They say that the true meaning of communication lies in our body language and not in what we say. Given this, we fear that all our thoughts are going to be exposed to others in a clear way even if we don’t want to, but the truth is that we do not notice everything we think. It is true that our gestures can say a lot about our emotions, but we must also take into account the context in which these reactions occur and all those myths that have been generated around body language.
Facial expression
- Generally, a great load of meaning from our interior is attributed to the face. It is true that the eyes and the mouth are key in communication. Holding your gaze denotes interest while looking away can mean shyness, but also fear or lack of interest. Wide eyelids come with surprise, but closed eyelids can mean boredom or tiredness, but also concentration.
- On the other hand, having your mouth open without speaking can indicate surprise or the intention of wanting to say something. Opening the mouth, a little when speaking denotes shyness, while opening it a lot expresses joy but also terror. Thanks to emoticons, the function of the corners of the lips as transmitters of meaning is clear to us; up joy and down sadness. Tight lips can indicate both anger and concentration, while the lip-biting gesture is both a sign of shyness and a weapon of seduction.
- As you can see, these are very varied meanings that are determined by the situation and that can change from one person to another. It is evident that the face is the first thing we notice about a person, and we cannot deny its importance as an identifier of that person, but the facial expression is not as clear as it seems. When you see a person with their eyes squeezed shut and their mouths wide open, is he laughing or is he yelling?
Corporal lenguage
- Instead, the body is much more revealing of emotions than the face. Especially the gestures of the extremities can tell us a lot about that person, not only about what he is feeling or his personality, but also about his true intentions. The directness of an open hand, the insecurity of a hand in the mouth, the doubts of rubbing the nose or the nervousness of playing with the pencil are clear to any observer.
- It is just as clear that the person who sits with his legs wide open tries to impose himself on others, while if the legs are very close together and upright, they reflect fear. Or that if the legs are directed towards the interlocutor it shows an interest in strengthening ties or, at least, a great interest and that standing on tiptoes reveals impatience.
- In general terms, anyone can perceive the attitude that the other has towards us. If the general posture of the body leans towards us, it indicates acceptance, while if it moves away, it implies rejection. And special attention must be paid to those people who adopt a position in which half of the body tends towards us, while the other half moves away, because any type of feeling may be feigned.
