By Holly • 18 Comments
We give away our feelings, even when we're trying hard to hide them. Even though every single person on this planet is unique, we have a lot in common, specifically the way we behave when we're feeling uncomfortable, turned on, or embarrassed. That's why it's actually pretty easy to decipher what a person is thinking when you know the way the human body reacts to certain emotions. If you want to feel like Sherlock Holmes, here are a few tricks that'll help you read a person's face:
If you notice a person's pupils looking to the left, then they're reminiscing or trying to remember something. If they're looking to the right, then they're thinking more creative thoughts. They could be trying to come up with a new idea for a painting or for their essay. However, if you're in the middle of a serious conversation with someone and have just asked them an important question, looking to the right indicates lying.
A real smile reaches the eyes. If someone smiles at you without their eye muscles moving, then they're making the gesture to be polite. Of course, there's more that you can do with your lips than smile. Continuously licking your lips or touching your lips is typically a sign of attraction. Biting down on the lips is usually a sign of nervousness. Pursing your lips is a sign of anger.
If someone is breathing heavier than they normally do, then something is wrong. While it could be a sign of physical exhaustion, it could also mean that the person is nervous or angry. The same goes for when a person is breathing too slowly. They're probably trying too hard to calm themselves down, because their emotions are running wild.
Pale skin could be a sign or physical illness, or a sign of fright. Meanwhile, red cheeks are a sign of embarrassment or nervousness. That's why most people end up getting a little rosy when they're around their crush.
The direction that a person's torso is facing is typically what they're the most focused on in the room. Crossing your arms shows that you're closed off and not in the mood to speak. Open palms and a head held high is the opposite, showing that you're in the mood to be social.
If your crush is staring at you, and he blinks more often than he usually does, it's either a sign of attraction or of nervousness. However, an increased blinking rate can also mean that someone is lost in thought. There's a theory that a person will blink every time that they start thinking about a new topic. So your crush might just have a lot on his mind.
A great way to tell if someone is lying is to watch if they scratch their face. When you lie, it's usually accompanied by an adrenaline rush, which will cause you to scratch at your face, particularly on your nose. Just don't accuse someone of lying unless there's another reason to believe they're being untruthful, because they genuinely could have an itch.
Once you memorize what certain movements typically mean, you'll have an easier time understanding how your friends and family are feeling, even when they won't say the words aloud. What other tricks do you know for figuring out what someone is thinking without asking them?