Tag Archive for Gesture

Non Verbal Body Language Dictionary ::W::

Did we forget a nonverbal term?  Suggest it in the comment box or e-mail it direct, and we’ll be ecstatic to add it!  With well over 500 terms, the BLP dictionary is growing to be the largest free nonverbal dictionary in the world!  Brought to you exclusively by The Body Language Project!  Visit our homepage for more free learning.

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Warding Harding error or The Harding effect: A term originating out of the twenty-ninth president Warren Harding who was voted into office based primarily on his outer appearance – he just looked presidential.  He had a booming voice, piercing eyes and charisma which was enough for the voters in the early 1920’s.  Author Malcolm Gladwell coined the term in his book Blink that says that we judge by appearance, and we judge quickly, but that this decision is not always correct.  Harding turned out to be corrupt and suffering from marital affairs demonstrating how dubbed voters had been.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - War of the eyesWar of the eyes:  A term originated from war where soliders cast eyes meant to intimidate, where darting eyes meet blank stares, and other eyes still looking for friendship that are met with eyes of fear.  The eyes can convey many meanings.

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Wave: The hand is raised and moved back and forth.  It is a long distance greeting gesture.

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Whining voice or whine: A voice trait aimed specifically at manipulating other people without using forceful words or asking for something outright.  It is sometimes sign-song like, high pitched and nagging.  Those who use whining voices are usually followers by nature and often prefer complain rather than take action to rectify issues hoping others will take care of them.  When suggestions are rejected, they often withdraw and pout.  Whiners often surround themselves with people who are sympathetic to their complaints and help them.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - WhisperingWhispering:  Talking at such a low level that it requires someone else to move into the speaker’s personal space zone creating intimacy.  It is an effective tactic in dating and attraction.

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Whistling: Blowing air over the lips and teeth to produce a high pitched sound – often producing a ‘tune’ with varying music notes.  Whistling indicates contentment, usually, however it can also signify the desire to be pacified making it context specific.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Wide ArmsWide arms: A long distance embrace-indicator.  The arms are spread wide apart and eye contact is established with the target or targets.  Entertainers can be seen performing this gesture toward their audience after completing a routine.

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Wiggle (the): An erotic gait type performed by women wishing to display femininity.  It is a shifting of the weight from one hip to the other.

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Wink: A gesture that usually signals sexual connotations whereby one eye closes for a split second while the other remains open.  Normally, men or overt women will perform this gesture to the opposite sex as a sexual invitation.  When done in good humour signifies a cheeky attitude.

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Witch’s brows: Naturally low set eyebrows making a women appear sinister.

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Whistling: A nonverbal message indicating contentment or conversely meant to pacify and calm.

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Wincing eyes: Wincing happens as the eyelids are quickly tightened.  An eyeblocking form of body language designed to prohibit distasteful images from being received at full view.  Wincing falls into the category of microexpressions since it happens quickly and lasts only fractions of a second, yet is full of meaning.  A person might wince when reading objectionable portions of a contract.  Wincing can also be due to the sudden approach of projectiles or the sun’s glare.

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Worry body language or worry: Body language that signals that a person is concerned about something and thinks there is a good chance there will be a negative outcome.  This emotion is usually accompanied by anxiousness, nervousness and fear.  Body language spelling worry include repetitive actions such as pacing, nail biting, wringing the hands, shaking, fidgeting, lack of focus and various pacifying behaviours such as rubbing the face or playing with hair.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Worry Facial ExpressionWorry facial expression: A facial expression where the eyebrows come together in the middle.

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Wrench forward handshake: Done by pulling someone in closer and indicates a desire to control someone by pulling them into their personal space.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Wrist Displays 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Wrist Displays 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Wrist Displays 3Wrist displays: Exposures of the wrist and neck are linked to visceral responses linked to submissiveness and are displayed during courtship by women.

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Wrist hold handshake: An intimate handshake more common for politicians than ordinary people where the wrist of the other person is grasped with the left hand.

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The Body Language Project is the result of a decade of personal research including a thorough review of over 60 primary scientific research journal articles. Learning body language forms the perfect foundation for success in ALL your communication.

If you are only picking up on what is being said, you are missing more than half of the message.

For more information on BodyLanguage be sure to check out: BodyLanguageProject.com and the Ebook – The Body Language Guide to Dating, Attraction and Sexual Body Language.

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Non Verbal Body Language Dictionary ::S::

Did we forget a nonverbal term?  Suggest it in the comment box or e-mail it direct, and we’ll be ecstatic to add it!  With well over 500 terms, the BLP dictionary is growing to be the largest free nonverbal dictionary in the world!  Brought to you exclusively by The Body Language Project!  Visit our homepage for more free learning.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Primary Emotions SadnessSadness: A raise of the inner eyelids into an inverted “V” accompanied by a lift of the lower eyelids.  Often accompanied by lines across the forehead with the mouth pulled downward and a droop in the eyelids.  Sadness also sees an overall depletion of energy, enthusiasm, trembling, slowing of metabolism and crying.

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Salute or obeisance: A gesture done by raising the hand with fingers outstretched rigidly to the side of the head near the temple.  It is usually done in a military context, but can also be done in ordinary context.  The gesture is designed to show respect among rank.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sarcasm Or SarcasticSarcasm or sarcastic: These are body language signals that show mock approval or enthusiasm.  An example showing sarcasm is a distorted or uneven smile where the mouth is raised only on one side.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Scanning Eye MovementsScanning eye movements: An eye pattern used when gathering information from the surroundings.  It is characterized by raised eyebrows and wide eyes to provide the maximum field of view.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - ScornScorn: Sometimes flashing as a microexpression.  It is a combination of anger and disgust that happens by wrinkling of the nose, raising and tightening of the upper lip.  To visualize this expression think of a bad smell.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - ScratchingScratching: In proper context indicates uncertainty and a lack of knowledge such as when being asked a question.  The scratching behaviour is a pain inducer which causes painkilling hormones to be released to create relaxation in the face of emotional discomfort.  Other times, scratching is simply to alleviate an itch.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Scratching The NeckScratching the neck: This is a stress related behaviour aimed at pacifying and also protecting since the neck is a vulnerable part of the body.  Scratching the neck is done when under stress and when faced with uncertainty.

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Screaming or shouting (a):  When motivated by anger, screaming or shouting says that a person has lost their dignity and resolve and says that a person has lost control.

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Screaming or shouting (b): When motivated by happiness screaming signals ecstasy and good fortune.  A person might scream when they win a match or are reunited with loved ones.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Seated Body PointingSeated body pointing: Directing torsos, legs, feet, arms, hands and head toward those we are most interested in, or agree with the most.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Seated Readiness 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Seated Readiness 2Seated readiness: A body postures that indicate a desire to take action which is especially useful in sales and negotiation.  Examples include placing the hands on the thighs in the sprinters position and leaning forward onto the balls of the feet as if ready to spring up.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Secretiveness Body Language 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Secretiveness Body Language 2Secretiveness body language: When a person wishes to withhold information from other people.  Secretive people often reveal very little about themselves and their personal lives or may keep certain facets of their life private.  Secretive body language includes maintaining distance both emotionally and often physically, whispering, guarded posture with shoulders hunched, covering the mouth, body oriented away, pursed lips, tight jaw, frequent glancing down during conversations, eye avoidance, routinely hiding tracks and removing personal belongings from view.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Security BlanketsSecurity blankets:  Any object that is stroked our touched when someone is under pressure.  They arise out trying to keep our hands busy or perhaps as a tactile response.  Even those that spend a lot of time in front of large numbers of people feel the need for a security blanket.  The cuff link is a common choice when crossing an open room or when coming up on stage to perform a speech or accept an award.  Other security blankets can include handbags, bracelets, watches, shirt buttons or brief cases.

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Seducer eyes: An intimate gaze that produces attraction in the opposite sex.

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Seduction: The behavioural process resulting in sexual intercourse.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Self Administered HugSelf administered hug: When the arms are crossed and wrapped around the body.  At times, the hands will pacify by rubbing the shoulders.  Hugs, done in this way, indicate a need for reassurance as a mother would sooth a child.

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Self-awareness: The consciousness of how ones self is viewed by others through nonverbal channels.  Nonverbal self awareness includes overall attractiveness, marketability, capacity to impress, and having a lack of objectionable characteristics.

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Self branding: The creation of a polished self image such that it increases its marketability.  Branding says that in all facets of life, a person is selling themselves, be it to friends, family and at work.

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Self monitors: Defined as the desire or ability to regulate oneself to fit into any given environment.  “High self monitors” are more likely to change their behaviour in lieu of the situation and seem to be less consistent across context.  This personality type is more likely to mirror others.  “Low self monitors” are just the opposite, and remain almost the same across situations.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Self SlappingSelf slapping: When the open palm is quickly slapped against the head and have various meanings depending on its location.  For example a forehead slap means that a person realizes they’ve made a mistake and a hand slapping the back of the neck indicates that they feel someone is being a pain.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Self-Motivating GesturesSelf-motivating gestures: Gestures that indicate an attempt to create better functioning such as tapping the head, drumming the fingers, the chin or a pen, tapping the keyboard, or making circular motions with the hands.

