to you. The direct eye contact is a rare and crucial alpha male trait. But most people don't prefer direct eye contact. People who are uneasy in your presence, or have some sense of guilt or even a little bit of low self-esteem, tend to look away and do not prefer eye contact.
The Face
Any aspect of interpreting body language is incomplete without reading various facial expressions. Having strong confident expressions will tell you that the person is full of passion.
One of the more difficult expression to spot is the smile from the corner of the eyes. Even though difficult, this expression is known to leave a huge positive impact.
The Head
The positioning of the head is a great indicator of the state of mind of the person in front of you.
Keep an eye on the way he/she tilts the head. If the head is slanting forward a bit, it means that he/she is analyzing you and may even have negative feelings towards you.
It's as if they are waiting for you to make a mistake. If the head is tilting towards the side, it indicates that he/she is keenly interested in the conversation and wants to know more on the subject. Many times, this sideways tilting can indicate that they are attracted towards you. So it's very beneficial to look out for the sideways head tilt.
The Posture
The posture of the person tells a huge deal about them. A good posture can tell whether they are open or closed personalities, if they are dominant or submissive, or even if they are happy or depressed.
An erect standing posture can indicate that the person is attentive and is listening to you very intently. To interpret body language, one must look out very keenly for the posture of the person.
The Hands
Whenever you go for a job interview, having a good first handshake plays a very important part. Again, like a good eye contact, a firm handshake is the mark of a man who is in control of the situation.
Open palm gestures while chit-chatting means that the person is relaxed and has his guard down. But the opposite is not necessarily true. A closed palm does not mean that the person is tensed. It may mean that something is bothering him.
The Fingers
The fingers can be interlocked, pointing at you, throwing a V sign or an OK sign. The positioning of the fingers will indicate whether the person is tensed or angry, or even tell that all is fine with them.
In a typical interview situation, by observing the positioning of the fingers, the interviewer can size up an interviewee on confidence levels. So mind your fingers while giving an interview!!
Interpreting body language is considered as an art rather than just plain observation. Many corporate leaders are far ahead of their counterparts, because they are able to accurately assess and interpret the body language of their employees. So have fun while interpreting the body language of your target!!