Who says only the lips speak?

'He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent , he chatters with his finger tips, betrayal oozes out of him at every pore'- Sigmund Freud 


Freud's quote, aptly summarizes how communication continues to take place through one's body language even when he/she doesn't speak. The field of Body Language has always aroused my curiosity. It is interesting to see how one can gain insight into certain (not all) aspects of an individual's personality , through the expression of their eyes, hand gestures, handshakes and much more! The conclusion one may come to after reading  an individuals body language(depending on their level of 'experience') is effective only if  one has noticed a consistency or repetition in the body language signals displayed by the 'subject' he/she is observing. However, body language experts themselves say that it is tough to judge a person completely , going by their body language , as one does not know the emotions the person may be undergoing at a certain point of time. Hence, there is no sensibility in judging a person completely in a matter of one meeting , or just by a glance.
These are some of the Body language signals that have been widely observed by experts and amateurs in the field of body language.


Handshakes- 


Shaking hands is a relic of the past. There are numerous opinions on what a hand shake can tell us about someone. Here are few kinds of handshakes and their interpretation- 


*Palm Vertical- to the ground and extending your arm forward as though you were sawing wood with a hand saw. It sends a message of greetings, I am here for you as you for me. We are equals. 


  




*Palm Up- I am here to serve you. It can also indicate when first offered, submission or take charge 


  


*Hand in Hand- Typically the greeter will offer a hand palm up and before shaking starts the second hand sandwiches the other person's hand. Sometimes given to show empathy as with the loss of a loved one.It is also given when wanting to demonstrate concern or to convey that one is with a caring individual. It seems to be a favorite of politicians.It conveys familiarity. 


  


*Wet fish - from a man this normally means an introvert, or a weak character, someone who is easily persuaded and likes to fit in. 


   


*The Bone Crusher- This handshake is used by macho dominant men. It's a show of strength and dominant character to the extreme. Often a case of, "Don't mess with me, I'm a hard man." 


  




The Eyes Have it- 


They've existed for 540 million years and most of us have a pair, but aside from giving us sight, what can we tell from looking at someone's eyes? 

  

 

Eyes - upward to the right (their left).

Trying to recall memories.

  

   

Eyes - upwards to the left (their right).

Creating visual images (we think in pictures).    

Although looking down upon someone, physically or in statement, is mainly derogatory and portrays a feeling of superiority or disgust, it can also indicate submission and/or a lack of confidence , devotion or respect.

Averting gaze to look down from someone’s eyes (shifty eyes) can suggest a desire to hide and one's wish to no longer see who or what is in front of them. 

Rubbing the eyes serves a very similar function as blinking frequently when lying. As the eyes may become more damp when a person gets stressed, he/she is likely to realise blinking would give them away, and hence may rub there eyes with there hands to avoid getting caught. 
Others- 

*A hand over the mouth while talking indicates deceit. A desire to try and stop the words coming out of the mouth. It can be a quick touch to the mouth, or a sustained rubbing across the mouth. 

      

*The finger across the top of the lip can be seen with the hand in many positions around the face. They all indicate critical analysis.

  

*Stroking of the beard by men- the gesture is an evaluation signal. Generally a positive evaluation. It's a time for thought process. Women generally stoke the bottom of the chin with a thumb and forefinger . 

  

*Many people misunderstand folded arms. One may feel comfortable with their arms folded. He/she may be cold. Considering the rules, if you've just said something the person dislikes, or disagrees with, and he/she sits back, folds their arms and puts their chin down .Here you have a very negative signal, even if the person is smiling. 

     

The field of Body Language is extremely vast and has much more to it. These are just few of the common positive and negative body language signals observed by many.