If It fits, I sits – the cleverness of cats to keep their legs and paws hidden underneath their bodies
The humans, as polite creatures, mainly operate through their body language when they want to entice a partner.
The picture on the left is a clear display of interest versus disinterest: Mark’s parted legs signalize a desire for the lady, shown through the blatant presentation of his genitals, with an aim to impress the female across from him. Her crossed legs, on the other hand, signalize her disinterest and quite possibly, discomfort with the situation, even if she doesn’t know how to put in words the meaning of what she’s telling him with her body speak. Crossed legs, as I have previously mentioned, may symbolize anxiety, a wish to leave, a desire to hide something and finally, an instinctive move to protect one’s genitals. Additionally, Mark’s feet point toward her, showing that he is very much interested in her and what she has to say, a sharp contrast to her feet pointing in the direction of the exit. However, what’s most important to note is the way she’s holding herself. Last time I also elaborated on the stance of students when they are in the front of their class or a similarly stressful situation which requires the body to comfort the mind through gestures familiar from childhood. The way the lady is holding herself is the way her mother held her as a child which means that Mark’s attentions are not welcome and he only manages to make the lady uncomfortable, maybe even scared. It is clear to us now that Mark should definitely back off and perhaps focus his interest elsewhere.
Besides couples seated on tables, talk shows are some of the best places to witness and analyze body language. Let’s take a look at the photo below.
Subject A is a person who gesticulates a lot but his chair is moved away just enough so that he doesn’t invade anybody’s personal space. It is a common position among show hosts to sit with their legs crossed, and it’s totally understandable: they are under a lot of pressure to keep information hidden until the right time or perhaps keep themselves from asking something potentially harmful or offensive. This is another meaning of crossed legs – withholding information. His feet, in this case, point both toward his guests and his audience, or the camera crew, to which he pays attention in the same time. So this time around, the case is not him wanting to leave the room because he’s bored but him splitting his attention between two groups of people.
Subject B is a manly figure who feels the need to show his dominance and confidence by sitting with his legs spread open quite widely, a gesture commonly deciphered as lewd behaviour due to its sexual connotation. His body posture suggest interest in the female seated next to him, as you can see from the way he’s leaning away from subject A toward subject C, regardless of his focus point of the head. His hands clasped together could mean several things; in the context of the photo, it could mean that he’s trying to keep himself from revealing something (possibly not giving away too much information when answering the host’s question) or trying to keep himself from reaching out toward subject C, who obviously attracts his attention.
Subject C is very interesting to analyze, probably because of the small inconveniences she brings up. She’s wearing a short skirt, which instantaneously overshadows the assumption that she’s feeling threatened by all the men around her, therefore keeping her legs closed tight to protect her genitals. She’s simply seating in a manner consistent with her choice of clothes. Her leaning forward, however, can be interpret as her showing an interest in what subject A is saying. You must have noticed your own body moving forward when you grow interested in something. Her feet are partially hidden but we can assume that, considering the interest she’s showing with her upper body, they are aimed toward subject A as well.
Finally, subject D presents a moderate form of both expressions of subject B and C – he’s leaning forward to hear what the host is saying and in the same time sitting with his legs open, though not as widely as subject B’s and also modestly covered with his hands clasped between them. His body language is balance between being open about his feelings and impressions and also being moderate in his expression. That way he manages to be truthful but not overwhelming or threatening in any way.
All in all, we may conclude that the body language of a seated person is quite interesting and can’t be explained only in a minute. We all talk to each-other with our bodies even if we don’t know it so maybe next time when you see someone sitting close, you can play detective and find out more than just by listening to them.
Kathy