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Sex-coloured-glasses: Because men have twenty times more testosterone than women, they tend to view all cues put out by women as displaying sexual interest.  This makes their ability to read proper interest in women clouded.

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Sex flush: A measles-like rash appearing as women (and sometime men) nears orgasm.  It appears on the breasts and chest and is found in nearly seventy-five percent of women and twenty-five percent of men.  This sex flush is not found at any other time and is not a reaction to temperature.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sexual Hair PlaySexual hair play: Hair play is done by women who intent to show off their luxurious hair to men.  Hair tosses can be done by flicking the hair over the shoulder, twirling or rolling it and placed on top of the head, running it through the fingers or wrapping the hair around the neck.

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Sexual harassment body language: Any nonverbal body language that offends another person in a sexual manner such as unwanted come-ons, crude sexual joke, eye contact, touching, and so forth.  There is much controversy about sexual harassment stemming from the fact that it is defined differently between the sexes.  Women feel that any man is grounds to harass whereas men feel that it can only come from women in more powerful position than them (bosses, managers).  Women also define harassment from its origin.  Meaning that touch from more attractive men is not harassment, but when the same form of touching coming from less attractive men is deemed otherwise.

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Sexual suggestiveness attire or fashion: A person who chooses dress that is exceptionally sexy and revealing.  This type of fashion can be worn by a person who is either confident or insecure, but in either case, is trying to gain the attention of others.  This type of person is usually self-centered, vain and extroverted.  When worn out of context, sexy attire reveals a lack of good judgment.  The sexy dresser is also often sexually liberated, but also can be a confident tease.

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Sexy son hypothesis: Women favour men who are more dominant for random “one-night-stands” because they will receive no parental care but will foster “sexy son” as offspring.  Women will seek men who are sexier during peak ovulation and “softer” men who make good fathers at other times.

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Shake and wait approach: A technique that helps decide the level of liking that is present.  It is done by shaking hands as usual then taking a step backwards and seeing what transpires.  Someone that likes the other person will shrink the distance, while those that don’t, will maintain distance and even aim their bodies away.  Other times distance is maintained for cultural or personal reasons.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Shoe PlayShifty eyes or darting eyes: Happens when the eyes dart all over the room to focus on anything but someone else’s eyes and is habitually associated with lying.  However, research has shown that most practiced liars hold gaze even more strongly than normal.

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Shoe play: An indicator of comfort and agreement, usually found in a courtship setting done by a woman where the heel of the shoe is removed or the entire shoe dangled from a toe.  When agreement and comfort is not established the shoe will be put back on so as to be more prepared to escape.

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Short grabber/finger grabber handshake:  A handshake whereby only the fingers make it into the hand.  Short grabbers are usually insecure but often try to hide this by coming off as dominant.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Shoulder EmbraceShoulder embrace: A nonverbal signal of affection where arms are put around another’s shoulders.  This might occur between adult men, or between a mother and her child and is therefore non-sexual in nature.

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Shoulder shake: A conspicuous vibration, hunching and raise and lowering of the shoulders in secession accompanying laughter.  It is also termed “shaking with laughter.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Shoulder Shrugs Or Shoulder RiseShoulder shrugs or shoulder rise: A universal expression of doubt and uncertainty.  They are done by moving the shoulders upward toward the ears.  Shoulder shrugs can signify ignorance, indifference, helplessness, or resignation.

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Shoe play: A cue put out by women who wish to draw men’s attention to their sexiness.  It is done by dangling a shoe by the toe or bouncing the leg up and down.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sideways Glance Or Sidelong Glance Or Glancing SidewaysSideways glance or sidelong glance or glancing sideways: Done by shifting the eyes to the left or right without moving the head.  It indicates hostility when accompanied by appropriate cues in a cluster or attraction/interest when it is done so as to avoid detection.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sideways Glance Over Raised Shoulder 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sideways Glance Over Raised Shoulder 2Sideways glance over raised shoulder: A sexual signal done by women to draw attention to their desire to be subordinate.  It is usually done by lowering the head slightly and “peering up” at the man of her interest.

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Sighs: An exhalation of air accompanied with a low huff or tone.  This signifies frustration, being overwhelmed or weighted down, burdened and thoughts of powerlessness.  Other times sighs are done at the completion of a difficult task spelling relief.  Sighs can be so low as to be barely distinguishable from ordinary exhalation.

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Sign language: A set of visual expressions of the hands, arms, body and face designed specifically to convey meaning from one person to another.  Sign language is the primary language for deaf people and is a form of body language.

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Silent language: The set of information which transferable from person to person of which there are no sounds whatever.  Silent language is a set of gestures, postures and facial expressions emitted all of the time, by all people regardless of their intentions.

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Situational awareness: Having a sense of where one is at all times with respect to the environment and the people in it.  It is a total picture of what is happening with every, or most of the facets going on around a person.  A nonverbalist must have a high situational awareness to be a proficient ready of nonverbal communication.

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Skepticism (nonverbal): A trait that serves the body language reader well especially those interested in detecting lies.  Being skeptical is what makes readers aware of their surroundings and question other people’s true motives.  Taking to elevators with strangers without looking them over, ignoring disheveled or inebriated homeless men, or even the well kept, yet out of place business man, can lead to unwanted results.  The skeptical nonverbalist is someone who reads everyone all the time and expects that until proven otherwise, are up to no good.  He or she reads people as if they are hiding their true emotions from others for direct gain, or to protect themselves from looking disadvantaged in one form or another.  The skeptical reader, seeks to uncover these features in others through reading their total self including their postures, gestures, fashion, facial expressions, eye patterns, and movements.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Skirt Hike 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Skirt Hike 2Skirt hike: The skirt hike happens completely subconsciously with little, and usually no awareness at all.  The “skirt hike” happens by fingering and play with the bottom ridge of the skirt.  Other times, the skirt hike happens in a more pronounced way by grabbing the bottom of the skirt and pulling it up a few inches or more, to reveal more leg.

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Slow speech or slow talking or slow talker: A speech trait where the speaker talks at a rate that is slower than ordinary.  Can be due to comfort and relaxation, or discomfort.  Slow speech can be due to trying to make an important point, anxiousness, confusion, lying, grief, fatigue, deep thought, illness or the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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Smells or olfaction or odors: A very powerful area of nonverbal communication that is rarely given the importance it deserves. This area of body language covers all aspects of odor from those consciously perceived to those which are not such as pheromones.  A person can read very distinct habits from a person’s odor.  They can detect their hygiene such as if they’ve recently washed their hair, the types of soaps they use, if they’ve brushed their teeth recently or used mouth wash and it has been postulated that a man can detect a women’s ovulation cycle.  Studies also show that women prefer men to carry scents of other women as a means of attraction.  Scents can tell you if a person smokes, what they’ve eaten and so forth.  Environmental scents are also important to the nonverbalist.  They tell of recent rain such as wet grass, fresh baking, lingering cologne signaling a foreign presence, pollution or cleaning chemicals and so forth which provide hints as to activities occurring nearby.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Smiles 1Smiles: Many biologists think the smile had roots as a fearful gesture as a sort of “fear grin”.  Smiles are controlled by two sets of muscles which are the zygomatic major muscles, that run down the side of the face to connect to the corners of the mouth and the orbicularis oculi muscles that pull the eyes back.  Today though, human smiles are a universally submissive gesture to show we are non-threatening and they also symbolize pleasure, amusement, or anxiety (grimace).

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Smooth movements: Controlled and conscious movements of the hands, arms, feet, head and torso that do not dart or jerk in any way.  The voice is steady, low and in control, it does not raise, yell or scream.  This fluidity demonstrates confidence, control, authority, trust, and commands respect from others.  It says Alpha.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Sneering Or Sneer (the)Sneering or sneer (the): Sneers activate the buccinator muscles located on the sides of the face to draw the corners of the lips sideways toward the ears.  Sneering is universal signal of contempt, arrogance, disapproval and disrespect.

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Social dynamics: The study of the interaction humans have with each other inside society at large.  To the realm of nonverbal behaviour, social dynamics represents the influence body language has on a group of people inside a given situation.

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Social gaze: Non-threatening eye contact that travels in a triangular pattern from eye to eye then to the mouth making some but infrequent trips to the rest of the body.  This gaze is brief, lasting only a few seconds followed by breaks in eye contact.

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Social touching: Touching between friends and family including hand holding, hugging, offering a hand to steady, helping someone with their coat.

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Sociology: Is a realm of study that looks at society and how it functions using very broad disciplines.  To the nonverbalist, sociology looks at the effects of body language on social order, its maintenance and its effects.

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Social space zone: A distance of five to twelve feet which we employ as a buffer between people we interact with for everyday relationships that we do not know well.

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Soft voice: A voice that is so quiet it is difficult to make out what is being said.  This voice trait is sometimes used to manipulate others who strain to hear what is being said or mean that the speaker lacks confidence and assertiveness.  Other times a soft voice implies a quiet confidence from a person who lacks a desire to control a conversation.  Other meanings of soft voice includes a withdrawl from a conversation due to confrontation, discomfort or nervousness, grief or sorrow, that a person is lying, forcing a person to move closer (power play), to limit what is being heard, tiredness or illness.

