The Wrong Direction

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines body language as "the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others". This type of communication can include facial expressions, posture, eye movement, gestures, and the use of touch.

One type of body language I have become interested in falls under the category of posture. I read somewhere that in the course of talking to some one, if anytime the persons feet are pointed away from you, they want to stop talking to you. I decided to test this theory. There were two ways I did this.

First, I got into a conversation with one of my friends and deliberately pointed my feet away from them. Unfortunately, they didn't stop the conversation like I thought they might, therefore showing that seeing this signal didn't trigger any sort of subconscious reflex.

Secondly, I spent a lot of time looking for a specific type of conversation- one in which the person was pointing their feet away from me. I chose someone I didn't really know so I could be sure it was awkward, and sure enough, their feet were pointed away and I was able to see they were uncomfortable. I then promptly ended the conversation and got out of there.

Something I would be interested in trying is looking for a person like the one in the second circumstance, but to not end the conversation, just to see what would happen. Anyway, let me know what you think about this and any other examples of body language you have noticed.

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