7 physical cues that can help you read someone like an open book

Our bodies are truer than our words. Any evasion can be recognized if you pay enough attention. However, we do not recommend jumping to conclusions, because everyone is different from the other. This means that if you are going to analyze someone's behavior, you should start with a little preparation. The most important thing to remember when evaluating someone's body language is that each person has their own basic behavior. And do not forget about the context of the situation. So, crossed hands, which we may consider a sign of insecurity, can only indicate that the person is feeling cold. After analyzing the situation as a whole, you can draw the right conclusions about whether a person is lying, feeling anxious or just tired.

1. Handshake

The way a person shakes hands can help us form our first impression of him. Analysts talk about three types of handshakes:

Unpretentious - the palm is facing up:

dominant - the palm facing down;

Neutral - the hands of both people in the same position.

See how a new person reaches out to you and what they do. If someone has the dominant type of handshake, they are less likely to take someone else's opinion into account, and they are likely to wait for your approval. A modest or neutral handshake is best if you are going to discuss difficult topics or if you need to convince someone of something. Pay attention to the behavior of some politicians: when they want to gain an advantage in an argument, they add an unusual gesture (they pat people on the shoulder or pull their hands). As a result, the person may lose the trust they had before the meeting. Remember this so that you are not manipulated.

2. Smile

Watch how a person smiles. After taking a quick look, it will be easy for you to distinguish between a fake smile and a real smile because different muscle groups are responsible for it:

Sincere smile — the muscles of the resorious are used. They pull the corners of the lips up, and there are wrinkles around the eyes; the skin below the eyebrow may decrease slightly;

False smile – so-called laughing muscles are used, where you move the corners of the lips away from each other; the upper part of the face does not move.

When you notice that the person has a sincere smile, you can be sure that they feel comfortable with you.

3. Pay attention to their hands

Closed hand positions always indicate anxiety or bad mood:

Hands together.

The same applies to the situation in which a person holds a small object with both hands. These gestures can be used in various forms and sometimes are hidden. They are often shown by famous people. However, when a person puts their hands together, it means that it will be very difficult to reach an agreement with them. What's more, the cause of stress may be hypocrisy that always requires a certain emotional effort. Remember: the lower a person's hands, the worse the situation will be.

4. Watch how they change the position of their hands

When we put our hands behind our backs, on a subconscious level, we show the weak parts of our body. A person will make this gesture only if he is completely confident at that moment or if he feels superior. Most likely, they have nothing to hide and are completely honest with you (because even a small lie makes people nervous).

5. Estimate their stress level

Small movements such as fixing hair and other small things indicate the person anxiety and anxiety. This means that they are nervous at that moment:

Men often touch their faces;

Women touch their necks, clothes and hair.

These procedures help them stabilize their heart rate and calm down.

And by the way: playing with a pencil, whistling, moving legs are pointers to the same. Start talking about something positive if you notice that the person is beginning to feel stressed.

6. The legs are the most honest part of the body

Shaking the leg and tapping the foot usually indicates that a person feels uncomfortable. But this is not always true, there are a few things you should know:

When a person starts shaking their legs faster, they probably heard something nice.

When a person stops suddenly – it means that their mood has changed dramatically, perhaps in a negative way.

Watch out for all changes like this, especially when you have a business meeting. This will give you more information on how to continue the conversation. Be careful: If a person is sitting with their legs crossed and then begins to touch their knees, it means that their self-confidence is at risk. Put it in your imagination.

7. Look at the person's posture

The legs are wide open: a person tries to find some base of trust. This means that something is making them uncomfortable. The greater the distance between the legs, the more worried they are.

Legs crossed: opposite position. It's hard to stand, so in case of potential danger, that person won't be able to do much. That is, they do not think about any danger at that moment and feel comfortable and calm.

In addition, always pay attention to the feet.

Heel on the floor and tip up: This person is in a good mood. Maybe they just heard something nice. They may shut up, but their feet expose them.

Lifting the heel up and standing on the floor is a signal that a person is preparing to perform certain actions. Maybe they will leave and change the subject and are willing to do so. Or they think about whether they should lie to you or tell you the truth, and they are more likely to lean toward the former (because telling lies always requires more emotional effort).

What other tricks do you know that allow you to know if a person is lying? Are you able to use this knowledge while in conversation?