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Sommer, Robert: Distinguished professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Davis who began researching the use of space in the 1950’s.  He’s best known for his book “Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design” published in 1969.  He also authored “Expertland”, “Personal Space”, “Design Awareness”, “Tight Spaces”, “Street Art”, “Sidewalk Fossils”, “The End of Imprisonment”, “The Mind’s Eye”, “A Practical Guide to Behavioral Research”, among others.

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Song-like laughs: Also called voiced laughs and are typically sounds such as “ha,ha,ha” or “he,he,he”.  Song like laughs are seen as more attractive in both sexes rather than unvoiced laughter.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Space InvasionSpace invasion: Happens when people come to close to another such that it creates anxiety and defensive body language.

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Spatial awareness: The ability to properly control and use space to a person’s benefit.  This includes respecting (or disrespecting as in a power play) space zone, their touch restrictions, and even voice volume.  It also includes the relationship of the body to nearby objects and a person’s position in a room.  To have a poor sense of spatial awareness a person lacks a sense of their surroundings.  To the nonverbalist it includes a cognition of how space is used with the people around them so as to read hidden messages of like, dislike, intimacy, etc.

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Spatial empathy: An informal term used by expatriate workers in Hong Kong and then later into Japan and China who were typically from Australia, England, France and the United States.  Even though the city itself was very westernized, the walkways and public transport system were very crowded by comparison.  Preventing intrusion into their personal space was proven difficult and at times impossible.  Spatial empathy therefore describes a state or mind whereby people are either aware of the needs of peoples space or are not.

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Spatial needs: The relative amount of area that is reserved for a person of which no one else is permitted to enter.

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Speech hesitation: Differing from pauses, speech hesitations are time wasters imparted by people who lack the knowledge to properly and directly address concerns.  They usually use filler words such as “hmms” and “ahhs” or “like.”  Speech hesitation says that a person lacks confidence.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Speech-Independent GesturesSpeech-independent gestures: A deliberate body language cue that is a replacement for a specific word or short phrase which are usually culturally specific.  Examples include shoulder shrugs for “I don’t know”, waving for “Hello” or “Goodbye”, Index finger to lips for “Be quiet”, etc.

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Speech-related gestures: A deliberate body language cue that accompanies speech serving to punctuate, emphasize and to regulate the flow of speech.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Splay Or Splaying 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Splay Or Splaying 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Splay Or Splaying 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Splay Or Splaying 4 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Splay Or Splaying 5Splay or splaying: When the body is made to appear larger by spreading out the arms and legs, leaning back and puffing out the chest.  It is a high confidence and high dominance display.  It often indicates territoriality and in the wrong context disrespect and indifference.

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Spontaneous body language: Body language that occurs automatically, unintentionally and without conscious awareness.  These include various visceral fear responses as well as other nonverbals which are leaked.  Throughout life, people are taught to manage these naturally occurring gestures, postures and signals but they are usually readily occurring in young children and teenagers such as when the stare and point at unique looking people.  Extroverted individuals also emit more spontaneous body language when compared to introverted individuals.  Spontaneous nonverbal language is the most useful type since it represents true underlying emotions rather than deliberate body language.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 4 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 5 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Spreading Body Language 6Spreading body language: When the body takes up more space rather than less space.  For example, the arms might be placed over the back of the chair rather than crossed and the legs might be spread apart.  It indicates dominance and comfort.

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Square jaws: A masculine facial feature that has been tied to female preference for one-night-stands.  It is also rated by women as a feature predictive of less stability in child rearing (fatherhood) and so men with square jaws are chosen more often during lustful affairs, rather than for long term relationships.

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Square table seating: Square tables can form defensive, competitive and cooperative arrangements depending on seating location.  Cooperate by sitting side by side across a corner and competitive by facing head on across the table.  They are ideal for short meetings, or to create superior or subordinate relationships.

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Stalling body language or stalling tactics: Body language that delays decision making.  It is usually found as the time nears to sign contracts, fill out paper work, or purchase orders.  It includes behaviours such as cleaning glasses, taking a smoke break, sipping a drink, adjusting clothing, or chatting about topics that are insignificant.

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Stammering eyes: The action of keeping the eyes closed for prolonged periods of time.  Can sometimes give liars away.

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Standing at attention: A standing position where the legs are together, neither one in front of the other.  It signifies “no comment” and a person who has neither committed to stay or go.  It is used more often by women than by men, and it happens when meeting with higher ranking people indicating subordination.

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Standing square:  When people who speak to each other stand facing each other directly.  It is a confrontational orientation similar to those nearing, or in physical conflict.

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Stardust chairs or stardust seating positions: These are the seats flanking the head of the table which are those with the second most powerful. They are called stardust because they are close enough to the leader that his star power or “dust” is likely to rub off on them.  When these chairs are usurped it signifies that a person is a wannabe leader rather than one deserved based on performance.

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Stare or gaze fixation or eye threat: An offensive eye pattern where the eyes often remain unblinking and threatening or leer at another person for an uncomfortable length of time.  It is as if the eyes are assaulting and of which the eye contact is done without permission and of which violates the moral looking time and so produces, and is the result of, negative (but sometimes sexual) feelings.

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Stare test: A test to verify if a person is purposely overstepping the moral looking time.  It involves making eye contact initially with a stranger, then frequent and randomly looking back to see if the stranger is still looking.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Starter’s Position (the) Or Knee Clasp (the) Or Sitting At The Edge Of The Chair 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Starter’s Position (the) Or Knee Clasp (the) Or Sitting At The Edge Of The Chair 2Starter’s position (the) or Sprinter’s position or knee clasp (the) or Sitting at the edge of the chair: A readiness gesture and an intension movement indicating a desire to end a conversation and leave, or take some other form of action.  It is done by placing both hands on the knees when seated and leaning forward.  While standing it happens by placing the hands on the hips.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stature And HeightStature and height: One of the most important physical qualities in maintenance and creation of dominance especially in men.  Studies show that the relative height of a man translates directly into earning potential and sexual attractiveness as defined by women.  Women are also affected by height, except in a much different way.  Women who are taller are seen as less desirable by men, but also as more dominant.

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Steinzor effect: When larger groups meet in the competitive arrangement with many people facing one another across a rectangular table, it is most often the person to the front of the speaker directly across the table that talks next, and rarely the person to their side.  This has been termed the “Steinzor effect” and was named after the researcher Dr. Bernard Steinzor in 1950 who first discovered the occurrence.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stealing LooksStealing looks:  A look that is stolen is one that happens by looking to the sides without turning the head.  Both sexes do it to check out a sexual prospect, a rival while at the same time remain safe from detection.

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Step to the right handshake technique: A method of thwarting the palm-down dominant handshake presented by a power player.  It involves stepping forward with the left foot as you reach to shake hands, then stepping forward with the right foot so as to move across the body and into the other person’s personal space while twisting their hand from downward facing, to even and then upward facing.  Finally, the left leg is brought forward.  The goal, and the result of this technique, is to turn what would have been a submissive palm up handshake into a palm even or palm down dominant handshake.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stiff ArmStiff arm:  A defensive arm distancing posture that happens by thrusting the arm forward and away from the body with the palm face vertical in a “stop” type signal in order to indicate to another person that they have overstepped personal space boundaries.

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Stiff arm and thrust forward handshake:  A handshake that occurs by thrusting forward after meeting so as to put another off balance.  Comes from people who require more space than ordinary.

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Stiff upper-lip (the): Done by compressing the lips tightly and indicates thought process when someone is trying to come up with an alternate idea.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 4 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 5 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 6 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Stroking Body Language 7Stroking body language: Gestures that include touching the face, cheek, head, neck, shoulder, arm, hand or leg in response to negative stimulus in order to create comfort and to pacify.

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Stride (the): A cool but dominant gait type characterized by unusually long strides.

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Strutting: A swagger while walking that displays confidence, dominance and usually sex appeal.  Men are said to strut when trying to appear masculine in the eye of women.

Women can also strut, but it’s not as typical as it is for men.  Shoulders back, head up, as if swimming through the air moving the upper body back and forth.

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Stubborn or stubbornness: An emotion delineating a lack of desire to cooperate conveyed through body language by gestures and postures.  The cues include arm crossing, a closed leg posture, staring eyes or down-turned head, a tight mouth and sometimes even pouting.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Submissive Body Language 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Submissive Body Language 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Submissive Body Language 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Submissive Body Language 4Submissive body language: Any body language that forces the one to take up less space.  It can include shoulders hunched, arms folded inward or crossed, or legs together.  The tighter the body position the more submissive the body language.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SubstitutingSubstituting: One of the six main categories of body language.  This is body language that is used to directly replace verbal words.  A person might use body language rather than words when the words are embarrassing to speak, too difficult to speak, a person can’t find the right words so uses gestures or wishes to avoid conflict.  Substitution includes such body language as turning the toes and torso away from a person when wishing to end a conversation.

