iKinesics » Palm Gestures http://ikinesics.com interpreting body language Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:13:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Palm Hold The Power http://ikinesics.com/2009/05/16/the-palm-hold-the-power/ http://ikinesics.com/2009/05/16/the-palm-hold-the-power/#comments Sat, 16 May 2009 02:30:03 +0000 logish http://ikinesics.com/?p=76 Body language makes up at least half of our face-to-face communication. While voices and choice of words can certainly convey emotion, body language can either reinforce or contradict what is said. The hands alone have a language all their own, and if you are aware of what different palm positions and gestures mean, you can alter your gestures to help make the point you want.

When a person speaks to you with open palms facing upward or towards you, it could indicate that he is being honest, feeling submissive or appealing to your understanding. You could use this gesture in a natural way to portray honesty. In fact, most people find it hard to tell a lie with their palms open. However, with practice it becomes easier to look sincere when telling a ‘story’. Do note that the little micro gestures that you unconsciously make may raise red flags to uncommonly observant people.

Think of a politician giving a campaign speech. If his or her palms are relaxed and open upward, it is a gesture indicating that they want you to think of them as your humble public servant. But their record and their actions may show that they are anything but conciliatory and servile.

Some researchers believe that accomplished liars learn to control facial expressions and hand gestures very well, but the signals from the legs and feet may give away their deceit. In other words, their palms could be signaling sincerity, while their shuffling feet say something quite different.

You can use the position of your palms to emphasize your meaning without contradicting your intentions. For example, one way a woman signals interest in a man is by moving her open, relaxed palm to her collarbone or to the shoulder on the same side as the palm. You can indicate a depth of feeling toward someone or something by lightly placing your open palm over your heart.

Your palms have a language all their own. “Reading palms” in this sense won’t predict your future, but it can certainly clue you in to the truthfulness of someone else’s communication. Remember, telling lies with your palms is much more difficult than telling lies with words.

Joyce

(edited by Logen)

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/3311231217/sizes/s/

]]> http://ikinesics.com/2009/05/16/the-palm-hold-the-power/feed/ 0 How To Read Palm Positions http://ikinesics.com/2009/04/25/how-to-read-palm-positions/ http://ikinesics.com/2009/04/25/how-to-read-palm-positions/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:16:23 +0000 logish http://ikinesics.com/?p=71
Humans have the most complex interactions of any social animal. While seeing a cat arch its back or a dog bare its teeth is a clear signal, with humans, body language is more subtle. More than half of our face-to-face communication is non-verbal. Whether we know it or not, we are constantly sending out signals with our eyes, heads, hands, and posture. Learning to read these non-verbal signals can help you understand what a person’s true meaning or intent is.Most gestures are made with the hands, and in fact, there is an entire language just involving the palms.

For example, if someone shrugs their shoulders with their palms up, it is a much more emphatic signal that they are uninterested or don’t care, than if they shrug while their hands are by their sides or in their pockets. In America, this gesture is a non-verbal way of saying, “Whatever, dude.”

Open, relaxed palms facing upward indicate a lack of aggression (perhaps from showing that you are not holding any weapons?) and an open sincerity. Open, stiff palms facing upward with fingers spread can indicate frustration, as in “What are you doing?” or pleading, as in “Why are you doing this to me?”

But rotate the palms 180 degrees, and you have another set of meanings. Open palms facing downward or outward are a signal to stop, slow down, or restrain oneself. A general rule with palm gestures is that upward palms signal submission or appeal, while downward palms indicate authority.

[ We can tell that the guy is more dominant due to his palm facing forwards, while the lady is taking a more submissive role in the relationship ]

The position of the palm during a handshake is a signal, too. Someone shaking hands with the palm facing downward is expressing a sense of authority, while someone shaking hands with the palm facing upward is expressing submission. Vertical palms from both people shaking hands indicates a sense of equality.

In general, palms upward indicate openness, willingness, and submission, while palms downward indicate authority, resistance, and dominance. But be careful with some palm gestures! In America, the raised, open “high five” palm gesture is considered an insult in Pakistan. It’s a good idea to read up on body language of different cultures before visiting them.

Joyce

(edits by Logen)
picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jongos/536420627/sizes/m/
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