The Power of Body Language

We have always been taught the importance of body language in school. “Stand up straight, make sure to make eye eye contact, and have a firm handshake”, they’ve said But little did I know, this just grazes the surface of the workings of body language. This form of communication is incredibly complex, but can tell someone so much about others. My ISM Coach has essentially mastered reading these signals, and it was apparent from his display in class when he read his students’ feelings during a brief interaction with them in class. He was generous enough to lend me a book that helped him delve deeper into the study of body language, titled The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease, and after extensively studying the book, I had an opportunity this week to test my skills.

This previous Saturday, I was able to go to a Varsity Debate tournament. Though I should’ve been amongst the novice competitors due to my rookie status, I was fortunate enough to be competing amongst much stronger debaters, most of whom had four times my experience. As I sat in the cafeteria awaiting my round, I got to gauge the room and observe the contestants. I amazed myself, as I was able to analyze so many people and make a mental note of who would be the most powerful opponents and who posed the least threat to me. I observed four people in particular who seemed to resonate confidence and from what I learned in the book, had high skill in their respective fields. As I observed the crowd, the time for my round drew near, so I went to the classroom and awaited my opponent. After 15 minutes of practicing in solitude, my opponent arrived. All her signals seemed calm and relaxed; she did not seem particularly nervous or excited, almost indifferent. Initially, I mistook this as overconfidence, leading me to believe that she was going to be a formidable opponent; however, as the debate transpired, she showed signs of apathy and nonchalance rather than overconfidence. I was able to win with ease due to her lack of passion for the debate. My second opponent was far more prepared; her case was complete and she showed signs of a strong desire to win, but there was also an uncertainty on the way she stood and spoke. Aside from when she recited her case that was prepared extensively, whenever she had to speak spontaneously, my opponent closed herself off, even more so when she explained some statistics and facts, leading me to question the credibility of her case. I noticed that she was unconfident in her ability to speak on the spot, and preferred the safety of her rehearsed case, rather than an impromptu discussion. Utilizing this knowledge, I attacked her rebuttals and her points as hard as possible in order to shake her confidence, as a result, I was able to narrowly win a debate with an opponent whose case was very strong. When it was time for my third debate, I saw my opponent and instantly realized that this would be an uphill battle: he was one of the four people I saw in the cafeteria earlier that morning who I noted that I should be wary of. The entirety of the debate he carried himself with with such elegant form and body language, it was only slightly that he beat me 30 to 29.

As that day drew to an end, I sat through the award ceremony, pleased with my performance. I watched the top five people in each category go up one by one to receive their medals. It came as no shock to me when three out of the four people I made note of at the beginning of the day each placed in the top three, including my final opponent. I realized how much authority body language actually held when interacting with others, and I hope to soon master this art.