The ability to read people is critical, whether in the workplace or day to that use. Understanding body language can provide you with a fantastic amount of information on what the mouth cannot say— it speaks volumes. From the direction of the eye to body behavior in which a person plays with his hands or points his feet, body language has its own way of revealing what a person is thinking.
Body language incorporates 60% of how people communicate, making it a precious skill is all ages, especially for the working population. And after all, who hasn’t desired reading someone else’s mind at some point in their lives?
Research shows that the actual words from our mouth only make up 7% of communication. Can you imagine just how trivial words are, compared to body language and tone of voice that tops off the remaining 93%?
Why is it important to understand body language?
In this 21st-century, where negotiation is a crucial part of everyone’s everyday lives, it is important to know how someone feels or thinks even without speaking, or whether someone is telling a lie or is genuine.
For instance, you are dealing with a car seller who’s selling his limited-edition collectible car from the 90s. You know how valuable that car can get, especially if it remains in good condition in the years to come. However, your budget can only handle about $35,000, but he asks for $50,000.
If you have little to no social skills and no knowledge of reading other people or any negotiation technique, it will be pretty hard for you to negotiate a fair price. Once you master reading people at any time, you will be better at negotiating. Not just in money-related things but also in situations that require no words to be understood.
The ability to read people by their body language can give you a powerful edge that will streamline your pathway to success.
Three Aspects of Communication
Communication involves three main elements: words, tonality, and body language. However, only two elements are used when communicating over a phone call since there’s no way of seeing how the person you are talking to reacts at the end of the line (well, unless you’re in a video call).
There are communication types that only use one element— for instance, messaging, which usually only requires words. But tonality is sometimes applicable through the use of punctuation marks, emojis, font size, and images.
The most vital aspect of communication is body language which makes up 55% of your message. Could you believe that over half of what your audience receives stems from your body language?
With the figures we’ve talked about beforehand, you must have been getting ideas just how little the importance of words to your message. Body language and tonality significantly impact the meaning of words you use.
Come to think of it. How would you feel about a person who shouts furiously at you and says he is not angry? Or of a person who says good things but does otherwise?
Common Rules of Body Language
Body movements tell us a story that mouths can’t, and these unspoken signals and sentiments should be watched out for. Here are the parts of the human body that can divulge unsaid messages:
Eye movements
Most of us were probably raised hearing, “Look at me in the eye when talking to me!” Eyes are essential for reading other people, so eye contact is just natural in any conversation. If you are talking with someone and notice that their eyes are playing somewhere else, it’s very likely that they are not paying attention to what you are talking about.
There are eye language rules that say:
- If a person constantly looks at an item, it could mean that he wants to take hold of that particular thing or do something related. For instance, if you’re in class and someone repeatedly looks at his watch, that person might have activities to attend to, and he’s almost late.
- If the person you are talking to is constantly looking away and to the side, there is a big chance that he is not interested in the topic you’re speaking of— he is bored.
- If a person looks at his right side, it could signify that he visualizes something inside his mind.
- If a person looks at his left side, it could mean he is trying to recall ideas, previous events, or the likes.
- If a person looks down while talking to you, it could mean that he is yielding or submitting to you. In some cases, it could also mean that he is hiding something.
- If he is frequently blinking, it could mean that he is pretty stressed out.
Aside from the points mentioned, most of our parents and even professionals believe that it is difficult to hold gaze when lying, so eye contact is commonly used when asking questions. However, Science disagrees with this widespread belief. In fact, research has shown that liars tend to maintain eye contact compared to those who are telling the truth.
Head position
The head position and neck gestures show so much about someone’s attitude.
A person who speaks with their heads up shows that the person is confident, but it could also express superiority and arrogance. Communicating with heads up is pretty common among leaders and people who hold dominance in a particular group. On the other hand, a person who speaks with lowered heads might indicate inferiority.
A tilting head could signify interest or interest in a certain subject. And nodding could be a language that indicates confidence as well.
Mouth expressions
As obvious as it may seem, mouth expressions are immediate expressions that can be quite tricky— they are the easiest to faux. Telling the meaning and difference between a fake and a true smile is a tough job, especially if you haven’t known the person you are dealing with for a very long time.
Sometimes, a smile can mean disapproval, sarcasm, anxiety, cynicism, sadness, and of course, genuine happiness. Smiles have a lot of faces, and you have to know how each one looks to distinguish which one is showing.
Leg position
Leg position can reveal something important if you’re working in the corporate world, haggling with different people every day. Here are some leg positions you need to keep your eyes on.
If the knee of the person you are talking to is leaning towards you, it could mean that they are attentive in your subject matter, and they are comfortable in discussing it with you.
Contrastingly, suppose their knee or feet lean towards the exit. In that case, it could indicate that they feel pretty uncomfortable around you, uninterested, or they might have important matters to attend to but are too timid or considerate to tell you frankly.
Posture
When reading for a person’s posture, you need to ask yourself some questions. Do they cower or walk indecisively? If the person does, it might be because he has low confidence. Or do they hold their head high with a puffed-out chest, which can show confidence?
There are a variety of postures you can read a person from. If a person crosses his legs and arms, it could suggest self-protection, defensiveness, or anger. Usually, people who cross their legs tend to point the toes of their top leg towards the person they are comfy with.
