Not quite sure where to look or what to observe in nonverbal communication? This short text will help you better understand the importance of hands in communication.
When people interact, their hands express the state of mind they are in. By watching the hands carefully, you will quickly know who you are dealing with and, above all, what state of mind the person is in! Here are 4 hand positions that will help you better ‘read’ the person in front of you (there are more than 14 hand positions).
I am listening, but I am protecting myself…
People often talk about crossed arms and crossed legs as a sign of closing off and protection... which is not always true; crossed fingers, however, are clearly a sign of protection, especially when the person is speaking (expressing themselves…). When you are at the dentist, what are your hands doing?!!! Yes, I am protecting myself!
I don’t want to be here, I am hiding…
In nonverbal communication, the index finger is the ‘I’. When it is time to step in (asking a question with the index finger raised, hailing a taxi with the index finger), it is the index finger that steps in. The reverse is just as true: when a person does not want to step in (or has to lie), the index finger usually disappears.
I am hiding my strategy…
The left hemisphere of the brain is the rational side: classification, organization and also the cognitive, strategic side of a person. Since the brain is crossed in relation to the limbs (Sperry), this shows on the limbs on the right (such as the right hand).
I don’t want to put myself forward…
The right hemisphere of the brain is the creative side, the artistic side, the more emotional side of a person. So when the left hand disappears, it is the emotional side of the person in front of you that disappears; they are protecting their emotions and do not want to put themselves forward.
