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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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CONVERSATION TELLS<br />

people are more aware <strong>of</strong> their front than their back, and<br />

most aware <strong>of</strong> their head and face, followed by their arms,<br />

hands and torso, and least aware <strong>of</strong> their legs and feet. <strong>The</strong><br />

second reason why the legs are especially informative is<br />

that they are associated with primitive impulses <strong>of</strong> flight.<br />

When people feel threatened they react either by defending<br />

themselves or by trying to escape. In the process <strong>of</strong><br />

preparing to escape they <strong>of</strong>ten produce intention movements<br />

that give rise to various postures. 20 Because these<br />

are outside conscious control they reveal people's true<br />

feelings about the person they're talking to.<br />

• THE PARALLEL STANCE. Here the legs are straight and<br />

parallel, so that the feet are planted close together and<br />

the weight <strong>of</strong> the body is evenly distributed between<br />

them. People who adopt the parallel stance are usually<br />

being non-committal - they're neither showing that they<br />

intend to go nor that they wish to stay.<br />

•<br />

123

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