The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 8 – Dominant and Submissive Gestures
The Language Of The Head
The positions of the head tells us a lot about what feelings are present and readily leaks information to
others. Head language is similar to facial expressions since it can convey a large amount of information
extremely quickly. Heads can shake, nod, bobble, lowered, tilt, duck, or dropped back each having its
own meaning. As we shall see, head language can tells us that someone is negative on a matter, neutral
or in actively in thought.
Chapter 8 – Dominant and Submissive Gestures
Headshake For Negative Thoughts
The head shake signifies a negative thought indicator. It’s as if the person can’t get past an idea. Babies
use the headshake as in innate gesture to signal to their mother that they’ve had enough milk by turning
their head away. The head shake is different from the typical “no type gesture” in that the head is tilted
from side-to-side instead of being pivoted back and forth used to signify “no” in various cultures by
adults. We should be skeptical if the head shake is given while voicing specifically agreeable language
such as “You make a good point.” or “That sounds like a great idea.” These words, accompanied by the
head shake, negates whatever positive words were voiced. It tells us that they were either trying to pull
a fast one on us, or just trying to appease us.
Chapter 8 – Dominant and Submissive Gestures
Head Nod And Bobble
The head nod in western cultures says agreement. In other cultures such as in Bulgaria and Sri Lanka it
means disagreement, although from studies of the deaf and blind, it is apparent that this gesture is also
innate. The nod used as a greeting, performed as a quick drop of the head, may stem from an
abbreviated head bow. As we learned, lowering the body signifies a submissive posture, and so too
does agreement. In Japan the head nod usually signals to the speaker that they are being heard and
doesn’t necessarily indicate agreement. Thus, head nods are particularly specific to cultures so caution
is important.
The head bobble, which is a side to side motion across an arc also means different things to different
cultures. For example, in East Slavic it means disapproval and in India it means “okay”. In Bulgaria,
India and Pakistan the head bobble means “yes.” Other gestures by the head can include the chin point,
in the West, which is a slick way of pointing out other girls to your buddy without getting caught.
Sometimes the chin point is used as a greeting between friends as an informal acknowledgement of
each other’s presence. In Greece, Turkey and Arabic-speaking countries pulling the head back in a
jerking motion signals “no” but in Ethiopia it actually means “yes.”