Body Language 101
The ABCs of Body Language
Attitude:
“We are all alike, on the inside.” – Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
An attitude is a person’s position or bearing as indicating action, feeling or mood. It communicates a person’s thoughts, emotions, and intentions for the present, as well as for the future. These feelings and intentions SIGNAL a state of mind that are projected through BEHAVIOR, and energized by EMOTIONS.
Behavior:
“Behavior is a mirror in which every one displays his image.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Behavior acts as a WINDOW that allows you to inspect a person for their true intentions (You look through windows, not at them! What compels you to look at people and not through them is trust-blind trust.)
Behavior is made up of verbal and nonverbal actions that deliver the attitude to the world. The nonverbal actions reveal what the person does not desire to voluntarily tell you. And, behavior is governed by BELIEFS. Watch out for those who believe it is okay to commit a wrongdoing as long as “no one gets hurt.”
Character:
Character is revealed by what a person does; not what he says. Eventually real character peeps around the corner then boldly steps out. Bits and pieces of character slip out each at encounter. Character is like pieces of a puzzle that when put together give us a better and complete picture. For example, a suspect may not be dishonest toward you; but he may not hide the fact that he is dishonest to others! It’s as if dishonesty or deception doesn’t count if it’s aimed toward someone other than you.
Tags: Attitude, Body Language, body language blog, Character, fraud blog, interrogation techniques, interviewer, loss prevention blog, nonverbal communication, reading body language, security blog, theft blog, Understanding body language