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Sub-typical: A person or group of people who fall on the left side of a gradient or bell curve in terms of their actions or popularity.  They are below average.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Suckling 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Suckling 2Suckling: The mouth and lips are full of nerve endings which, when stimulated, provides tactile gratification and comfort.  However, anytime the fingers go to the mouth or play with the side of the mouth or lip, it’s a retrogressive action indicating insecurity since the gesture is an attempt to pacifying as an infant would.

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Sudden nonverbal changes: Are nonverbal patterns that, in a moment’s time, change.  They indicate the presence of a telltale stimulus and one worth noting to the body language reader.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SupplicationSupplication: Refers to body language that is designed to lower inherent self value in the eye of someone else who holds something desirable in hopes of obtaining it from them.  Nonverbal supplication involves leaning forward to show interest while speak with someone, rather than leaning back, forcing them to chase.  There are some cases where supplication is warranted such as conceding to higher ranking officials or employers, but others where it is ill advised, such as in dating, where the creation and maintenance of social value is paramount, especially in men.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Suprasternal Notch Or Neck Dimple 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Suprasternal Notch Or Neck Dimple 1Suprasternal notch or neck dimple: The dimple located just below the neck between the Adam’s apple and the breast bone which women habitually cover when nervous, distressed, threatened, insecure, fearful or uncomfortable.

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Super female signals: The exaggeration of features that are characteristic of the female sex, and of which men find particularly appealing.  For example, super sexual signals include breasts that are not only large, but very large, feet that are not only small, but very small, hips that are not only wide, but very wide.  This extends to long hair, long eyelashes, long legs and hairlessness (except the head).

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Super-typical: A person or group of people who fall on the right side of a gradient or bell curve in terms of their actions or popularity.  They are above average.

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Suppressed expressions: Facial expressions that appear subconsciously, but are quickly impeded or modified so as to conceal them from view and present a more desirable expressions.  Reading these cues can indicate honest feelings.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Surprised Facial Expression Or SurprisedSurprised body language: A state of mind usually accompanied by fear, excitement or pleasure.  Body language indicating surprise include stepping backwards or away to avoid the stimulus, ducking or head covering, extending the arms and legs outward, jumping upwards, dropping the mouth, widening the eyes, gasping or screaming.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SurprisedSurprised facial expression or surprised:  Characterized by an upward curve of the eyebrows, widening of the eyes to reveal the whites and a drop of the jaw.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Suspicious Body Language Or SuspicionSuspicious body language or suspicion: Nonverbal cues that indicate that a person is wary of another’s motives and so is pensive.  Eye squinting and having focused eyes that track a target are two ways suspicion is conveyed.  Other body language indicating suspicion includes furrowed brows, turning the head sideways then upwards as if thinking, peering over glasses and tightening of the lips.

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Swagger: A way of carrying the body that emits extreme confidence and self esteem, strength, charisma, a sense of masculinity, and even danger.  Having swagger implies that a person has excellent and attractive body language including posture and movement, eye patterns and voice tonality such that it creates envy in men and awe in women.

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Sweating: A limbic response due to high stress or anxiety.  It usually occurs in the armpits, hands and often the forehead.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Symbolic StrippingSymbolic stripping: Includes loosening ties, removing jackets or over-shirts, rolling up the sleeves, undoing buttons and so forth.  The nonverbal message it entails is mixed since it depends on context.  It can deliver a sexual message in a romantic situation, getting down to business at work, or comfort when done around friends.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SymbolsSymbols: Learned gestures that represent particular sentiments.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SymmetrySymmetry: Having equal proportions from the right to the left side.  Extensive scientific research shows that symmetry is a key element to beauty, especially as it applies to the face.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - SynchronySynchrony: When the body’s of two people seem to have a flow or to be moving in unison.  Synchrony happens when the arm and leg movements mirror or echo the person or persons they are interacting with, when verbal cues are copied, or even when attire is matched building commonality.  Synchrony indicates agreement of ideas and that a common ground has been established.

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The Body Language Project is the result of a decade of personal research including a thorough review of over 60 primary scientific research journal articles. Learning body language forms the perfect foundation for success in ALL your communication.

If you are only picking up on what is being said, you are missing more than half of the message.

For more information on BodyLanguage be sure to check out: BodyLanguageProject.com and the Ebook – The Body Language Guide to Dating, Attraction and Sexual Body Language.

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Non Verbal Body Language Dictionary ::P::

Did we forget a nonverbal term?  Suggest it in the comment box or e-mail it direct, and we’ll be ecstatic to add it!  With well over 500 terms, the BLP dictionary is growing to be the largest free nonverbal dictionary in the world!  Brought to you exclusively by The Body Language Project!  Visit our homepage for more free learning.

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Pat (the): Done near the end of a hug when a person wishes to “submit” and break away – ending the hug.

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Patterning: A rapport building speech technique that involves mirroring the types of words used by another person within a category, meaning either, visual, auditory or kinesthetic.  For example, if your target used sentences like “I see that” implying they are a visual learner, one would pattern them by asking them “how does that look to you?” or “You’d really look good doing such and such.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pacifier 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pacifier 1Pacifier: A nonverbal cue that is done to produce calm such as stroking the hair, mouthing a pencil, smoking a cigarette, licking the lips, rubbing the chin, and so forth.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pacify 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pacify 2Pacifying or pacify or self-stimulating gestures: Gestures done specifically to sooth or calm underlying stress, anxiety and emotional discomfort, as a child would do by sucking on a pacifier.  They include sucking on a pen or finger, stroking the hair or arm, touching the neck, and any myriad of other person specific cue. By watching for pacifiers the nonverbalist can uncover sources of anxiety in real time as pacifiers follow closely with their originators.

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Pace: A speech related term referring the relative speed with which communication takes place.  The speed of speech tells us about the character of a person through nonverbal channel.  Those who speak quickly are thought to be of lower confidence, while those that speak too slowly – of lower intelligence.  Having “good pace” is when there is proper balance between quickness and slowness where confidence is conveyed.  Pace covers appropriate pausing, and rhythm.

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Pacing (a): A classic of anxiety and a form of energy displacement because it gives us something to do and burns extra calories and releases positive natural pain killers to create relaxation.

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Pacing (b): When two people match speech patterns exactly or nearly, we can this “pacing.”

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Pale face or Blanching: Terms used to describe a white appearance that is cast over the face during periods of high anxiety or illness.  When the body enters its flight or fight response, blood is diverted from the body’s periphery to its large muscle groups including the legs and arms.  This draws blood away from the face and neck to make them appear white.

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Pale skin or pale complexion: When the skin is very light due to lack of UV exposure.  This is due to having few outdoor activities and lacking vanity to use artificial tanning machines like tanning beds.  Other reasons include a health conscious attitude leading a person to protect the skin against harmful rays, a cold climate keeping a person indoors or when sun exposure is limited to geographic location.

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Palmar sweat glands: Sweat glands that are found in the grip lines in the palms that respond directly to stress rather than to an increase in temperature.  Interestingly, while sleeping and under relaxed conditions these glands are not activated, however as stress increases, palm sweating increases, so these provide a good indicator of stress.  If palms are bone dry, one is relaxed.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Palm Down DisplayPalm down: Palm down displays show emphatically that a position is held confidently.  Hands usually are palm down on a table when speaking on a topic or issue.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Palm Flash Or Palm Display Or Palm Up 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Palm Flash Or Palm Display Or Palm Up 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Palm Flash Or Palm Display Or Palm Up 1Palm flash or palm display or palm up:  In evolutionary terms, the palm display is an important gesture signifying honesty because it is a way to make evident to others that no threat or weapon is present (such as spear, sword or bow and arrow). Palm flashes are essentially what would have happened thousands of years ago when two foreign tribes met.  Palm and wrist displays have also been noted to be sexual in nature and more frequently flashed by women during courtship likely because it is such a vulnerable part of the body.

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Palm down handshake: A palm orientation where it faces downward and is dominant in nature.

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Palm up handshake: Where the palm is oriented to face upward meant to show submissiveness.

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Palm even handshake: Where the palms of both handshakers are perfectly vertical (neither up, nor down) indicating an egalitarian relationship.

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Palm finger stroke: A gestures that happens by stroking the inside of the palm with the fingers.  Palm finger stroking is due to doubt or mild confidence issues.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Palm PowerPalm power: The harnessed ability to convey diverse meaning with use of the palms alone.  Palm-up, palm-down and palm even all represent different things, from authority to submission.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pan Faced Or Stone FacedPan faced or stone faced: A term with similar meaning as “poker face” that describes a face devoid of emotional expression.

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Panhandler’s approach (the):  Making eye contact is a way to personify other people and by the same measure, avoiding eye contact makes people insignificant.  This is why eye contact is avoided between masters and their servants, bosses and certain employees, and regular citizens and panhandlers.  It says “I don’t recognize your existence.”

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Parade: Women emphasize their hips with a walk called the “parade” which happens when a woman walks with exaggerated swinging or rolling of the hips, back arched, stomach flat, breasts protruding, and head held high.  Studies show us that women out of committed relationship naturally walk in this manner to attract attention.

