Body Language: Its Concept, History, Indications And Uses

The concept of body language:

Body language is a set of movements that an individual makes using his hands, facial expressions, feet, tone of voice, shaking his shoulders, or his head, to communicate his idea to the addressee in a correct way, and some of his body movements are explicit and therefore his impressions can be understood easily, and there are Also, people are careful in their behavior, as they can fix their body movements so that they are not exposed, but in any case, their impressions can be predicted through some means.

History of body language:

Oral expressions, signs, and movements were the only means of communication in the past, and with time the means of communication developed and language appeared, but body language, including movements, words, and expressions, remained the focus of attention of scholars.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were able to discover the symbolism of gestures and physical behavior through communication between people. Both Hippocrates and Aristotle made their observation regarding this when they said that our personalities highlight the differences between us, and about two thousand years ago the famous Roman orator Cicero (106-43 BC) reached That the movements of the body express feelings and emotions of the soul and the body, while words, expressions, and gestures are used as a whole to act as a means of communication.
The first academic scientific study that dealt with the subject of body language was in the seventeenth century when John Bulwar’s book “The Science of Hand Reading” The Natural History of the Hand (in 1644) presented more than a hundred meanings of a hand gesture, and then he presented the book “Pathumayotampa” (in 1649) in which he saw Non-verbal language is the most natural form of language and I believe that listening and looking are equally important in dialogue.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Frenchman, Abe Lépée, came up with a modern way to teach sign language to the deaf, using body movements instead of forcing them to pronounce some words or sounds, as was the case, and during the same era, Gilbert Austin focused on body movements and gestures that make speech more effective.
The first book that talked about body language was the book “Expressing Human Emotions 1872.” This book contained important and profound information in this field, and many recent studies of facial expressions and body language were written after it, and most scientists were able to prove scientifically the information contained therein.
As for the qualitative shift in the study of body language, it was in the sixties of the last century, when psychologists began to study human movements scientifically and practically and reached hundreds of conclusions. In the year 1970 AD.

Also read: Your comprehensive guide to body language (1)

Scientific facts about body language:

Scientific research has recorded nearly a million non-verbal hints and signals, and Albert Mehrabian, a researcher in psychology, concluded in one of his studies that the total impact of the message is divided into (7% words only, 38% vocal i.e. tone of voice, 55% non-verbal).
Based on Albert Mehrabian’s research, Professor Brad Hoesel has made some estimates that the average person speaks words for about ten minutes per day and that the average sentence takes about two and a half seconds.
Most researchers in the field of psychology agree that the oral channel is mainly used to transmit information, while the non-oral channel is used to negotiate situations between people, and in some cases as a substitute for oral messages.
The latest scientific studies have concluded that seven percent of human contact is through pronunciation and words, thirty-eight percent is through the method of pronunciation and the tone used, while fifty-five percent is for physical movements and the latter is very important for people who suffer from hearing or speech problems.

Revealing the meanings and connotations of body language:

the eyes:

If the focus of the person’s eye widens, then this indicates that he heard something that made him happy, or that aroused his surprise and admiration, and the widening of the pupils indicates that the person feels fear and panic.
And love has its share in the language of the eyes, when the pupil of the eye expands and its brightness increases, this means that the person is in love and admiration of the person who is talking to him.
When a person looks up while talking, this means that he is imagining what you are saying, or that he is remembering an influential situation that happened to him in the past, and if he tries to hide a tear, this indicates that he is hiding his true feelings.
If the person looks down while talking to him, then this means that he remembers evidence from the past of what you are saying, and this look also indicates that he is talking about personal feelings and feelings, or he may be managing something in himself.
Looking down and then looking up indicates that the person feels very ashamed, and also indicates a sense of humility and gratitude and that what you say is more than what he deserves.

