The Ultimate Body Language Book

preparation for action so we won’t miss a thing.
Pronounced eye blinking can happen during sexual arousal and attraction, while under pressure, or any
other time we feel particularly excited. A rapid series of eye blinks can also indicate an inner struggle
or distress which may happen when we hear something we don’t particularly agree with, or when we
can’t find the right words to express ourselves. Other times our eyes flutter when we’re troubled with
our performance on an issue, befuddled, or simply struggling outright. Women that have thick, dark,
long lashes can even use a high blink rate to seduce men. Applying mascara helps draw emphasis to a
women’s eyes even further and when she “bat’s her eyes” can bring a grown man to his knees. We
should also be careful not to jump to conclusions since a high blink rate can also be attributed to dry
air, stress, having something trapped on the eye itself or any multitude of other reasons. Therefore, high
eye blink rate is particularly context sensitive.
Higher blink rate is also subject to mimicry. For example, speaking excitedly about a topic and
increasing eye blink rate will induce others to follow and blink at similar rates. This can come in handy,
not only in a dating situation, but also while pitching ideas because if people mimic a high blink rate,
they will subconsciously perceive that they are excited, which can move them to action.
Chapter 5 – Seeing Eye To Eye – A Look At The Language Of The Eye
Extended Eye Blinking
The opposite to the high blinker is the extended blinker, and whether by accident or by purpose, the
extended blinker puts other’s off by showing disinterest and a smug attitude. A normal blink lasts only
about a tenth of a second and at a rate of about six to eight blinks per minute. An extended blink can
last from two to three seconds or even longer. Try one right now just as an experiment. Close your eyes
at a normal rate but hold them closed momentarily and then quickly reopen them. Now try extending
the time they remain closed. And finally, image this is done either while speaking or listening to
someone else. Naturally, the longer the blink the more salient the message, with several seconds not
being out of the question. The extended eye blink will be perceived by others as arrogant and pompous
since it comes across as temporarily shutting out the outside world, especially the immediate company.
The extended blinker is sending the message to others that what others are doing or saying isn’t worth
their energy and thought.
There are two main ways to thwart the extended blinker. The first is to reduce your blink rate or widen
your eyes as if staring, and hold more eye contact to try to have them mirror you or put them on edge.
The second method is a tiny bit underhanded, but sends a much stronger message. When your partner
has their eyes closed, quickly jump to the right or left or move closer. This will have the effect of
startling them as they reopen their eyes and found that you have slightly moved! If done well enough,
you should expect to have achieved a fear response in them which will naturally create a need for them
to hold better eye contact.