Words of confidence can be heard when spoken, likewise words of confidence
can be read when written or documented. But can confidence be interpreted
from the actions of a person?
Yes, it can. As a matter of fact, action has a higher degree of
consistency compared to spoken or read materials regardless of the subject
involved. Whenever there is a cloud of doubt on the truthfulness of an
issue under discussion, the language not spoken or read serves as the
confirmation of accuracy. This is the language of body movements or
gestures. In this case, the issue is confidence.
Take these postures as indications of confidence:
A confident person is most likely to talk spontaneously, without second
thoughts on his mind, as can be seen from his eyes. The eyes are the gates
to a person’s character. A confident person gives more frequent eye
contact than a non-confident individual. He can look at you straight every
now and then, at a longer time, and his eyes blink less (unless the person
has a habit of frequent blinking which you will notice beforehand).
A confident person talks with hands away from his face. He doesn’t cover
his mouth (unless he has halitosis or unless the person he is talking to
looks or reminds him of something funny) or nose (unless he smells
something offensive). He doesn’t scratch his head (unless it’s itchy
because of scalp disorders).
A person beaming with confidence of having achieved much stands erect and
proud. He shows that he definitely knows where he is headed. A straight
back with chin up shows confidence and even superiority.
One of the most reliable indications of a confident person can be seen by
the gesture of his hands. When each finger of a hand (in spread position)
meets each equivalent finger of the other hand at the tips, it is a very
sure sign of confidence. This gesture resembles the structure of a church
steeple. This is the reason why this gesture is called steepling or
tapering.
Some people openly show off this hand gesture when they are seated. They
proudly show their steepling hands, indicating authority and showing they
are sure of what they are saying.
You may notice that when a boss and subordinate talks to each other, the
boss is most likely the one doing the steepling. While seated in front of
a desk, the boss usually places his elbows on top of the desk with the
steepled hands almost on face level as if he is looking through a screen).
As for a woman, she usually rests her elbows on the armchair when seated
with her steepled hands on her lap. If she is standing, the steepled hands
are usually in the waist level.
In most of the gestures, especially when it comes to the steepled hands,
it is important to know if the gesture you see from the other person is
truly indicative of his true emotions or personality. Make sure you are
not being misled or deceived. This is especially true in dealing with
people you hardly know and when sincerity plays an important role in the
deal. You can check this by looking for other clues that are congruent or
related to the gesture he is exhibiting.
Alan Luk is President of Generation Y Success Inc, his network of success
websites are helping ordinary people breakthrough fear in order to attract
success in their lives.
Join the GenerationYSuccess™ Interview Series where Alan interviews
millionaires and success coaches:
Visit www.GenerationYSuccess.com for more info.
About the Author:
Alan Luk is President of Generation Y Success Inc, his network of success
websites are helping ordinary people breakthrough fear in order to attract
success in their lives.
Join the GenerationYSuccess™ Interview Series where Alan interviews
millionaires and success coaches:
Visit www.GenerationYSuccess.com for more info.
Interpret the Posture of Confidence
