When looking at the picture above, what body language expressions do you think might create a negative impression? Which ones might create a positive impression?
Actually, it's hard to say. The meaning of these gestures and actions is closely related to the communication context. These "sign languages" have different meanings in different contexts. Regardless of this specific case, there are also movements in the realm of body language that transcend individual cultures to remind ourselves (the interviewee) and what the interviewer is thinking.
Let's consider it again with a more concrete and contrasting case:
Which of the two characters seen in the picture above do you think is more likely to receive questions and conversational points from the interviewer more positively? Why do you think so?
Let me give you a hint: you need to think about which posture is more likely to protect the vital organs of the body... Considering this angle, we can consider correlations between instinctual reactions and unconscious body language!
Let's refer to another case involving both the speaker and the audience:
Sometimes you will see the listener put their hand on the back of the neck, it looks itchy, and they are itching and scratching all the time. It's about soothing (relaxing) - because there are so many nerve endings in the back of the neck! If the listener does this, it's an unconscious action that suggests you'd better change the subject or move on to another point or issue. To put it another way, if you do this to yourself unknowingly and then suddenly realize that it is more likely that the speaker is making you feel more uncomfortable than you initially thought... it is likely an indicator that something has been in stimulated some areas of the brain's unconscious that are then reflected into these nerve endings. Simply speaking, distress of some sort is being felt.
This approach makes us realize that there are at least two broad categories of body language, one closely related to instinctual responses and the other closely related to our communication literacy and communication potential. Let's discuss some other factors in detail next time!