The Ultimate Body Language Book

Chapter 11 - Emotional Body Language
Displacement Behaviours Protect Us In Public
Stroking an object or “object caress” (context specific) can be a way to sooth a person when in public.
In a courtship setting, an object caress spells interest.
Immediately upon leaving our homes, the place where we feel most comfortable, we begin to exhibit
what is called “displacement behaviour”. Displacement behaviour is a coping mechanism that helps
protect us emotionally from the outside world. The citizens of New York and other busy cities make for
classic examples as they work their way through the city streets expressionless. The rest of the world
sees these people as rude, despondent, miserable or unhappy but in actual fact it is completely normal
and even constructive. Our public body language shifts subtly the moment we leave the door. Our faces
show less emotion, it becomes more ‘pan faced’ as we if hiding our thoughts and inner feelings from
others. City slickers immediately identify country folk. They make eye contact with strangers more
often, and might even issue smiles, and nods at others, that is if they aren’t completely overtaken by
fear and distraction. Making contact with others is normal for country folk. They come from an area
where they know most of the inhabitants and therefore don’t fear public social interactions.
Displacement behaviour is a stone-age protective mechanism. In our evolutionary past, had we
encountered a group of strangers or a “city” of strangers, it would be in our best interest to internalize
our fears and emotions so as not to betray our position. Our position is naturally fearful due in large
part to being vastly outnumbered by what could be a potentially violent clan. We also wouldn’t want
others to know that we carried valuable trade items, or were weak or scared. Therefore, our faces show
a default position; no emotion.