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Paralanguage or paralinguistic sounds or paralingual: Those elements of speech that are “para” (beside) the words which are spoken such as pitch, tone of voice, rate of speech, intensity or emphasis and volume.  These all convey additional meaning that is on top of the meaning conveyed by words.  Tone of voice can convey emotions, personality can come through voice quality and speech errors can provide indications of mood.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Parallel LegsParallel legs:  Happens when the legs are crossed one leg over the knee, but with the legs pressed together.  One leg pressed against the other makes the legs sexier and more youthful in appearance.  The legs parallel is a sign of femininity because men aren’t able to perform this posture.

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Paraverbal and verbal cues in deception: At times verbal and paraverbal cues betray the liar and these are cues tied directly to the words in which they speak.  Although they fall outside the realm of body language at large, they do define cues associated with deception.  They include vocal tension, hectic speech, faltering speech, expressing self doubt, negative complaints or statements, defensiveness or aggressiveness, changes in pitch (high low or monotone), shaky or soft voice, stuttering, false starts, silent pauses, filled pauses, delayed response, appearing to be thinking, admitted lack of memory, tentative construction of sentences, , improper structure or grammar, implausible story, inconsistent story, superfluous details, clearing the throat and spontaneous corrections.

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Parted lips: A sexual attraction signal done by women.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Partial Arm Cross 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Partial Arm Cross 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Partial Arm Cross 3Partial arm cross: Includes holding the opposite elbow in the hand, with that hand dropped to the side.  It can also happen by reaching across to grab the opposite shoulder.  Both postures form a barrier across the core of the body and signals to others that they don’t wish others to come close.

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Passive listening: The opposite of active listening where a person does not reflects on what is being said and lacks nonverbal indicators.  A passive listener holds poor or no eye contact, is sometimes unblinking as if glazed over, orients away from the speaker with their torso despite facing them, and fails to nod their head at all or nods inappropriately.

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Pat on the behind: A sexual, but sometimes friendly slap done to the rear end.  When done by men on women it usually takes on a sexual meaning, but sports athletes commonly use the gesture to build comradery.

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Patting: A reassurance gesture done by repeatedly and rhythmically applying the hand to the back, head, thigh or other.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - PeacockingPeacocking: A term used by the pick-up artist community that describes the dress or fashion designed specifically to attract attention from women and initiate conversations.  It usually involves wearing something unique, sometimes ridiculous, such as an interesting hat, or something flashy like a glowing necklace.  Peacocking also describes a state of mind that is willing to stand up to pressures from outside forces stemming from other alpha males who might try to put the pick-up artist off with his unique attire.

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Pease, Allan: An Australian author and motivational speaker who has studied for almost four decades in the field of body language.  His book “The definitive book of body language” is a multi-million seller.  Pease began life as a musician, who later moved on to life insurance sales before embarking on a career in training and education.  Allan Pease’s original book “Body language” brought him international recognition inspiring him to co-write “Why men don’t listen and women can’t read maps”, “Why men don’t have a clue and women always need more shoes”, “Why men want sex and women need love”, “Easy Peasey: people skills for life” with the help of his wife Barbara Pease.

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Peering over glasses or looking over glasses: A disdain, contempt, haughty and judgmental attitude is felt by the bearer of this posture.  Sometimes the head is lowered and the eyes peer over top of the glasses, other times the glasses are pulled down the bridge of the nose in accompaniment with a glare.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pecking Forward 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pecking Forward 2Pecking forward: A term stemming from the PUA (pick up artist) community that describes men who, in dating situations, tend to lean forward to appease women they are attempting to attract.  It makes men appear needy rather than dominant and instead of showing interest, shows that men aren’t chase worthy in the eyes of women.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Peek-a-boo GamePeek-a-boo game: An adult game where eyes are hidden from view with objects such as menus, drinking glasses, and even other people.  It is often sexual in nature where the absence of the eyes is made better with their resurgence.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Penis Sheath, Koteka, Horim, Or Penis GourdPenis sheath, koteka, horim, or penis gourd: It is an ornamental phallic object (a dried gourd) worn over the penis by native males in New Guinea.  The penis sheath is significant as nonverbal cue because it shows the ubiquity of male genital displays.  Western men will draw attention through finger pointing by placing fingers in belt loops and aiming them downward toward the penis, or by spreading the legs while sitting.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pensive Displays 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pensive Displays 2Pensive displays: Gestures that indicate thought is occurring such as fingers stroking the chin, cheek stroking, taping a pen against the chin and temple rubbing.

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Perception: The ability to see and read another person’s body language coupled with the ability to translate it to accurate and useful descriptors that help decipher otherwise hidden intentions, emotions and thought patterns.  A person is perceptive when they see an entire person by summing up all of its silent communication and when they are able to spot contradictions between spoken words and their body language.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Personal Space 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Personal Space 1Personal space: Generally there are four common distances by which people interact.  They are intimate distances which includes is about 18 inches or less, personal distance from 18 inches to 5 feet, social distance which is from 5 to 10 feet and public distance which is from 10 feet to 25 feet.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Personal Space ThreatsPersonal space threats: Encroachment upon the boundaries of a person causing a visceral fight or flight response.

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Personal space zone: A distance of interaction that is from 18 inches to about 5 feet which we use to communicate to friends and those we trust or have a history with.  All others are denied access.  Our personal space has been referred to as a “bubble”, since it encircles us, but it more closely resembles a cylinder.  Personal space zones vary from culture to culture.

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Personalities:  A dynamic and organized set of characteristics held by a person that influences their motivation, cognition and body language.  The word “personality” has origins in the Latin “persona” meaning mask.  Personality plays an important role in the body language that typifies individuals.  It is these signals that make everyone unique and predictable.

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Persuasive appeal: Described by Aristotle in On Rhetoric as Ethos, who addresses persuasive appeal based on character and the qualities that make him credible, Pathos who appeals to emotion and Logos who addresses the logic behind given arguments.  The nonverbalist requires all three elements to appeal to those around him.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Phallic Displays Or Crotch Displays Or Genital Presentation Or Genital DisplaysPhallic displays or crotch displays or genital presentation or genital displays: Gestures which flaunt the genitals and draw emphasis toward them.  Framing the genitals with the hands or fingers by placing the thumbs in a belt look and aiming the fingers downward is a sexual display of dominance.  Other times, the legs can be spread wide open while seated or standing to draw attention to the midsection.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Phallic Mimicry Or Phallic Symbols Or Phallus 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Phallic Mimicry Or Phallic Symbols Or Phallus 2Phallic mimicry or phallic symbols or phallus: Referring to objects appearing like a penis and meant to replace them commonly called phallic symbols.  In nonverbal communication phallic symbols that imitate the male sexual organ are incorporated in attraction by females to create interest.  For example, stroking the stem of a whine glass, patting the fingers to the mouth, eating a banana with enthusiasm, or mouthing a pen or cigarette shows sexual intention and desire.

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Pheromones: Chemicals emitted by the body of a unique signature usually associated with sexual attraction.  Women and men emit these scents naturally through the various parts of their body to peek the interest of the opposite sex.

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Physical appearance:  The nonverbal signals that are tied directly to the physic of a person such as their body shape and size, height, facial shape, attractiveness, eyebrows, hair and hair colour, hairiness, skin pigmentation or blemishes and so forth.  Immutable physical attributes carry many stereotypical implications which influence the perceptions of other people and are particularly important when forming first impressions.  Physical appearance liking or disliking is also culturally influenced and variable across generations.

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Physiognomy: A concept whereby facial features, expressions and their outer appearance are thought to indicate a person’s character, personality, nature as well as their ethnic origin.  The word physiognomy is from Greek “physis” meaning “nature” and “gnomon” meaning “judge” or “interpreter.”  Recent research has linked traits such as trustworthiness, social dominance and aggression to levels of testosterone during development signifying an underlying biological origin.  Physiognomy says that aggressive people have wider, more angular faces, whereas nice people have rounder and less sharp faces.

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Pick-up artist: A man (usually) or women who is committed to attracting and seducing members of the opposite sex through specific tailored methods.  The culture is highly technical and loosely connected through a community.  The PUA is learned in sociology, biology, zoology, evolution and psychology.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pigeon ToesPigeon toes: Having the toes pointed inwards, often called pigeon toes or anatomically “tibial torsion” shows meek body language.  Children and women who are smitten will point their toes inwards.  It signals that they are willing to follow more dominant individuals.  It is reminiscent of making the body appear smaller and less threatening.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pinching The Bridge Of NosePinching the bridge of nose: An evaluative gesture.  Indicates deep thought or a negative emotion.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pinocchio EffectPinocchio effect: Derived from the popular fairytale about the boy who’s nose grew when he told lies, the Pinocchio effect has roots in biology that says that a person’s nose actually does increase blood flow during high stress, anxiety or during lying and so it “grows” and swells.  This increase in blood flow produces a sensation which creates a desire in a person to touch or scratch their nose giving them away.

