The Ultimate Body Language Book

parties hands might graduate away. If disagreement continues, feet might orient toward the door
followed by torsos than finally their heads.
Arms are withdrawn when disagreement is high. These arms are busy protecting the torso in a single
arm closed body posture – an ‘incomplete hug.’
Arms withdraw for a number of reasons but our subconscious mind tunes into our flight response and
pulls hands in when we fear they will be hurt, and especially when they are hurt. When we touch a hot
stove or hear a loud bang, our arms draw quickly into our bodies to protect them. This happens
instantly with no ability to stop it. Likewise, our hands come in when we are worried or threatened
despite a lack of physical threat. When our arms come in, our minds feel that they can block attacks
better even when they are emotional in nature. Hands can be withdrawn for any number of reasons, not
just disagreement, such as dishonesty. Honest hands are palm up, offering something to another person,
or palm down in a confident authoritative position, but when hands are pulled away, they signal hidden
thoughts of disagreement and lack of connectivity.
Hands can also suddenly change in terms of use of illustrators and seem to pause, stop or slow in their
rate of use. Sudden cessation of gesticulation can indicate a freeze response due to being caught in a lie
especially when the context warrants it. This is part of the flight or flight response as liars are trying to
seem less noticeable. They are “hiding in plain sight” and to do this it is necessary to move less as
movement attracts attention. Reducing expressiveness means fewer “tells” or so the lying mind thinks.
When hands that are usually busy while talking according to a baseline, suddenly begin to slow, or
become less expressive, it can signal a lack of enthusiasm or confidence for the topic. Whatever
happens to the hands, when they suddenly change, we know that something internal has changed and it
is usually tied directly to whatever is happening in the moment.