The Ultimate Body Language Book

sometimes even so fast that they are barely observable with the naked eye, but it is these flashes, or
“microexpressions”, that mean something predictive, much more so than more obvious gestures that
happen later on, or those that linger for some time. A small twitch of the muscles between the eyes, the
“fear muscle” forces the eyebrows together to make a grin-like gesture that reveals a true sentiment.
This expression happens so fast, it is impossible to stifle. When we get a sense of someone whom we
find isn’t “just right” and fail to trust them, it is these expressions that happen very fast that we are
sensing.
Only keen observation of the whole body, with emphasis on facial expressions will catch this type of
honest expression. Thus, the rule of thumb is to discount positive body language when it accompanies
negative body language, and be sure to catch negative body language especially if it happens first or
flashes quickly. Quick body language happens by accident, but body language that lingers happens
because people want us to see it!
Chapter 2 – The Basics Of Understanding Body Language
Silent Speech Has Flow
How is the flow of your body language?
Body language is like verbal and written language; it has structure. Body language flows, it has its own
rhythm, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation. Some gesture are single letters which join with others to
form words right on up to formulate full sentences and phrases until we finally reach full ideas and
meaning. Part of the way things come together is connected to congruence, meaning that the overall
body of language comes together seamlessly. Just like someone might have poor written grammar,
some people have poor nonverbal language, sometimes even dramatically so leading to even more
drastic consequences.
We are all born understanding the basics of body language and have the minds to master it, but none of
us are born ready emitting perfect body language. Instead we learn body language like we learn to