Dominance and submission are proportional to body size. Reading the body language of men sitting with wide legs or splayed knees and be interpreted in a few ways. In a group situation, we point our lead foot at the most interesting or attractive person but when we want to leave, we point our feet at the nearest exit. Jessica was asked by her university history professor to stand in front of the lecture hall and discuss the latest assignment. According to The Huffington Post, the movement of leaning in is used to attract … When a guy is taking up a lot of space with their body, like spreading the legs and arms, he's likely showing that he's extraverted (sociable, assertive) and that he feels confident in his surroundings. It tells you tells you that a person is standing his ground and is favored by those who wish to show their dominance. Apprehensive travellers sit with their ankles locked, especially during take-off. That position is less comfortable for men because they do - that's why they sit with their legs apart, it's purely so they don't crush anything. If he's with men he feels are inferior to him, the genial display feels right; if he's with superior males, however, this gesture makes him look competitive and he feels vulnerable. That's why it's natural for grown men to NOT keep their knees close together while seated. I’ve written 270+ articles about human behaviour on this blog with over 3 million views and 80k monthly visitors. Studies of body language by Gerard Nierenberg and Henry Calero, in which they paid particular attention to the participant's ankles, has shown a high rate of individuals locking their ankles when holding back information. This means that the legs and feet are an important source of information about someone's intrinsic attitude because most people are unaware of what they are doing with them and rarely consider faking gestures with them in the way that they would with their face. You can easily push someone over from this position if you were to catch him off guard. The raised brows, parted lips, flaring nostrils and … Gentlemen and posers would bear their weight on one leg, presenting the other with the inner thigh facing. They will remember who she was but less of what she was attempting to communicate. His body language is focused positive. Their height notwithstanding, men also adopt this position more frequently in the company of other people when using their posture as a means of communication. Cue: Leg Spreading. Too many times men have sat next to me, sat with their legs so wide open that I have to sit very uncomfortably or even move to another seat to keep their body from rubbing and bumping onto mine. This helps them achieve a complete sense of protection since it covers all their ventral delicate organs. Sometimes, when people are feeling mildly defensive, they don’t fully cross their legs in the standing position. In business contexts, we have observed that people sitting like this talk in shorter sentences, reject more proposals and can recall less detail of what was discussed than those who sit with their arms and legs in an open position. Men have a funny way of showing women that they are interested in them; for example, men will sit across from you with their legs spread wide open as if to show you their crotch. The Nazis kept a lookout for the figure four posture during World War II, as anyone using it was clearly not German or had spent time in the US. If you interact with them you would find that one or all of them are unfamiliar with others in the group. "If a man crosses his legs in a way that turns his torso and upper body away from you, this could be a sign that he isn't interested," said Bennett. Open or uncrossed leg positions show an open or dominant attitude, while crossed positions reveal closed attitudes or uncertainty. Slightly wider indicates that the person feels grounded and confident. If you uncross your legs, she’ll soon do the same. We usually observe this gesture in a person who’s standing at a distance from a group. A trap is that restrained or defensive gestures can feed back into and reinforce a reserved or negative attitude. Want to discover the subtle body language changes that indicate someone is in a hypnotic trance? Most feminists don’t believe it’s the case because they have never seen any. The defensive feelings are not intense, but somewhere in the back of their mind, they’re unsure and feel that they might get ‘kicked in the nuts’. The next time you attend a meeting with men and women you will notice some groups of people standing with their arms and legs crossed. If a guy sits up straight and has his body/legs open, then he is probably confident. Most women instinctively know the effect the wearing of high heels have on men ... and are willing to suffer the downsides of wearing 5 inch heels. Women wearing pants of any sort progressively can also be seen sitting in the figure four position. Although she was confident about her knowledge of the material, she felt shy and timid speaking in front of such a large group of people, many of whom she didn't know. We remain less conscious of what our arms and hands are doing most times, and even more so with our chest and stomach. I also don't understand why men think it's appropriate to put their arm around the back of a chair when someone is sitting in it. Standing with their legs closely placed together they're indicating that they feel hesitant or tentative. Feet