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Pitch: Pitch is a voice quality describing the number of vibrations emitted from the vocal cords in a unit of time.  The greater the vibrations, the higher the pitch, and therefore the higher the note achieved.  The rate of vibration is in turn controlled by the length and thickness of the vocal cords and how they are contracted or relaxed.  In most cases, men’s voices are of lower pitch than women’s, but even men can tighten their vocal cords enough to achieve comparable pitch so is therefore partly under conscious control.  The highness and lowness of natural voices is affected by the body chemical androgen which is the male sex hormone.  The same hormone is tied to physical prowess and aggressiveness and also loosely tied to a competitor’s health and vigor making a low voice attractive to females when it is found in men.  To the nonverbal world, meaning is conveyed through pitch as when emotions run high the voice can raise such as when screaming, and be lowered when trying to sound authoritarian.  Pitch also tells us what kind of person we are dealing with, be they subordinate with higher pitch or dominant with lower pitch.  When authority is concerned a lower pitch is preferred to a high pitch.  A high pitch says ineffective no matter how capable the person.  A low pitch can also signal depression and weariness.

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Pituitary gland: The pituitary gland or hypophysis is structure about the size of a pea weighing only 0.02 ounces located at the base of the brain.  It is an endocrine gland which is under the direct control of the hypothalamus.  The pituitary gland produces many hormones but the most important in body language is oxytocin and endorphins which are released to produce a calming effect and reduce pain.  Various patterns of nonverbal behaviour can be seen in accompaniment with the desire to release calming hormones or lack thereof.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Planes Of The Eyes 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Planes Of The Eyes 2Planes of the eyes: A body language technique to built trust and equality or the exact oppose where the eyes are kept at the same level as someone else or raised higher.  If a person is sitting or standing, then body lowering or rising is used to maintain or not maintain even planes.  When equality is sought, eyes are kept level, when dominance is desired, eyes are kept higher and when subordination is desired, eyes are lowered.

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Poker face or block face:  This is a term originating from the card game which describes a face that shows no expression or emotion.  Block face is another word with the same meaning, in this case, it relates the face to an expressionless object.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pointing 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pointing 2Pointing:  The pointer is akin to a spear thrower.  Every time they thrusts their finger forward, it is as if they are jabbing their ideas into their audience.  We see this most often during aggressive verbal fights where the accuser is making strong personal attacks against the other.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pointing KneePointing knee: A sitting posture whereby the leg is tucked under and sat on.  It indicates high comfort because it prohibits a quick escape.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pointing Toes 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pointing Toes 1Pointing toes: An intention indicator.  The toes point in the direction the mind wants to “travel.”

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Polygraph or lie detector machine: A machines that reads changes in heart rate, blood pressure and increases in perspiration or respiration in order to detect deception.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Polite SmilePolite smile: Used with people we only know in passing or not at all.  The teeth are shown and the lips are curved upward modestly.

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Position of invisibility: The chairs found alongside the wall in a boardroom setting.  These are the second-tier chairs and ones in which no participation is required at all.

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Position of neutrality or seating position of neutrality or neutral sitting position: The seating positions located on either side of the stardust chairs (which flank the head seating position).  This seating position is commonly overlooked and is rarely expected to participate in the conversation since they are surrounded by alphas who are seeking attention.

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Position of secondary influence: The seating position which falls dead center of the table immediately after the position of neutrality.  This is a position which lends to active participation since it is easier to cast eyes on the middle yet not as powerful as the stardust chairs.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Postural Tonus 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Postural Tonus 2Postural tonus: A term referring to the relative rigidity and erectness of the body and its overall posture.  A “slopper” holds his shoulders rounded and head hanging downward proving to be depressed, drowsy or ill whereas “the scout” carries himself fully erect with shoulders back and head held high depicting confidence and good spirit.

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Postural patterns: Define the movement and positioning of the body such as closed or open body positions, rigid or loose torso, rounded shoulders or upright and so forth.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - PosturePosture:  A term derived from the Latin verb “ponere” meaning “to put in place” and refers to the way the body is held including the arms, legs and spine.  Posture refers not only to the erectness of our bodies, but also to our body orientation, direction of lean, and the degree to which our bodies are open and inviting. Good posture happens when the joints are not bent, the spine is aligned and not twisted and the person is able to optimally balance the mass of the body over its framework without stress.  Posture tells us a lot about a person and their history and feelings about themselves and how they feel about others.  For example, shoulders hunched carries negative sentiments whereas shoulders back mean confidence.  Posture can give way to feelings of like or dislike, interest or disinterest as well as many other sentiments.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - PoutingPouting: A facial gesture done by pressing the lips together and pushing them forward and crunching the eyebrows downward and inward as if in grief.  This gesture is usually done by small children or by adults resorting to juvenile characteristics trying to secure affection, privilege, resource, or reward of some kind from another person.  The gesture signifies a negative emotion due to the grief element of the puckered lips and scrunched eyebrows.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pouting Lips Or PuckeringPouting lips or puckering: A desire to be kissed when done by women in dating situations.  Sometimes occurs only very slightly or barely perceivable.

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Power dressing: A term originating with the feminist movement as women began to enter to workforce.  With it came padded shoulders, male-type attire such as dark business suites.  Eventually power dressing turned more feminine with elaborate colours and styles, and then only briefly more sexual attire such as short skirts.  Power dressing today is more of a universal term for men and women who wish to rise in the ranks by looking stylish.

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Power player (the) (a): One of three types in business.  They are someone that arrive slightly late, spends most of their time with other leaders, interrupts others more often, and will try to sit where they can influence the most people possible.

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Power player (the) (b): A person who is usually versed in nonverbal communication or else one who is proficient at using it so as to gain the advantage and manipulate people subconsciously into serving their needs.

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Power plays: Nonverbal communication that takes advantage of the channel so as to yield desirable results in a zero-sum game.  Zero-sum refers to only one (or several) winners and one (or several losers), but of which there is no mutual benefit between those interacting.  Using height differences to control, using touch to manipulate, using smiles to gain favours and flirting to gain access to resources are all nonverbal power plays.

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Power lift (the): A technique used to control the eyes of another person usually in a business situation.  It is done by using a pen to point toward information of interest then lifting the pen and holding it in between your eyes and their eyes to creates a magnetic effect.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Power SittingPower sitting: Most dominant sitting position are ineffective for women because it inadvertently increases their sexuality (leg spreading – crotch display, full body steeple).  One way they can reverse it is by power sitting.  It is done by sitting with the legs crossed, leg over knee and point the heel horizontally at someone they wish to intimidate.

The heel acts like a dagger against its prey – it emasculates men.

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Power stare (the): A technique that builds strength by using an unblinking eye while maintaining eye contact followed by narrowed eyelids and increased focus.  Eyes can also be moved from one person to another without blinking for added effect – usually done by first moving the eyes, then following with the head.  When done correctly, the power stare recreates a predator-prey relationship causing emotional discomfort.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Power TiePower tie: A term referring to a particularly fashionable necktie that brings with it confidence and the ability to close deals.

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Power venting: Dramatic and sometimes violent outburst of nonverbal behavior stemming from anger and frustration.  They include temper tantrums, throwing things, passive aggression, punching walls, storming off, crying, and other forms of drama.

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Practical dresser or practical fashion: A type of style which is more focused on functionality and utility instead of extravagance.  People who wear practical attire are at ease with themselves, are not self-centered, are willing to go against the grain so as to feel comfortable in their clothing, and are frugal.

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Prance (the): A playful gait which is peppered with unnecessary leaps and bounces.

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Pregnant pause (the): A sudden cessation of free-flowing conversation.  It usually accompanies a provocative or threatening topic.  The pregnant pause signifies that a person has been taken off-guard or has been derailed and is taking some time to collect his or her thoughts.  The pause is due to a fear reaction from a “deer in the headlights.”  Brief pauses mean something different and can signify anger, frustration, or disgust as a person takes a moment to cool off before speaking.

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Pressing the flesh:  Descriptive term given to intimate handshakes which are usually reserved for politicians.

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Pretend fear or sadness: A facial expression where there is no accompanying forehead movement.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Primary Emotions Anger BodyLanguageProjectCom - Primary Emotions Disgust BodyLanguageProjectCom - Primary Emotions Happiness BodyLanguageProjectCom - Primary Emotions SadnessPrimary emotions:  First identified by naturalist Charles Darwin which include the six main universal facial expressions and their root causes – happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, surprise.

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Professional touching: Touching in a business setting including shaking hands with a client, a dentist working on your teeth or a doctor checking for discomfort.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Prolonged Eye ContactProlonged eye contact: When eye contact continues for longer than normal.  This extended eye contact can be due to sexual interest, hostility, aggression or defensiveness.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Protective Reflexes 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Protective Reflexes 2Protective reflexes: Instinctive movements of the body which guard vulnerable areas such as the head, neck, groin and ventral side.  Protective reflexes includes crossing the arms and legs to protect the heart and lungs and the genitals from attack, or turning the body away and head down.  Protective reflexes often arise due to emotional threat rather than physical threat which is unexpected indicating that these movements are evolutionary throwaways to a time when physical harm was much more common than it is today.

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Proxemics: The study of how people use space.  First introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in the 1960’ to describe the implications distances play between people as they interact.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - ProximityProximity: An important aspect of nonverbal communication that indicates liking and agreement.  When agreement is formed, people will move closer to one another by leaning forward or extending body parts such as feet and hands.  When disagreement is present, the reverse will happen, arms will be drawn inward and people will tend to step away.  One of the key elements of dating, is increased proximity.

