The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 7 - Opened Mind Opened Body Closed Mind Closed Body
Ventral Displays
When the chest is turned away, this is called “ventral denial.” It says, “I don’t like what you’re saying.”
Torsos house important organs that are vital to keeping us alive. Our heart, lungs, liver, intestines and
so forth are all easily accessible through a thin layer of skin, fat, muscle and sometimes ribs and a
sternum although even these have spaces by which damage may be inflicted. Exposing our ventral side
means that we trust we won’t be attacked. Laying on our backs is something we do only in our own
houses because it exposes our bodies to attack and paralyzes us from defending ourselves.
Women, in the wrong company will feel particularly sensitive about exposing their breasts and both
sexes will avoid displaying their genitals when nervous or timid. This is where arm and leg crossing is
prevalent creating shields so as to reduce threatening exposure. Other times, bodies may turn away
from people with whom we lack trust, or we may distance our torsos to give us a time and space buffer
so that if a threat should be advanced, we have enough of a cushion to escape.