8 great tricks for reading peoples body language

8 great tricks for reading peoples body language8 great tricks for reading peoples body languageBody language provides an amazing amount of information on what other people are thinkingifyou know what to look for. And who hasnt wanted to read peoples minds at some point?You already pick up on more body language cues than youre consciously aware of. UCLA research has shown that only 7% of communication is based on the actual words we say. As for the rest, 38% comes from tone of voice and the remaining 55% comes from body language. Learning how to become aware of and to interpret that 55% can give you a leg up with other people.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen youre working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success.TalentSmarthas tested more than a million people and found that the upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact). These people know the power that unspoken signals have in communication, and they monitor body language accordingly.Next time youre in a meeting (or even on a date or playing with your kids), watch for these cuesCrossed arms and legs signal resistance to your ideas. Crossed arms and legs are physical barriers that suggest the other person is not open to what youre saying. Even if theyre smiling and engaged in a pleasant conversation, their body language tells the story. Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero videotaped more than 2,000 negotiations for a book they wrote on reading body language, and not a single one ended in an agreement when one of the parties had their legs crossed while negotiating. Psychologically, crossed legs or arms signal that a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically blocked off from whats in front of them. Its not i ntentional, which is why its so revealing.Real smiles crinkle the eyes.When it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but the eyes cant. Genuine smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create crows feet around them. People often smile to hide what theyre really thinking and feeling, so the next time you want to know if someones smile is genuine, look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes. If they arent there, that smile is hiding something.Copying your body language is a good thing.Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the same? Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when youre talking? Thats actually a good sign. Mirroring body language is something we do unconsciously when we feel a bond with the other person. Its a sign that the conversation is going well and that the other party is receptive to your message. This knowledge can be especially useful when youre negotiating, because it sh ows you what the other person is really thinking about the deal.Posture tells the story.Have you ever seen a person walk into a room, and immediately, you have known that they were the one in dienstgrad? That effect is largely about body language, and often includes an erect posture, gestures made with the palms facing down, and open and expansive gestures in general. The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space people take up. Standing up straight with your shoulders back is a power position it appears to maximize the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result of collapsing your form it appears to take up less space and projects less power. Maintaining good posture commands respect and promotes engagement, whether youre a leader or not.Eyes that lie.Most of us probably grew up hearing, Look me in the eye when you talk to me Our parents were operating under the assumption that its tough to hold someones gaze when youre lying to them, and they were right to an extent. But thats such common knowledge that people will often deliberately hold eye contact in an attempt to cover up the fact that theyre lying. The problem is that most of them overcompensate and hold eye contact to the point that it feels uncomfortable. On average, Americans hold eye contact for seven to ten seconds, longer when were listening than when were talking. If youre talking with someone whose stare is making you squirm- especially if theyre very still and unblinking- something is up and they might be lying you.Raised eyebrows signal discomfort.There are three main emotions that make your eyebrows go up surprise, worry, and fear. Try raising your eyebrows when youre having a relaxed casual conversation with a friend. Its hard to do, isnt it? If somebody who is talking to you raises their eyebrows and the topic isnt one that would logically cause surprise, worry, or fear, there is something else going on.Exaggerated noddingsignals anxiety about app roval.When youre telling someone something and they nod excessively, this means that they are worried about what you think of them or that you doubt their ability to follow your instructions.A clenched jaw signals stress.A clenched jaw, a tightened neck, or a furrowed brow are all signs of stress. Regardless of what the person is saying, these are signs of considerable discomfort. The conversation might be delving into something theyre anxious about, or their mind might be elsewhere and theyre focusing on the thing thats stressing them out. The key is to watch for that mismatch between what the person says and what their tense body language is telling you.Bringing It All TogetherThe bottom line is that even if you cant read a persons exact thoughts, you can learn a lot from their body language, and thats especially true when words and body language dont match.Travis Bradberry is the coauthor ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article originally appeared onLinkedIn.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people