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Provine, Robert: Born in 1943, Dr. Provine is a professor of psychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County who has published over fifty research papers within developmental neuroscience and neural mechanisms of behaviour over a span of thirty years.  He is the foremost researcher of laughter with other focus on the development, evolution and neural mechanisms of behavior.  He uses human social behaviour in an interdisciplinary method to understand the development and evolution of the nervous system as well as human social behaviour.  Recent studies have focused on nonverbal aspects such as laughter, yawning, tickling, and behavioral contagion.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pseudo-Infantile GesturesPseudo-infantile gestures:  Nonverbal signals stemming from childhood that create submission and produce sympathy, compassion, attention and avoid attack. Ducking or bowing the head, cowering, rolling the shoulders and slumping are a few examples.

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Psychology: Is a realm of study that looks at human and animal behaviour related to mental functions such as neurology and physiology.  Psychologists study topics such as perception, cognition, emotion, motivation, personality and interpersonal relationships through various studies that examine cause and effect, versus correlational relationships.  They look at family, employment, education and treatment of mental health issues.  Body language fits into psychology by tying human behaviour with underlying motivation and emotions.  Body language plays an important factor in interpersonal relationships and psychologists tackle these issues.

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Public space zone: A distance of 12 feet or greater which we use when addressing a large crowd as is the case when presenting or performing.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Pulling PunchesPulling punches: A playful fighting gesture where false punches are applied to another person to strengthen bonds.

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Pupil dilation or papillary constriction: Pupil dilation is an aspect of nonverbal communication which outlines when arousal is taking place. Under stress or arousal of any kind, be it liking or visceral disliking, the pupils expand so as to allow more light in.  This can include stress and fear due to lying, any other fearful situation and even attraction.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - PupillometricsPupillometrics:  The study of pupil size in relation to emotion such as liking, interest, fear and dislike.

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Putdown humour: Putdown humour is any humour that derives amusement at the expense of others.  It can be demeaning jokes, teasing, sarcasm or even a self-deprecating remark.  Laughter at the expense of others and their misfortunes can create togetherness and solidarity.

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Puts, David: An anthropologist at Penn State University.  Dr. Puts studies the neuroendocrine and evolutionary bases of human behavior, with special focus on the development and evolution of behavioral sex differences.  Puts studies how sex hormones affect psychology, behaviour, effects of menstrual cycle-related changes in ovarian hormones, as well as sexual selection and the evolution of sexual dimorphism, including the evolution sex differences in voices, faces, bodies, brains, and behavior.  Throughout his studies, he looks at nonverbal channels of communication and has published several journal articles on the topic.

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The Body Language Project is the result of a decade of personal research including a thorough review of over 60 primary scientific research journal articles. Learning body language forms the perfect foundation for success in ALL your communication.

If you are only picking up on what is being said, you are missing more than half of the message.

For more information on BodyLanguage be sure to check out: BodyLanguageProject.com and the Ebook – The Body Language Guide to Dating, Attraction and Sexual Body Language.

 

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Non Verbal Body Language Dictionary ::O::

Did we forget a nonverbal term?  Suggest it in the comment box or e-mail it direct, and we’ll be ecstatic to add it!  With well over 500 terms, the BLP dictionary is growing to be the largest free nonverbal dictionary in the world!  Brought to you exclusively by The Body Language Project!  Visit our homepage for more free learning.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Oblique Eyebrows Of GriefOblique eyebrows of grief: In this facial expression the eyebrows are pulled upward more so than the otter ends.

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Observation: Observation in body language reading implies that one actively watches the entire disposition of a person from their head to their toes including all their verbal and paraverbal cues.  There is a big disparity between just seeing something and actively evaluating what is being seen and this is what separates an average body language reader, from an expert.

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Oddball handshake:  A handshake that often includes bumps, slaps, flicks and clicks.  Meant to display a relaxed casual atmosphere and has its place to forming intimate friendships and bonds.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Offensive GesturesOffensive gestures: Culturally specific gestures that produce negative feelings in others such as the middle finger in the West and the okay signal in Europe.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Offered 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Offered 3Offered (the):  The hands are palm up as if giving a gift.  This is a beggar’s plea where agreement is desperately sought from the audience.

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Office artifacts or office props:  Office artifacts include any objects that take up space in the place of work.  They can be used to display status such as the use of trophies, plaques, certificates or interests such as model cars, sports memorabilia or pictures hung on walls such a nature or fishing adventures.  Lawyers are usually portrayed in front of a large library of books which is a nonverbal signal of the mountain of knowledge that “backs them.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - OK Gesture“OK” gesture:  Done by placing the thumb against the index finger forming an opening with the remaining fingers flared out.  It is considered more thought provoking and honest when compared to finger pointing because it place emphasis onto the speech rather than the listeners.  In Belgium and France however, it means that something is worthless, in Tunisia, Sicily and Southern Italy is an insult, and in Japan that they wish their change returned in coins.

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Ok personality:  People that are psychologically comfortable with who they are.  They usually have upright posture, with shoulders firm and square, head raised and their body is balanced.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Olfactory ProcessingOlfactory processing:  A secondary way of processing information like visual and auditory except the primary means involves the sense of smell.  It falls out of the normal realm with which people process information they receive but is occasionally referred to as a vestige.  People will use terms such as the following when they refer to their olfaction: This deal stinks.  Something smells wrong here.  Did you get a whiff of that?  This is fresh.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Once Over (the)Once over (the): A sexual or competitive eye pattern that follows the body over its entire form from the toes to the top of the head stopping at the buttocks, breasts and face, typically performed by men.  Women are rarely caught looking men over due to their superior peripheral vision.  Men have hunter eyes and focus intently on smaller areas.  When it signals competitiveness it is usually done by women onto other women looking for a “cat fight.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Open Body Language Or OpennessOpen body language or openness:  Any and all body language that shows that a person is ready to communicate and accept ideas from others.  It happens when no part of the body covers the midway-point of the bisected body.  The arms and legs are not crossed and the palms are up. Even clothing might be relaxed such as shirt collars being unbuttoned, the pants might hang loose and certain articles like jackets might be removed.  Other signals of openness includes increased proximity, prolonged eye contact, warm and relaxed smile, intimate greetings such as hugs and cheek kissing.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Opposite Body LanguageOpposite body language: A pick-up technique where men play hard-to-get by displaying teasing nonverbal cues or even outright disinterest.  The object of opposite body language is to appear “chase worthy” in the eyes of women by appearing to be superior to them and avoid appearing “needy.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Oral Displacement Activities 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Oral Displacement Activities 1Oral displacement activities: An unconscious gesture aimed at self soothing by using parts of the body such as fingers or hair, or inanimate objects like pens by mouthing them.  Scientists have speculated that it is a developmental throwback when we would suckle as infants.  Oral displacement can include biting finger nails, sucking pencils, mouthing the stems of the glasses or passing hair through the mouth.  Smokers can also be said to have oral displacement fixation where they habitually place objects in their mouth to sooth.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Orbicularis Oculi Muscles 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Orbicularis Oculi Muscles 1Orbicularis oculi muscles:  One of two muscles that produce smiling.  These muscles serve to pull the eyes back to produce the honest smile through what is called “smiling eyes”.  Smiling eyes, also called “crow’s feet”, where a classic wrinkling appears in the corner of the eyes is an indication of true happiness.

Oscar Pfungst: Psychologist who uncovered that the skills under which Hans the horse was able to perform simple math had nothing to do with his intelligence, but rather his ability to read body language.  He noticed that there were differences in breathing, posture and facial expressions as Hans tapped out his answer.  As Hans neared to correct answer, the handlers would increase the tension they held in their body language which would tip off Hans.  Once the final tap had been made, the tension suddenly disappeared from the person and so Hans took this cue to mean it was time to stop tapping.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Orienting Reflex Or Orienting ResponseOrienting reflex or orienting response (a): The phenomenon whereby people turn and move toward stimuli or people they are attracted to, or agree with, rather than away from them such as those we fear or disagree with. (b) The instinctive survival instinct whereby a person orients toward movement.  As it applies to nonverbal communication, the orientation reflex controls distractions in business, to maintaining the attention of children with toys, and even to the freeze response where people stop moving in order to put themselves under the radar.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Ownership GesturesOwnership gestures: Body language that indicates that a person is in control of something.  Ownership gestures are usually performed on objects, but can also be done to people.  Propping the feet up on a desk or car bumper or wrapping an arm around a lover or child, are ways to show who they belong to.

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Oxytocin: A natural chemical released by the body due to touching that helps create bonding between people especially in women.  In men, sex is the primary releaser of oxytocin which surges up to fives times that of normal just before reaching orgasm.  Oxytocin serves to eliminate internal tensions, reduce anxiety, creates feelings of contentment, calmness and trust, and provides reassurance.  The hormone is partially responsible for pacifying behaviours that include self touching.

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The Body Language Project is the result of a decade of personal research including a thorough review of over 60 primary scientific research journal articles. Learning body language forms the perfect foundation for success in ALL your communication.