The tone of voice in psychology:

Speaking in a loud tone of voice with the other party indicates that the person feels entertained and fun and that he is interested in talking, and if he smiles while speaking, this indicates the truth of his feelings towards the other party.
Some experts think that Speaking in a raised voice may indicate that the person is hiding a lie, or a huge amount of lies, and is trying to raise his voice to distract the person being addressed.
The person who speaks in a very low tone of voice that you can almost hear indicates that he is weak in character, shy, and not sure of himself or the words he says.
A high tone of voice symbolizes the strength of character, vigor, and self-confidence, as some people are keen to raise their tone of voice to draw the attention of everyone around them.
The person who looks directly into the eyes and speaks in an offensive tone of intensity indicates that he is jealous of the person opposite, and has a lot of hatred and hostility.

Limbs (hands and feet):

Walking bending forward with hands in pockets indicates a person’s feeling helpless and depressed, and indicates that all his thinking and focus is confined to himself.
Complete silence and steadfast looking at a point and placing a hand on both cheeks or one of the cheeks indicate a person entering a state of deep thinking, or evaluating the words and information he receives.
Clasping hands while talking has many meanings, as it either indicates respect and appreciation for the person opposite if it is accompanied by a state of relaxation in the movement of the body or indicates apprehension and anticipation if the body movements are more serious.
Moving the legs while sitting or switching movements from time to time indicates a lack of patience and perhaps a feeling of boredom, just as sitting with the two legs far apart indicates a feeling of relaxation and openness to the other.
Fixing the feet while sitting indicates the independence of the personality and the process of dealing while sticking the ankles together while sitting indicates that the person feels tense and anxious.

Also read: Learn to read body language through movements

Head:

Calmly moving the head several consecutive times forward indicates interest and attention to what the opposite person is saying, and a fast and strong head movement indicates that the person is asking you to summarize what you say.
Tilting the head to one side indicates a sense of admiration and enjoyment of the interviewee’s speech, and indicates that the listener wants to focus on the smallest details that are told in front of him.
Lowering the head downward and avoiding looking at the opposite person indicates a feeling of complete weakness and submission while lowering the head with a constant stare at the opposite person indicates defiance or belittling.
Raising the head and looking up indicates a feeling of boredom and boredom, and in some cases, it indicates thinking and imagining some things, and sometimes a person resorts to this position to focus on what is said to him.
A person not moving his head while talking indicates that he is very self-confident, serious, and likes to control others.

the mouth:

Opening the mouth indicates a person’s feeling of fear, especially if accompanied by exophthalmos, and exaggeratedly opening the mouth while talking indicates that the person is angry and opens his mouth to get more oxygen.
A real smile occurs when a person smiles with thin lines appearing under the eyes and wide lines appearing on the right side of the face, while a fake smile has wide lines on the left side of the face.
Pursing the lips while talking indicates that the person wants to hide something or tries to suppress his feelings, and biting the lips while talking indicates malice, cunning, and lying.
Folding the lower lip inward or outward indicates that the person does not have a response or comment on what is being said or done, and if he responds, he is not aware of what he is saying and tries to compliment the person in front of him.
Putting the hand on the mouth while speaking indicates that the person is lying or trying to hide something, just as placing the hand on the mouth while laughing indicates that the person is shy and trying to appear decent.

Body language in countries of the world and misunderstanding:

Head gestures express affirmation and acceptance in all peoples of the world, but in Bulgarian and Greek culture they do not symbolize anything, so moving the head from top to bottom indicates negation.
Eye contact is very important in western countries, but in eastern cultures, it is considered wrong, and sometimes it indicates an attempt to harass the opposite person.
In Portuguese culture, pulling the ears while eating indicates that the food is delicious, while the pulling of the ears in Italians has sexual connotations.
In Japan, using a handkerchief while sneezing indicates bad luck, while touching the nose while talking in English indicates that the subject is confidential, and in Italy, it indicates the need to take caution and caution.
The lips are used to point at objects rather than the fingers in the Philippines, Native Americans, Puerto Rico, and most parts of Latin America.

Also read: 3 differences in the meanings of body language between countries of the world

Body movements have indications and meanings, dear, make sure you understand and learn them so that you can communicate with your surroundings properly, and succeed in creating good impressions about yourself permanently.