Non-verbal communication is an interesting area in psychology. A person does not always say what he really thinks. And to find out where is the truth and where is the lie, sometimes it is very difficult. Sign language can help with this. It is incredibly difficult to hide it. Every minute our body gives a lot of different signals. We learn in this article what crossed arms on the chest and fingers in the lock mean.
Natural gestures
Quite often, a person has to hide his emotions. In most cases, this happens almost unconsciously. And if we more or less learned to control facial expressions, then with gestures things are much more complicated. When a person is not comfortable, he tries by all means to close himself from everyone. And he does it with his hands. When a person crosses his arms over his chest, it is as if it “hugs” itself. It seems that now a person is reliably protected from others.
In this case, it does not matter what the face expresses. You offer a person to buy a product, talk about his merits. The man cheerfully nods his head and smiles at you, but at the same time, crossed his arms over his chest. What could this mean? Very soon, a refusal will follow, and you are unlikely to buy the goods. And all because sign language warns in advance that a person is protecting yourself from you. So, knowing some features of non-verbal communication, you can prevent many undesirable situations.
In fact, arms crossed on the chest are quite common. A person can use this and other gestures several times a day. There are certain categories of people who, in principle, are very fond of sitting or standing with their arms crossed. They usually claim to be so comfortable. As a rule, these are incredulous people, inclined to doubt everything. This position suggests that they are not confident in themselves and often feel "out of place." A man who often crosses his arms is aggressive towards the world around him, and, of course, it is so convenient for him to defend himself.
Scientists have come to the conclusion that when hands are locked in a lock or crossed on a chest, a person does not perceive information well. At one lecture, the teacher asked students to sit with their hands open, and on the other, on the contrary, squeeze them tightly. As the results showed, the first students remembered 36% more information than the second.
But you should take into account the fact that even almost the same positions can have different meanings. For example, if the arms are crossed on the chest, but the thumbs are clearly visible and they are directed upwards, then this indicates that a person considers himself better than others.
Or, for example, “hands in the castle in front of you” - a gesture that says that a person is alert. He listens carefully to the interlocutor, but does not trust him. It will be difficult to agree with such a person while his hands are linked. But “hands in the castle behind” is a gesture of a confident leader. So go school principals, senior military officials, and even members of the British Royal Family.
Standard gesture
Crossed arms on the chest is a kind of shield. Such a pose means that the person feels uncomfortable or uncomfortable. As a rule, hands cross precisely in the chest area. And this is no accident. In this way, a person shows that now all of his important body parts are closed. Such a pose can often be found in a conversation between two people. In this case, one of them is trying to prove something to the other. A person becomes in a defensive position and, in fact, does not want to hear anything. If you see that the interlocutor crossed his arms - this means that he does not agree with you.
Finger grip
Sign language in psychology helps to identify almost any emotion. What are poses and gestures talking about?
If the crossed arms on the chest are accompanied by clenching of the fingers into a fist, then this position indicates an aggressive mood. The personality is not just closed from the opponent, it is also hostile. Such a gesture can often be seen in children who are scolded and punished by their parents. At first, the child pretends to be offended by crossing his arms over his chest. And then, he clenches his fingers into a fist, which demonstrates his disagreement with the punishment. Often, such anger is difficult to contain, and after a while a person begins to “attack” himself. His fists clench more and more, and his face turns red. A verbal attack may follow.
Deterrence of negative feelings
This emotion is also manifested by the cross of arms. But in this case, the hands grab onto the opposite shoulder. This helps to consolidate the position and eliminate the unclenching of the fingers. People in this position can often be met at the airport or near the dental office. Any exciting event can be accompanied by just such a gesture.
In this case, the person is negatively tuned to any circumstances. Moreover, he can stand next to another person and treat him well. For example, in front of the office where they take the exam, mother and daughter are standing. The latter will have to write a test, she is worried, crosses her arms in front of her, but this does not mean that she is negative about her mother.
Clasped fingers
How often have you observed how a person squeezes with one hand the other? In this case, the gesture can be interpreted in different ways. Quite often, when communicating, people fold their hands in the castle. At this time, a person can smile and, perhaps, you will even think that he trusts you. But in fact, such a gesture speaks of disappointment and hostility to the opponent. There are three positions in which the hands are in the lock:
- elevated position;
- average;
- lower.
The higher the hands are, the more aggressive the person is. If a person sits with his hands clasped to the castle on his feet, then he is more likely disappointed than hostile. Often such a gesture is made by people when, for example, they are refused when applying for a job. Such a position may indicate excitement.
But for another reason, a person can put their hands in the lock. Which finger is on top of it? Big? So this is a fairly confident person. Especially if a man does this when communicating with a woman. Thus, he shows that he is strong and domineering.
If the thumbs are hidden, it means that the person feels depressed. This usually happens if he is alone or waiting for an important decision. Do not demonstrate such a gesture when applying for a job. A smart director will regard it as an indicator of low self-esteem. Putting your fingers together in a lock means demonstrating your insecurity and timidity.
Disguised gestures
Not always crossing your arms or locking them into a lock is convenient. In particular, this applies to individuals who are constantly in the public eye. But in any case, if they feel insecure, they try to form a barrier. And they succeed by twitching accessories on the opposite hand. They begin to adjust the buttons on the cuffs or the clasp of the watch. When you try to close yourself, any gesture that allows you to hold at least one arm across your body is suitable.
What this knowledge can give
People do not always realize that sign language is an incredibly useful science that can be useful to anyone. It is especially important for those who often negotiate. If you see that your opponent has crossed his arms in front of him, then he is closing from you. It should be analyzed why this could happen.
Next, you need to try to remove this barrier. When a person’s hands open, his sensitivity to words will become much higher. Therefore, it is possible to try to make the opponent unhook them. Perhaps you should give him something in hand.
Have you noticed how the “networkers”, trying to shove some unnecessary little thing, are trying to take your hands? They ask to hold their folder or give you the goods. In 50% of cases, this is done so that you can close me.
Or, for example, an intelligent spouse will ask her husband what she needs at the moment when his hands are busy with something. In this case, he does not have the opportunity to close from her, which means that the chance that the request will be fulfilled is significantly increased.
And vice versa, resenting a person, we cross our arms in front of us. So body language shows that while we are not ready to forgive the offender and do not want to hear anything.
Head and subordinate
At work, knowledge of nonverbal communication can also be useful. Remember how often the boss sits or stands. If his hands are crossed and his thumbs are looking up, this person loves power. If they are constantly behind him - he is not afraid of anything and is a confident person. If the boss’s hands are locked into the castle in front of him when he is talking with you, he does not trust you and is very wary.
Other values
Sign language in psychology is a very subtle science. Arms crossed in front of you may not always mean hostility. Quite often, one person copies the pose of another to become closer to him. For example, a guy approached a girl to get to know each other. Initially, she stood with her arms and legs crossed. This is a defensive position, which suggests that while the lady is not ready to open to him. A man subconsciously takes the same position.
At the same time, note that one man’s leg is turned towards the woman. This means that he is interested in her.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that crossed arms can have a lot of different meanings. Much depends on the specific situation and other gestures.