If you are only picking up on what is being said, you are missing more than half of the message.

For more information on Body Language be sure to check out: BodyLanguageProject.com and the Ebook – The Body Language Guide to Dating, Attraction and Sexual Body Language.

 

Share and Enjoy:
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  • Yahoo! Buzz

Non Verbal Body Language Dictionary ::N::

Did we forget a nonverbal term?  Suggest it in the comment box or e-mail it direct, and we’ll be ecstatic to add it!  With well over 500 terms, the BLP dictionary is growing to be the largest free nonverbal dictionary in the world!  Brought to you exclusively by The Body Language Project!  Visit our homepage for more free learning.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nail Biting 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nail Biting 2Nail biting: Nonverbal signal where the finger nails are chewed.  It signals apprehension, anxiety, discomfort and a lack of self-confidence.

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Namaste: A greeting gesture common in India and Nepal.  It is done by pressing the hands together palm in palm with fingers pointed upward in front of the chest.  A slight bow of the head is sometimes added.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nasal Wing Dilation Or Nose Flaring 1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nasal Wing Dilation Or Nose Flaring 2Nasal wing dilation or nose flaring: Technical term for flared nostrils indicating that a person is entering a fight or flight response and is preparing for action by increasing oxygen uptake.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Natural SmilersNatural smilers:  These are people that have a genuine symmetrical smile where both corners of the lips turn upwards equally.  Natural smilers will have more even smiles as both sides of their brain respond to pleasure.  Smiles that are not genuine are more pronounced on the left side of the face since they are consciously being controlled.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Neck Exposures  1 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Neck Exposures  2Neck exposures:  Exposures of the neck are linked to visceral responses linked to submissiveness and are displayed during courtship by women and by children.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Neck Rubbing Or Neck TouchingNeck rubbing or neck touching: The neck hold, scratch or rub is a response to negative feelings and is a restraint posture as in “holding one’s self back” as one might do to a wily cat or dog by grabbing them by the scruff of the neck only in this case, it is done to one’s self.

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Negative body language: Negative body language is any nonverbal cue meant to portray discomfort such as fear, aggression, timidity or shyness.  When compared to positive body language, negative body language tends to be more honest since we routinely hide our shortcomings and are instructed to do so as children.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Neocortex Or Mammalian BrainNeocortex or mammalian brain:  “Neo” from the root “new” is meant to describe the mammalian brain which is more complex and used for higher order thinking and planning.  The neocortex is divided into four lobes, the frontal lobe which handles reasoning, speech, movement, and emotions, the parietal lobe is related to orientation, sensory information, recognition, and perception, the occipital lobe which handles vision and the temporal lobe which handles sounds and smells.  These parts of the brain are active in deception and also creating false or misleading body language gestures.  It is also referred to as the “lying brain.”

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - NeotenyNeoteny: All children are born with a small nose, round chubby cheeks, soft skin, big eyes and a big round face.  We call these features neotenous as they remind us of characteristics found near birth.  Neotenous features evoke protective feelings in others, even if carried by adults.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous Body Language Or NervousnessNervous body language or nervousness: Includes cues that results from discomfort.  They include increased eye blink rate, stuttering, dilated pupils, fidgeting, appearing unfriendly or tense, facial fidgeting, shaking, postural shifts or unrelaxed/reserved postures, twitches, shrugs, head movements, playing with objects, sneering, scowling, frowning, smiling, coughing, biting the lower lip, pressing the lips together, increases in chattiness or becoming quiet, wrinkling of the nose, increase in perspiration, blushing or turning pale, curling up in a ball, shifting weight from side to side, rocking in a chair, uncrossing and recrossing the arms or legs, tapping the fingers and increased swallowing.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous Energy 2 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous Energy 1Nervous energy: Extra energy that courses through the body due to various stress hormones producing telltale nonverbal behaviours.  A person who is anxious will tend to fidget more often, bounce their legs up and down, pace back and forth, play with their face, scratch their arms or even shake uncontrollably.  When people have nervous energy, they use movement to burn it off or displace it.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous Hands 1BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous Hands 2Nervous hands:  Hands that shake, quiver, or fidget indicate stress through a surge of adrenaline.  Sometimes nervous hands are disguised through clasping or tucking them into pockets.

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Nervous feet or anxious feet: The polar opposite to happy feet.  Nervous feet are more jarring with heel bumps, kicks, and grinding.  Angry feet can be even more aggressive and stomp.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nervous SmileNervous smile: A fleeting smile that quickly shows and disappears, the eyes are tensed and darting and the lips may quiver in fear.  Other times the smile is long-lasting, more than ordinary eluding to strong discomfort and withholding of information.

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Nonelective physical characteristics: One of two types of outer physical traits that a person might have from which a person might be judged (the other being elective).  A nonelective trait includes a person’s height, to some degree their weight, body proportions, their complexion, facial features, physical handicaps, the colour of their hair, their age and sex, their race, and so forth.  These are important cues to the nonverbalist, but not nearly as much as elective characteristics since they are not chosen.  Nonelective traits influence how people are perceived by others and can therefore predict in a general sense how they have been treated by others to produce their core character, but it does not predict their underlying emotions and personality.

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Nonthreatening body language: Nonverbal communication that indicates that a person is not looking for a confrontation and one who is friendly.  These include open palm displays, erect, yet relaxed body postures, relaxed gaze, smiling, comfortable proximity, among others.

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Nonverbal awareness: The relative consciousness of silent messages in ones immediate surroundings and their inherent power.

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Nonverbal communication or NVC: Behaviour including gestures, postures, eye patterns, touch, facial expression, fashion, use of space and territory and paraverbal cues that are either directly or are indirectly used to convey meaning from one person to another.

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Nonverbal empathy:  Like emotional empathy which is the capability to share in another’s feelings, nonverbal empathy is the capability to share in another’s emotions by connecting to their unspoken movements.  It is related to rapport building, but of which no link between two people needs to established, just pure understanding.  Mother’s who focus on their preverbal children to understand their desires and wishes by monitoring eye contact, eye direction, pointing, bouncing, use of touch and various other signals will have nonverbal empathy with their children.

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Nonverbal hot spots: An area of the body where active nonverbals are being emitted which provide useful clues to a nonverbalist.

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Nonverbal intelligence: The relative knowledge of the postures and gestures and their meaning coupled with the ability to apply them in a skillful way to bring success to all facets of life including personal and work.

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Non-verbalist (the): A person who is deeply fascinated with watching the silent language occurring all around them.  The non-verbalist will watch people in all functions, at nightclubs, at the park, in malls, on television, or at the office.  They will consume material and scientific research to learn and build on their resource base so they can master reading, what is to ordinary people, hidden thoughts and emotions as well as to build on and improve their relationships with others.

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Nonverbal leakage: Body language signals which are emitted from a person without their conscious awareness, or at times despite their conscious awareness, which provides useful, yet otherwise hidden information to others.

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Nonverbal physical mannerisms: Ways the body can be held to convey various meanings.  For example, standing over someone as they work displays aggression, whereas placing chairs at forty-five degree angles, crossing the legs toward your partner, and avoid putting the hands together shows assertiveness and control.  Other mannerisms like drumming the fingers and tapping the feet show nervousness.

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Nonverbal radar: The decision to be watchful of the nonverbal communication occurring all around a person.  A person might have their radar turned on to study other people or they might relax it, such as with friends and family.

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Nonverbal vetting: A process of careful observation and evaluation of a person through nonverbal channels to assess their honesty, character, motives, and usefulness.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nose CrinkleNose crinkle: Happens when the muscles between the eyes just above the nose contract forcing the skin around the nose to wrinkle.  It signifies dislike and disgust and can happen in fractions of a second making it very reliable.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nose TouchNose touch: Touching the nose with the hand is a discomfort gesture linked to anxiety and so is a pacifying gesture.  Other times it provides clues that a person is lying.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nose TurningNose turning: A signal of dislike or disbelief where the nose momentary twitches to the side.  It is as if a person is moving their nose away from a disagreeable smell.

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BodyLanguageProjectCom - Nose Up GestureNose up gesture: A confidence display where the chin comes up and is opposite to the head down submissive posture.

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Not OK people: People that are uncomfortable with who they are.  They have shoulders hunched and carry a negative facial emotions.  You may naturally feel wary when around them without reason.

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NLP: Abbreviation for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP is a system developed to help induce behavioural changes and improve communication between colleagues as well as to re-train thinking in business.  It was developed in the 1970s where two researches in California, Richard Bandler and John Grinder noted that the predominant research into human behaviour focused on analysis rather then retraining thinking patterns.  NLP is driven by defining positive outcomes, understanding how other’s perceive particular circumstances and in identifying the roots by which thoughts affect images and sound or feelings.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

The Body Language Project is the result of a decade of personal research including a thorough review of over 60 primary scientific research journal articles. Learning body language forms the perfect foundation for success in ALL your communication.

If you are only picking up on what is being said, you are missing more than half of the message.

For more information on BodyLanguage be sure to check out: BodyLanguageProject.com and the Ebook – The Body Language Guide to Dating, Attraction and Sexual Body Language.

Share and Enjoy:
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