You’ve probably wondered about what life would be if you could read people’s minds. Some people rely on their intuition for this, but if you lack intuition, you just have one option: read and understand people’s body language.
According to experts, body language accounts for 55% of what we express, voice tone accounts for 38%, and actual words account for only 7%. It indicates that, in addition to what a person’s appearance may convey, we must consider these three characteristics when meeting someone.
If you want to get a glimpse of someone’s personality when you first meet them, pay attention to the non-verbal cues, starting with the head! In this article, we will be elaborating on 13 psychological tips to instantly read someone. Pay close attention to the last five numbers because how it works will astound you.
13. Observe their posture
You can tell a lot about someone’s self-confidence by how they carry themselves. For example, if someone walks upright with their shoulders back and their gaze straight ahead, it indicates that they are confident and happy with themselves.
Slouching over and staring at the ground while walking, on the other hand, provides a completely different impression. It doesn’t always mean they have poor self-esteem, but that’s usually the message it gives off.
12. Observe how they walk
People that shuffle around, move at a non-flowing pace or keep their heads down often lack self-confidence. If you observe these characteristics in someone you’re talking to, you can go out of your way to compliment them to boost their confidence.
Alternatively, you may need to ask him or her more direct questions to bring those brilliant thoughts to the surface.
11. Stepping back is not a good sign
When you’re talking to someone and they take a quick step back, it usually signifies that anything you said made them uncomfortable, or that they’re not interested in the issue and want to get out of the situation. If the speaker is exposed to this behavior, they are unlikely to open up in front of that person.
10. Frequent nodding
When someone nods, it usually means they agree with you. Exaggerated nodding could indicate concern about approval. When you tell someone anything and they nod a lot, it suggests they’re worried about what you think of them or that you have doubts about their capacity to follow your directions.
Frequent nodding could be unintentional signs for the other person to move on, similar to when someone continues to look at their wristwatch or touches their car keys.
9. Identify a strong voice
Confident people speak clearly. The most powerful individual at a conference table has an expansive stance, a forceful voice, and a broad smile. (A strong voice is not the same as one that is loud.)
It’s natural to give attention to the team leader while introducing an idea to a group. However, that leader’s personality may be lacking. In reality, he or she is readily swayed by others and relies largely on them to make judgments. When you recognize the powerful voice, your chances of reading a person’s mind increases.
8. Eye crinkles with a real smile
People’s faces may lie when they smile, but their eyes do not. Genuine grins always reach the eyes, causing the skin to wrinkle and form crow’s feet on the face. People frequently smile to conceal their thoughts, sentiments, and feelings.
To tell if a person is smiling or not, look at their eyes and check if the observer notices crow’s feet on the corners; if so, it’s an authentic smile; if not, there’s a good chance they’re concealing something.
7. Consider personalities
It can be beneficial to identify and evaluate specific qualities to determine who a person is and what is important to them. Pay attention to traits and verbiage for hints into someone’s personality.
For example, someone who wants to be in charge can have an overly hard handshake. People who enjoy sarcasm will frequently use it in conversation. Use these cues to figure out what they value and how they approach things.
6. Pay attention to their eyebrows
Observe a person’s brows to determine their level of comfort. Delight, sadness, and fear are the three basic emotions that raise your brows.
If someone is raising their eyebrows at you and the issue isn’t one that would normally generate fear, sadness, or happiness, it’s an indication that they’re uncomfortable.
5. Look for inconsistencies
Keep an eye out for discrepancies between your baseline and the person’s words and gestures. For instance, you’ve discovered that one of your most key suppliers has a habit of clearing his throat frequently when he’s nervous.
He begins to accomplish this as he offers some pretty minor alterations to your business arrangement. Is there something more to this than meets the eye? You could opt to dig a little further and ask a few more questions than you normally would.
4. Leaning forward
This is also a common form of body language. “The closer you get, the more engaged you are”, is the simplest way to decode this. This stance indicates that he or she is interested in the topic being discussed. It’s an evident method to agree nonverbally when leaning forward is accompanied with a sincere grin and nodding.
Positive postures taken by the listener during a conversation can increase the speaker’s vivacity by giving the impression that the person listening is receptive, kind, and approachable.
3. Asking the right questions
Another technique to figure out what someone is thinking is to look for their pain points by asking the correct questions. It’s critical to form a personal connection to learn about their interests.
Ask open-ended inquiries to get information about the person’s strengths and weaknesses. Tell stories about how you’ve helped others. People will almost always agree that they have the same problem, which can help you better comprehend what they require.
2. Maintain eye contact
The eyes are often referred to as the “windows to the soul.” Consider the context while determining which type of eye contact someone is making with you.
If someone can’t keep their gaze away from you, it could indicate a love interest. When you look someone in the eyes and they can’t seem to force themselves to look back, it’s a sign that they’re either nervous or have something to hide. Something is up if you’re talking with someone whose look makes you squirm – especially if they’re very still and not blinking – and they might be lying to you.
1. Create a Baseline
People differ in their characteristics and behavioral patterns. They may clear their throats, glance at the floor while speaking, cross their arms, itching their heads, rub their necks, frown, pout, or wiggle their feet frequently. When others do these things, we may not even notice them at first. If we do, we don’t pay attention to it.
People engage in these actions for a variety of reasons. It could just be a matter of etiquette. These same behaviors can be symptomatic of dishonesty, rage, or anxiousness. Creating a mental baseline of normal behavior in others will help you read and interpret non-verbal cues.