The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

SMOKING TELLS
waving his cigarette around like a sword. Notice the
'rapier hold', where the cigarette is held between
the thumb and forefinger, with the lit end facing away
and the palm facing up. The fact that this posture makes
smoking difficult provides an essential clue to its latent
aggression; the fact that the cigarette is held like a rapier is
another. When someone says something the smoker
doesn't like, he can always 'parry' the remark by raising
his cigarette - just as if he were physically blocking an
attack. This can be followed by a 'thrust', where the lit end
of the cigarette is aimed and then prodded at the head or
chest of the other person. With a good aim and careful
timing a verbal duel can often be settled with a cigarette
or a cigar. When the other person isn't smoking it's usually
no contest at all.
The way people smoke is linked to other aspects of
personality. Studies of smoking topography, for example,
show that Type A individuals (people who are competitive
and impatient) don't necessarily differ from Type B individuals
(people who are co-operative and patient) in
terms of the number of puffs or puff volume. But Type A
individuals inhale the smoke for 70 per cent longer than
Type Bs. 10 This enables Type As, who are more anxious, to
calm themselves down.
The way people exhale when they're in the company of
others also provides valuable clues to their personality. 11
'Fronters', who blow the smoke forward, enclosing other
people in it, tend to be dominant and aggressive. Then
there are 'uppers', who exhale the smoke upwards and
who tend to be considerate and confident. 'Downers',
who blow the smoke downwards, are usually submissive
and unassuming, rather like 'siders', who blow the smoke
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