5 Gestures That Undermine The Image We Show To Others
We all know that gestures and postures reveal a lot about our personality, our attitude or our state of mind. Without realizing it, each of us adopts specific ways of looking, of walking, of showing ourselves to others. These ways are incorporated by us until they become part of our personal style. A style, however, that sometimes risks showing what we would not like to see.
There are social situations in which this process is fleeting and ephemeral. Other people get an idea about us partly consciously, partly not. An opinion that is formed starting from what we say, but also from what we express through gestures and postures.
This in itself would not be a problem were it not that many of those ephemeral situations have very important consequences. We think of a job interview or a meeting in which we try to make contacts that are interesting for us or, why not, those situations in which we want to please someone who interests us and try to give a pleasant and positive impression of ourselves.
For this reason, it is worth learning to recognize our gestures and what they express. Just as it is important to review them so that they play in our favor in the most important situations. In order to do so, let’s follow the gestures that prejudice us and that it would be better to review.
gestures that affect our image
1. Bite your lower lip
By biting your lower lip, you communicate a rejection of what is coming out of your mouth. It is one of those gestures that, without you or others being aware of it, can be interpreted as a doubt or a falsehood about what you are saying.
This gesture also reveals the presence of a hidden message. People usually say “I bit my lip not to mention that thing.” This is a correct interpretation. When you perform this gesture, you make it clear that you are silent and that you do not want to communicate something.
2. Constantly raise your eyebrow
A raised eyebrow is a sign of anger, annoyance, or rejection. The truth is that it is one of the gestures that, in most cases, is adopted simply because of the tension of the nerve. Still, there are those who do it so often that it almost becomes a tic.
When you are agitated or nervous, you raise your eyebrow. However, this gesture can also communicate a lack of trust in the other person and in oneself. We also often raise it when we want to emphasize our observation or when we adopt a defensive position.
3. Blink rapidly and continuously
It is one of the most difficult gestures to control, as it consists of an almost automatic reaction in situations that generate nervousness. The normal frequency at which this should be done is 14 to 17 times per minute. When we are nervous, however, this number tends to increase significantly.
The worst thing is that when we begin to do it often and quickly, the attention of our interlocutor focuses precisely on this gesture. It is therefore easy for him to stop listening to what we are saying to focus on this lack of confidence that we express with our eyes.
4. Hide your hands when speaking
Hands are a very strong communication tool. They emphasize, evade, point out or complement what we are saying. When a person speaks, he tends to move his hands a lot making himself perceivable to others as more spontaneous and trustworthy. This generates a feeling of sincerity.
Conversely, when you hide your hands while speaking, you communicate exactly the opposite, as if you wanted to hide something. It is not convenient to put your hands behind your back, in your pocket, hide them under your desk or cross them on your chest. By doing so, you will raise a barrier in your communication.
5. Smile or laugh all the time
The smile is, without a doubt, one of the gestures that opens hearts the most. When someone smiles at you, without realizing it, it helps you prepare for the conversation positively. It is a splendid prelude to a positive, serene and cordial speech.
Yet when a person smiles or laughs all the time, the effect can be very different. In this case, in fact, nervousness, lack of concentration or an excess of breathlessness are expressed in an attempt to be accepted. This message is not positive, on the contrary, it becomes an obstacle for others in trying to form an honest opinion about you.
In all these cases, one should not adopt a false or disguised identity, quite the opposite. Through gestures, a person can get to know himself better. Thus, by becoming aware of the type of communication he is having with others, he is able to correct the image he is trying to give of himself through his body language.
