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Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition
book

Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition

by Elizabeth Kuhnke
June 2015
Beginner content levelBeginner
344 pages
9h
English
For Dummies
Content preview from Body Language For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Chapter 8

Arming Yourself

In This Chapter

arrowShutting people out

arrowLetting someone in

arrowDisguising anxiety

arrowSending signals through bodily contact

Whether you’re crossing your arms as a protective shield or opening them as a sign of welcome, the way you position your arms tells an astute observer how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking.

Certain postures elicit certain moods. Crossed arms hold your feelings in and keep other people’s out. They show that you’ve set up roadblocks beyond which no person dares travel. Stay with this position for too long and you find yourself feeling shut off and negative. Unless, of course, you’re cold, in which case holding your arms across your chest keeping the warmth in and the cold out makes perfect sense.

As for contact, touching can be a great tonic as long as you know who, when, where and how. Get touching right and the person with whom you make bodily contact feels engaged and connected; get it wrong and prepare yourself for a sharp smack.

This chapter shows you how you can read arm signals, appear self-controlled and increase your influence through ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781119067399Purchase book