The Ultimate Body Language Book

The human brain has been shown to place a disproportionate amount of attention on the wrists, palms,
fingers and hands compared to the rest of the body. Throughout evolution as we developed the ability
to walk upright, our brains became fixated on what our hands were doing because they became more
expressive in language through gesticulation, became more skilled such as creating fires, catching prey,
collecting berries and building structures and tools to do so. However, our where our hands differ
significantly from our feet is their ability to become extremely dangerous. Hands coupled with
weapons can inflict deadly blows.
Being open means being honest and not hiding anything. In evolutionary terms, the palm display is an
important gesture signifying honesty because it is a way to make evident to others that no threat or
weapon is present. Palm and wrist displays have even been noted to be sexual in nature and more
frequently flashed by women during courtship likely because it is such a vulnerable part of the body.
The wave, as a long distance greeting, probably has roots in showing that we aren’t carrying a spear,
sword, or bow and arrow. Having the hands deep in a pocket or behind the back can be a sign of
aggression or passive threat, and our evolutionary history tells us that someone who is hiding
something is probably not hiding a bouquet of flowers. But if they are, why take the risk! Showing
open palms, facing up, or the “palm flash” is essentially what would have happened thousands of years
ago when two foreign tribes met. Even today we might guess that a stranger approaching us on the
street was up to no good if they hid their hands at their backs or tucked inside a jacket. We’d think they
were harboring a gun and planned to rob us.