How can body language reveal emotions and thoughts?

When we speak of body language, we refer to a variety of ways we communicate or signal what we are thinking or feeling in a non-verbal way.  Some of these body signals include the way we stand or sit (our posture), hand gestures and movements, and the expressions we show outwardly on our faces.  The basic premise is that not only can our words ‘tell the story, but our bodies can as well. In other words, sometimes what we do not say provides those around us with loads of information regarding what is going on with us as well as the words we speak aloud. . . Sometimes even more so.

Examples can be seen literally everywhere, from the smile on our face when we feel happy to the scowl we project in anger, the frown that is obvious when we are disappointed, and the open, gaping mouth we project when we are surprised. It is not unlikely that we rely on the look a person has on their face to decide whether we should believe what they say.

Many years of research and studies have been done with expressions and the way we generally perceive them and then what we do with that information, in other words, how it all works. For example, when we see someone smile and show happy expressions outwardly, we are more likely to think of that person as intelligent.

Taking inspiration from the Bible, Proverbs 30:17 to be precise, William Shakespeare wrote, “the eyes are the windows to the soul.”  This saying strongly suggests that one person can tell a lot of revealing information about what someone else thinks or feels, simply by carefully watching their eyes and paying close attention to things like eye contact or whether the pupils are dilated or not.

The mouth also can be an indicator of how a person feels. Lip biting can indicate feeling anxious and worried. Distrust and disapproval can be projected by lips that are tightened. Even smiles are open for interpretation based on the position of the lips.

Body posture and gestures can be quite obvious indicators of how people feel and think. Thumbs up or down show approval and disapproval in many instances, and a fist that is clenched shut certainly conveys a message without the need for words to many. 

Our overall body posture can also provide tons of information regarding the way someone is feeling. We all have sadly learned a lot about social distancing this past year due to public health reasons, but how close or far we stand from another is also an indicator of our bodies ‘telling a tale.’

But the best way to understand how non-verbal communication works is to piece different signals the body gives together, not just to focus on any one display.  We also want to make sure that we employ verbal communication and situational circumstances and piece it all together to understand each other better.