Body Language

Give me body give me-
Body - body - give me
Your body don't talk
Baby don't talk body
Language

Give me your body just
Give me your body give
Me your body Don't talk

Body language

When I logged onto the internet, my YAHOO home page came up with a story about body language.  I've always been curious about body language.

There was an episode of the NEW GIRL where Jess's best friend CeCe tried to convince her that her roommate Nick had the hots for her because he would direct his feet at her when he talked to her.  The thing is, don't most people direct their feet at you when they are talking to you?  If I'm standing right in front of you, I'm not going to turn my feet outwards (unless I'm about to do a ballet move or something.)

So, I decided to read the article.  The article left me wanting to know more about body language.  I prowled the internet for a variety of articles on the topic.

The most basic things I've learned are that if a person likes you, they will get close to you in some way, shape or form.  If they really like you, they will point some body part in your direction.  If they really really like you, they will touch you or touch something the way they'd like to touch you.

I don't pay attention to body language.  I'm usually way too busy doing other things.  However, after reading the articles, I may have to pay closer attention to how I move and how others around me move.  I might just be missing out on something.

Below are some factoids I've plucked from our vast internet.  Share and enjoy.

• If a smile is genuine, the corners of the eyes crinkle and the apples of the cheeks rise in addition to the corners of the mouth turning up.  If only the mouth turns up, the smile is not genuine.
• Whether you're sitting or standing, if a person's feet are pointed toward you, that's a signal that he/she enjoys your company and wants to stick around. But if his/her feet are angled away from you, odds are he'd/she'd rather be somewhere else.
• If you notice a person's hand balled into a fist with the thumb inside while he's staring down, he's feeling defensive.
• Psychologists believe that people often transfer inner feelings to external objects. So by stroking the stem of a wine glass (for example) a woman is using female body language to say "stroke me". By running her a pen across her lips she is saying "kiss me".
• Glancing sideways could show romantic interest.
• Glancing for a prolonged period of time could indicate sexual attraction.
• Gazing at you up and down could indicate an interest in you. Or your body. Or both.
• Avoiding your gaze could indicate trickery, lying, deceptive behavior or discomfort with the subject.
• When you become interested in someone, you will keep a smaller private distance between you and him compared to the distance you would leave otherwise while being with others. You will also notice that people who are interested in you will stand closer to you than to other people. 
• The closer they are, the warmer they are thinking of you. The farther away that someone is, the less they actually care of the situation or person. If you move slightly closer to them, do they move slightly further away? That means they don't want your interaction to be any more personal than it already is. If they don't move further away, then they are receptive. And if they respond by getting even closer to you, they probably really like you or are very comfortable around/by you.
• Cocked heads mean that they are confused or challenging you, depending on eye, eyebrow, and mouth gestures. Think of how a dog slightly cocks its head when you make a funny noise.
• Mirroring is another common gesture. If someone mirrors, or mimics your appearance, this is a very genuine sign that they are interested in you and trying to establish rapport with you. Try changing your body position here and there. If you find that they change theirs similarly, they are mirroring.
• If your date's palms are open it usually indicates that they are very comfortable and relaxed around you.
• When someone has dilated pupils it means that they are engaged and interested in what you are saying. It is often said that the eyes are the window to the soul. (Um, what if only ONE pupil is dilated???)
• The eyes do much signaling. Initially and from a distance, a person may look at you for slightly longer than normal, then look away, then look back up at you, again for a longer period if they are interested in you.
• There are many preening gestures. What you are basically saying with this is 'I am making myself look good for you'. This includes tossing of the head, brushing hair with hand, polishing spectacles and brushing clothes.
• Remote romantic language may also include enactment of sexually stimulating activities, for example caressing oneself, for example stroking arms, leg or face. This may either say 'I would like to stroke you like this' or 'I would like you to stroke me like this'.
• Similarly, the person (women in particular) may lick and purse their lips into a kiss shape and leave their mouth slightly open in imitation of sexual readiness.
• Objects held may be also used in enactment displays, including cigarettes and wine glasses, for example rolling and stroking them.
• Attractive parts of the body may be exposed, thrust forward, wiggled or otherwise highlighted. For women this includes breasts, neck, bottom and legs. For men it includes a muscular torso, arms or legs, and particularly the crotch (note that women seldom do this). 
• Faking often happens. Pressing together muscles gives the impression of higher muscle tone. Pressing together and lifting breasts (sometimes helped with an appropriate brassiere) makes them look firmer and larger. Holding out shoulders and arms makes the body look bigger. Holding in the abdomen gives the impression of a firm tummy.
• This is often playing to primitive needs. Women show that they are healthy and that they are able to bear and feed the man's child. The man shows he is virile, strong and able to protect the woman and her child.
• Leaning your body towards another person says 'I would like to be closer to you'. It also tests to see whether they lean towards you or away from you. It can start with the head with a simple tilt or may use the entire torso. This may be coupled with listening intently to what they say, again showing particular interest in them.
• A person who is interested in you may subtly point at you with a foot, knee, arm or head. It is effectively a signal that says 'I would like to go in this direction'.
• When we first see someone we're attracted to, our eyebrows rise and fall. If they like us back, they raise their eyebrows. The whole thing lasts about a fifth of a second and it happens everywhere in the world -- to everyone regardless of age, race, or class. 
• Lifting our brows pulls the eyes open and allows more light to reflect off the surface, making them look bright, large and inviting. A flash might be easy to miss but they're so reliable, if you do spot one, you may know someone likes you before they've even registered it themselves. Deliberately extend it for up to one second and you've drastically upped the chances of him getting the message you're interested.
• Standing with hands on hips accentuates his physical size and suggests body confidence. It's also a pointing gesture. We point with our hands at our own best sexual assets and also at the parts of our body where we'd most like to be touched. If he spends the night with his hands on his hips, fingers splayed and pointing downward, he's willing you to look, touch and admire the part he's proudest of. All subconscious, of course. Well, it is in most cases...
• If he's interested, he'll stroke his cheek up and down with the back of his fingers, touch his ears, or rub his chin. It's a combination of nervous excitement, preening and autoerotic touching. When we're attracted to someone, our skin (most noticeably our lips and mouth) become increasingly sensitive to touch and other stimulation. If you smoke, you'll take more drags on your cigarette. If you're drinking, you'll take more sips. You start touching your own mouth more because your lips are ultra sensitive and it feels good. Plus, it plants the idea in the other person's mind that it could be a good idea to kiss you.

Yeah.  I definitely need to pay more attention to people around me.

I'm smiling with my entire face as I write this.  My body is open and my arms are not crossed.  My feet are pointing in your direction.  I've tilted my head to one side and my pupils are dilated.  I'm stroking my arms and fiddling with the very long stem of a wine glass.  Up and down. Up and down.  I'm biting my lip and playing with my hair.