The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

TELLS
It's the same when people pat each other on the back. If
you watch people hugging you'll notice that one or both
parties will sometimes pat the other on the back. To us as
observers, to the person who's being patted, and even to
the person who's doing the patting, this appears to be a
gesture of affection. But it's not - it's actually a signal to
release! Although people don't realize it, they always
respond to being patted on the back by bringing the hug
to a close. Although the person who's been patted on the
back has silently been instructed to let go, there isn't any
feeling of rejection. That's because the release signal
operates by stealth, pretending to be a gesture of affection
while it's actually giving a command.
Genuine Tells
Genuine tells show what's really happening in people's
heads. They often reveal things about people that they
don't want others to know, and in some cases are actively
trying to conceal from others. However, there are some
actions that pretend to be tells, but which aren't. These are
not real tells - they're false tells. There are several differences
between genuine tells and false tells. First of all,
unintentional tells tend to be genuine. Blushing, sweating
and pupil dilation, for example, operate outside conscious
control. This means that there's no opportunity for bluffing
- people cannot fake blushing or make themselves sweat
or make their pupils dilate to order. Consequently, when
someone's face reddens we can be sure that they're feeling
self-conscious, and when we see someone sweating we
can be certain that they're either hot or bothered, or both.
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