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The Book of Tells (Peter Collett)[unlocked]

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THE BOOK OF TELLS<br />

to find ways <strong>of</strong> living together. One way to do this is<br />

through the ritualistic medium <strong>of</strong> submissive displays.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se enable us to resolve conflicts without damage or loss<br />

<strong>of</strong> life, and they allow us to continue working together.<br />

When we look more closely at submission displays we<br />

discover that they contain symbolic elements <strong>of</strong> flight. This<br />

is noticeable in the way that members <strong>of</strong> social species use<br />

their eyes. When they meet a dominant individual, they<br />

engage in what the zoologist Michael Chance called 'cut<strong>of</strong>f'<br />

- that is, they avert their gaze so as to visually remove<br />

the dominant individual from view. 8 This has several<br />

important effects for submissive people. Firstly, by removing<br />

the dominant person from view, the subordinate<br />

person is better able to reduce their sense <strong>of</strong> fear. Cut-<strong>of</strong>f<br />

is like a psychological form <strong>of</strong> flight - it enables individuals<br />

to remove potential attackers from their mind.<br />

Secondly, cut-<strong>of</strong>f shows that the subordinate person has no<br />

intention <strong>of</strong> attacking the dominant person. That's because<br />

looking at the other person could be a prelude to attack,<br />

whereas looking away is a preparation for defence.<br />

Thirdly, the act <strong>of</strong> looking away and demeaning oneself<br />

actually serves to 'cut <strong>of</strong>f' any aggression from the<br />

dominant person. That's because submission displays are<br />

hard-wired. When we are confronted with someone who's<br />

trying to look small, defenceless and weak, our aggressive<br />

impulses automatically switch <strong>of</strong>f.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are several ocular tells associated with<br />

submission:<br />

• THE EYE-DIP. People frequently avert their gaze downwards<br />

in order to appear submissive. This is usually a<br />

deliberate action, and it is designed to placate someone<br />

84

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