“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” -Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
All of our gestures, expressions, looks, and even how we take up personal space broadcast our true feelings to people in the room. In fact, we are subconsciously observing others’ fleeting micro-expressions constantly, which cannot be faked, according to Dr. Paul Ekman.
Anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell estimated that we make and recognize around 250,000 facial expressions. He found that the verbal component of a face-to-face conversation is less than 35 percent, and over 65 percent of communication is done nonverbally.
And women are really good at deciphering body language.
MRI brain scans show that women are more capable of evaluating people than men. We have fourteen to sixteen areas of the brain to evaluate others’ behavior versus a man’s four to six areas. These areas give us an innate ability to decipher nonverbal signals and an accurate eye for small details. So by the time a man has finished introducing himself to the party’s hostess, his wife has correctly identified every couple’s relationship status in the room.
It would make sense…especially if our maternal ancestors had to assess who was safe or not…