placed closely together reduce the foundation for standing and make the stance more precarious. Do not confuse this in the woman who constantly crosses and uncrosses her legs when she's with a man she desires; in that case the leg shifts are a means of drawing attention to her legs. The legs apart stance, predominantly a male gesture, is a resolutely stable immovable posture. A person sitting in this position is unlikely to be convinced by anything you may say or do. Asking the passenger in this manner has an opening-up effect on that person. You take a chair and plonk yourself. Men don't realize it, and women may rarely think about it, but the human male is attracted to females who show signs of increased fertility. The reason for this is as likely to be based on fear as on guilt. When sitting in a formal meeting or party, men/women should sit with an erect posture and with poise. For a woman, positions like the scissors stance and the single leg crossed stance send two messages: one, that she intends to stay, not leave; and two, that access is denied. So basically anything a guy is doing is subconscious, and he really isn't aware of it. Search for: Categories. While arm-crossing is a subconscious attempt by a person to protect his vital organs- the heart and the lungs, crossing the legs is an attempt to protect the genitals. Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California. Others may read this as a reserved attitude and react accordingly. This standing 'opening-up' procedure tends to follow the same sequence everywhere. Body Language of Leg Spreading. The great majority of men rate this sitting position for women as their absolute favorite when questioned in surveys. This is how many people stand when they are among people whom they don't know well. Open legs display masculinity; closed legs protect masculinity. Since their lower extremities are out of the way, liars forget about them and are betrayed by micro-muscular movements in their legs and feet. The legs evolved in humans to serve two purposes: to move forward to get food and to run away from danger. If you put one hand on the table, she’ll soon do the same. Studies show that people meeting in a group for the first time usually stand with their arms and legs in the crossed position. Of course, crossing the legs seems like a silly and ineffective way to hide the genitals, but our unconscious mind rarely works rationally. Many women will imitate this in the business world. If the other person continues the ‘leg-scissors’ position, it means the first person wasn’t opening up but preparing to leave because the rapport is broken without re-establishment. Of the 150 women analyzed, only 90 initially sat with their ankles crossed. Many politicians and public figures who want to telegraph a message about their vitality adopt a more vibrant gait. A wider stance provides a broader and firmer foundation. In alot of cases Women sit with there legs open as well unless they have on a skirt or dress. I love me and I guess a lot of men feel the same way. Sitting cross-legged body language It conveys the same ‘closed’ and defensive attitude as that in the standing position. It is often used as a flirting technique to present yourself as confident and having social skills. "This is a sign that he wants to touch … Walk away and watch how, one by one, the members of the group assume their original open poses once again. During a conversation, it can indicate a withdrawn attitude. That's probably true - when someone feels defensive or insecure, crossed arms and legs feel comfortable because it matches their emotional state. The legs themselves are 2-10 inches apart – and it's not comfortable!This position doesn't necessarily “hide” your manhood – but the thighs still put pressure on it. Not only does this person have a competitive attitude, they lock the figure four crossed leg into a permanent position using one or both hands as a clamp. This position highlights insecurity, despite how relaxed a woman's upper body may appear. It conveys the same ‘closed’ and defensive attitude as that in the standing position. Crossing the legs not only reveals negative or defensive emotions, it makes a person appear insecure and causes others to react accordingly. If you're standing, you may repeatedly tap your foot to indicate your impatience. If we are reticent or not interested, we put our feet back, usually under a chair if seated. If you're feeling defeated and want to change your mood, adopt the legs apart stance, with your head held high, and your shoulders back. Others simply say they're 'comfortable'. Visual media regularly presents female hosts in programming wearing shorter dresses and skirts exposing a good deal of leg real estate. When we establish rapport with someone, they tend to match and mirror (i.e. The logic behind this is that when we’re afraid of something, we want to run away from it and so our bodies remain in an alert position. Our feet tell others where we want to go and who we do or don't like. It’s a classic body language sign. This also takes up more territory and shows domination.Taking a stable position is readying the body in case the other person attacks and can be a cautious position. Fidgeting feet are a good indicator of someone's impatience threshold. Body language: Sitting and standing with legs crossed, Figure four leg lock body language gesture, Enmeshment: Definition, causes, types, and effects, Metacommunication: Definition, examples, and types. Sometimes you cross your legs, sometimes maybe the ankle or with your legs in a wide four with the ankle resting on the opposite lower thigh aka the American way of sitting. A common sign of attraction and strong flirting is when a guy sits with his legs wide apart so that his crotch area is on full display. They’re also are more inattentive to what’s going on compared to those who sit in a more ‘open’ position. In the women's variant of locking ankles the knees are held together, the feet may be to one side and the hands rest side by side or one on top of the other resting on the upper legs. Research by Dr. Paul Ekman and William Friesen on deceptive behaviors, shows that when a person lies he produces more signals associated with deceitfulness in the lower part of his body than in the upper part - this applies to both genders. Young, healthy people walk faster than older people, with their arms swinging higher in front and behind due to their additional speed and greater muscle flexibility. Women's arms tend to swing even further back because their arms bend further out from the elbow to enable them to carry babies more effectively. First we've got the non-crossed-legs positions. Standing with feet about the width of the shoulders is a normal, relaxed pose. Many older women by habit will still sit in this position even though they no longer wear short skirts. For example, when we have to wait for a person, a bus, or a train. Men tend to play with their collar, or with their tie. When she realized how she was standing, she placed both feet firmly under her and found that she felt more confident and secure, and was able to speak with authority and assurance. A person can look composed and in control while a restless foot is making repetitive punctuated motions, revealing an evolutionary base frustration at not being able to escape a situation. Another leg crossing variation happens when the leg is tucked under the body and sat on with the knee pointing toward her interest. During a conversation, it can indicate a withdrawn attitude. ©PsychMechanics 2020 All Rights Reserved. It begins with the closed position, arms and legs crossed (image 1). This is partly a product of physiology and also of the practical matter in what women may wear. This is how you do elimination to figure out the meaning of gestures that can have over one meaning. Even those less adept can readily simulate a staged smile or frown on command to evoke an emotion for someone else though other subtle gestural clues in conflict might give you away. People who cross their legs in the seated position tend to talk in shorter sentences and reject more proposals. Men sitting in this posture are perceived as being more dominant, relaxed, and youthful. The evaluators answered more correctly when they were able to see the lower part of the body. This a valuable clue to a person's immediate intentions, because we point our lead foot in the direction our mind would like to go and this stance looks as if the person is beginning to walk. We do this gesture when we know we have to stay in one place for quite a while. Description: Legs that are spread while seated or standing rather than crossed.. Today, redcarpet celebrities know how to position their legs to display them to their best advantage, turning their feet outward to reveal their inner thighs, the softer and most erogenous part of their legs. Finally, one person takes the foot forward position, showing acceptance of the other person (image 2). If you're sitting with your legs crossed, you may twitch the hanging foot up and down, or back and forth. Some forms of body language attraction tend to be things that women do, such as making their eyes appear large and inviting, and there are things that men tend to do, such as widening their legs while sitting to appear larger and more impressive. Additionally, they might be feeling slightly defensive in the back of their minds. Leaving the legs uncrossed altogether, while sitting or standing, or massaging them so as to draw attention to them, can ramp up a sexual invitation even further. Video recordings of people lying were shown to other people who were asked to determine if the people on the video were lying, or telling the truth. This gesture can also convey a different attitude. Legs which are held apart when standing provide a stable base for the person. They may feel unaccepted, self-conscious, or anxious or they may simply be a stranger to the group. High heels make the legs look more toned, giving the illusion of better health and more fertility. When being offered refreshments from the cabin staff, these same individuals tend to unlock their ankles and move toward the edge of their seats. If a person sits in the waiting room with his ankles uncrossed he's probably there for a routine dental check-up that he knows won't take too long and won't be particularly painful. If, however, the ankles remain in the locked position, the crew are alerted to the fact that the person may really want something, even though he or she may be saying 'No'. If you observe two people talking to each other for the first time and both take up this gesture, you can safely assume that they’re either committed to the conversation. If the woman doesn't find him attractive and wants to give him the brush-off, she holds her legs together, faces her body away from him, folds her arms, and makes herself appear as small as possible.