5 key elements of body language

After reviewing Joe Navarro’s ‘What Every BODY Is Saying,’ a professional media trainer offers a handful of highlights for communicators.

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Today, I’m going to highlight five things I learned about body language from his book. The excerpts I’ve selected will offer fascinating insights into what people communicate—often unconsciously—with their eyes, shoulders, hands, thumbs, and legs.

Thank you, Joe, for generously granting me permission to use these excerpts,

1. Eyes

“When we like something we see, our pupils dilate; when we don’t, they constrict. We have no conscious control over our pupils, and they respond both to external stimuli (for example, changes in light) and internal stimuli (such as thoughts) in fractions of a second.”

“When we become aroused, are surprised, or are suddenly confronted, our eyes open up—not only do they widen, but the pupils also quickly dilate to let in the maximum amount of available light, thus sending the maximum amount of visual information to the brain…Once we have a moment to process the information and if it is perceived negatively…in a fraction of a second the pupils will constrict.”

“Any decrease in the size of the eyes, whether through squinting or pupillary constriction, is a form of subconscious blocking behavior. And all blocking behaviors are indicative of concern, dislike, disagreement, or the perception of a potential threat.”

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