How to Read Someones Body Language

     There are many different languages people can use to communicate, not all of them are verbal. A person can also communicate through body language. I was watching a television program on the history channel Monday night titled Secrets of Body Language and I learned that more than half of all language is non-verbal. Body language can be in all different forms such as how your face muscles move when you speak or the way you position your body when you are talking to someone. They can also be conscious or subconscious. Also a person’s body language can be a very useful tool in lie detection.

     The use of body language with your face to communicate emotions is one example. There are universal facial expressions that seem to be the same everywhere, such as happy, sad, mad, content, surprised and scared. These seem pretty obvious; normally anyone can tell when a person experiences these emotions because everyone does. For instance when a person is happy their facial muscles tense in an upward direction. In contrast when a person is sad their facial muscles relax and go in a downward direction. Then when a person is angry all of the muscles in their face seems to tense up. Furthermore when a person is surprised or scared their mouth tends to open and their eyes become wider.

     People also use body language to communicate consciously. For instance when a person points at something, they are saying look there. Or when a person uses sign language they can communicate everything without saying anything. Another example would be mimes; they portray actions without saying anything also. An additional case in point would be when a student is in class and they raise their hands, they are communicating that they have a question. Or when a person uses their fingers to show an amount, or form a peace sign. 

     One example of the use of body language to communicate subconsciously would be your level of comfort in a situation. For instance, when you are talking to someone you can pretty much tell if a person is uncomfortable or nervous because they fidget and move around a lot. A person also has a tendency to cross their arms when they feel insecure as to cover or shield themselves. On the other hand if a person is calm and feel comfortable with you they will lean back and their body will relax. Also if a person has their hands behind their back they seem to be portraying that they have nothing to hide. 

     You can also usually be able to determine if a person is lying by paying attention to their body movements or gestures. One thing a person has a tendency to do is to touch their face when they are lying, such as rubbing their nose or covering their mouth. Also their nostrils seem to flare and they can’t look at you straight (Secrets of Body Language, 2008). Also when a person is lying you can often tell because they become nervous and move around a lot more than usual. When a person is lying they change their body movements and become nervous and change their posture until you believe what they are saying and then they will relax. The best indicator of a lie would be to change the subject quickly and pay attention to the person’s body movements. If they suddenly seem more relaxed when you change the subject chances are that they were lying.

     There are many different ways a person can communicate without the use of words. Often your body contradicts a person’s words. Mostly, people have a tendency to pay more attention to a person’s verbal communication, but actually people communicate more using their body. Overall, it would be more beneficial to pay more attention to a person’s body language when communicating.