Body language: Scratching the head meaning

boy touching head

This article will discuss the meaning of head-related body language gestures such as scratching the head, scratching or rubbing the forehead, and clasping hands behind the head. Let’s start with scratching the head or hair. When we scratch our head using one or more fingers anywhere on the top, back or the side of our …

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Rubbing hands together in body language

hand rubbing

Rubbing hands together is a commonly observed hand gesture. When you rub the palms of your hands together, it means you’re expecting something positive. People make this hand gesture when they’re excited about something about to happen. When you have to deliver a piece of good news about yourself, you’re likely to rub your palms …

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Hand gestures: Thumb displays in body language

hand gestures meaning with pictures

Hands are an important means of human nonverbal communication. This article will explore the various hand gestures and their meanings with the aid of pictures. Do you know why humans rule the earth? What do you think has given us the greatest edge over other species? Why, among all the primates, only the Homo sapiens …

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Types of handshakes and what they mean

handshake types and what they mean

When people shake hands, they don’t just shake hands. They also convey attitudes and intentions. In this article, we’ll explore the different types of handshakes and what they mean. Long time ago, when humans had not yet developed a full-fledged spoken language, they communicated mostly through grunts and body language gestures.1  At that time, hands …

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Body language: Hands clasped in front

clasping hands in front

The ‘hands clasped in front’ body language gesture is displayed in three major ways. Clasped hands in front of the face, hands clasped on a desk or a lap, and, whilst standing, hands clasped over the lower abdomen. When a person assumes this gesture, they are exercising some sort of ‘self-restraint’. They’re symbolically ‘clenching’ themselves back …

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The steeple hand gesture (Meaning and types)

steeple hand chess scenario

This article will discuss the meaning of the steeple hand gesture- a gesture commonly observed in professional and other conversational settings. Before I go into what the steepling hand gesture looks like and what it means, I want you to imagine the following scenario: You’re playing chess and have reached a crucial moment in the …

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Body language: Crossing the arms meaning

woman crossing arms

‘Crossed arms’ is perhaps the most common body language gesture that we come across in our day-to-day lives. Crossing arms across the chest is a classic gesture of defensiveness. This defensiveness usually manifests as discomfort, uneasiness, shyness, or insecurity. When a person feels threatened by a situation, they cross their arms over their chest, creating a barrier that …

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Body language: Shoulder movements

In this post, we’ll discuss the various shoulder movements and what they can reveal about their mental state. Shoulder shrug Raising the shoulders is a submissive gesture that implies some sort of apology. We shrug our shoulders when we want to communicate the message, ‘Sorry, I can’t do anything about it’ or ‘Sorry, I don’t know’ …

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Body language: Head and neck gestures

woman head tilt gesture

Your head and neck gestures reveal much more about your attitude than you think. When we come into contact with other people, their head (face, in particular) is what we look most at. Therefore, it makes sense to understand what signals we’re giving off with our head and neck movements Head gestures- The head nod …

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4 Key tips on reading body language

reading body language

Reading body language is not easy. People who have mastered non-verbal communication have done so with years of practice. However, you can jump the learning curve by keeping in mind some of the common pitfalls that most people tend to fall in when they first begin to read body language. Here are the things that you need to …

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