Writing Prompt #13: Language - Body Language

This post is my entry for @JonicaBradley's writing prompt #13: Language. @TengoLoTodo

The biggest role in human communication is non-verbal communication. What we see is usually telling others how we are feeling and our body language, touching, facial expression, and other forms of body languages can easily reveal that. In this article I will talk about different forms of body languages and what they reveal about us to others.

Table Of Content:

• Body Language: The Basics

• Touch

• Eye Contact

• Head Tilts

• Gestures

• Standing Posture

• Body Language Reveals Our Thoughts

• Body Language Reveals Our Emotions

• Body Language Can Influence Others

Body Language: The Basics

First off, let's define some terms. Body language is a term used to describe the way people move their bodies and speak with each other. There are many types of body languages, but for now we'll focus on two common ones:

• Tactile Communication: This involves things like touch, pressure or even just looking at someone's face. It could be something as simple as someone brushing past you when walking down the street.

• Semiotic Communication: This type of communication involves the use of hand gestures, eye contact and other forms of non-verbal communication. It can include higher levels of interaction, such as nodding heads to signify understanding.

Most of the time, people tend to use a mix of both types of communication when they communicate. For instance, if someone is telling you a funny story, you would see them telling parts of it with their facial expressions and using a few hand gestures.

Touching

Touching can range from simple as someone else's fingers accidently touching you on the bus to something as intimate as an embrace. Even the lack of touch can be meaningful. For instance, if you two sit on opposite sides of a table and don't even sit close enough that you could touch, it may still be implied, that you're comfortable enough with each other, that you could if you wanted to.

Touching can be a sign of warmth, affection or comfort. A hug can show a sign of friendship. Slapping someone on the back or shoulder can be to congratulate them. Putting a hand on someone's hip can be to reassure them. Placing a hand on someone's chest can show dominance or intimacy. Caressing someone can be a way to show affection.

Touching can reveal a lot, but overdoing it can make it seem unnatural or fake. Not all touching is accepted, some people are even uncomfortable with certain types of touching.

Eye Contact

The way someone looks at you can be very telling. Looking away when you're talking to someone or being ignored is a clear sign, that something is wrong. It can also show that someone is uncomfortable with what you have to say. Looking away when someone is telling a joke is sometimes funny, but can be seen as disrespectful towards the performer.

Someone who is dominating a conversation will maintain eye contact for long periods of time. Someone who is submissive will break eye contact frequently. Someone who is flirting will make lots of eye contact, while someone who is being honest may look away.

Maintaining or breaking eye contact can be used to show dominance or submissiveness. Someone who is attempting to show dominance over someone else may look away while someone else looks them in the eye. Someone attempting to show submissiveness will look at the dominant party while breaking gaze. Someone trying to flirt may look someone directly in the eyes, while making intense eye contact.

Head Tilts

When someone is telling you something, they may tilt their head slightly. Sometimes this is meant to show respect, other times it's to emphasize a point. Someone who is telling you that they're completely serious may even fix their gaze directly into yours while tilting their head. Someone who is trying to convince you, that what they're saying is true, will sometimes decrease the tilt of their head. A person who is lying will tilt their head when they're telling a lie.

Gestures

Many people make a lot of hand gestures when they speak. Not always for emphasis on the words, but sometimes just to show their mood or ideas. A curved hand can be used to show an idea or thought, that is similar to another idea or thought. A hand can be raised to make a point and lowered to dismiss that point. Raising a palm can be a sign of peace or even ignorance. Thumbing away a potential fight can be a gesture of restraint.

Standing Posture

Your posture can say a lot about who you are. A person with a confident stance is usually more likely to be truthful, because they don't believe what they're saying will change anything. A straight-backed person probably has a clear mind and hasn't lost themselves in the conversation. A slumped person usually has low self- esteem and probably is agreeing with what everyone else is saying to save face. A person who's standing with their arms crossed usually has a reason why what is being said isn't important. They're most likely covering up some sort of major insecurities.

Body Language Reveals Our Thoughts

We can't speak exactly through our body language, but there are some general ones, that can give away what we're feeling or thinking. Staring someone in the eyes shows doubt or questioning about what they're saying. Leaning forward shows interest. Shaking your head shows disapproval or disagreement. Raising an eyebrow can show confusion or interest. Folding your arms shows protection or unwillingness to communicate. Wringing your hands can show nervousness or nervousness about something. Bending over can be a sign of deference or submission.

These are just a few of the ways that you can communicate with other people. There are many more and as you learn them, you'll discover more about the world and yourself.

Body Language Reveals Our Emotions

Sighing A lot. We all do it. Sometimes it can just be the smallest sigh, like when you're trying to get rid of an annoying mosquito, that has flown into your ear. Other times, it's a major release of air, that has been pent up for a long time. The release can be out of frustration, air out a sigh of exasperation.

It can be relief, like when your team wins the game or when you score a goal. It can be sadness, like when you lose someone close to you. It can be anger, like when you find out about a betrayal. It can be fear, like when you get into an accident. It can be happiness, like when you finally pass your certification exam. It can be the smallest of smiles, like when someone says something nice to you. It can be laughter that assaults your ears, like when you watch an amusing show or film.

Emotion is expressed through the body, which sends messages to the brain through the nerves. Many emotions involve a combination of the facial expressions, postures and movements, that we make unconsciously. The way we hold ourselves and express certain emotions helps other people understand us better, and can make interactions with them easier.

Body Language Can Influence Others

Whether we want to be influenced or not, our body language can affect the way people perceive us. This is certainly true in the field of sales, and knowing how to read someone can often help you convince them to do what you want. At times, certain body language can be more successful than others. For example, if you're trying to convince someone of the benefits of a product, stressing on the benefits might work better, than emphasizing on the ease of use.

A calm, reasonable and collected approach is likely to be more effective, than an angry outburst. There are also some situations, where a high degree of emotionalism might not be the best choice. For instance, overly humble and apologetic body language might work against you if you've done nothing wrong.

A mid-ground approach, reflecting on your experience might be more effective. In general, it's best to reflect on the situation you're in and what your goals are. This will help you determine what your best course of action is.