A striking 75% of content occurring in everyday conversation is said to be non verbal, indicating a rather significant emphasis on body language and interpretation of behavioral cues.  One instance that this phenomenon is mostly observable in is in courting, wherein individuals are often reluctant to be forthright and becoming of their attractions or lack thereof due to restraints placed on them by society in stark contrast to their Stone Age counterparts who were more pronounced and outright with their primal needs.

However the cup is half full even within the interwoven intricacies of modern day courting rituals what with the difficulty to establish availability, interest and sexual orientation. Unconscious motivation can only be disguised that much with the expressionless blush and the strong scented colognes and an overwhelming portion of one’s desires seep out of the well maintained exteriors through the poker faces provided of course that one knows where to look and what to look for.

 

“He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.”
 -Sigmund Freud-

 

Raised Eyebrows

 

 

Constant adjustment of eyebrows is an almost guaranteed sign that you’ve got the person’s attention. The behavior occurs for less than a fifth of a second and more often than not goes unnoticed. The explanation for this can be given on two distinct levels. On a more superficial level rising of eyebrows is a natural indicator that recognition has taken place. Universally raising of eyebrows is a sign that someone recognized you even amidst a sea of faces. On a deeper biological level the constant maintenance of eyebrows maybe accounted for by the reflexive action of the cilliary muscles around the eye attempting to maintain a constant amount of light to optimally visualize conversant.

A strong parallel can be drawn to yet another indicator of interest; dilation of pupils. Engorging of the pupils is a natural behavior in animals in order to allow more light to enter and reflect on the retina. The more interested someone is in the stimulus presented to him/her the more the pupils will dilate to allow better vision of the object of interest.

 

Parted Lips

 

 

When it comes to body language Hollywood got it right! Parted lips are seen as a signal with a strong sexual undertone. In mainstream body language interpretations slightly parted lips are seen as a desire to strike up a conversation while licking the lips with a raised chin conveys a desire to kiss however Psychologists read a little deeper into the signal explaining that the long standing practice of colouring lips in hues closer to crimson indicates a correlation between female sexuality and lips thereby deriving a sexual connotation from parted lips in females.

 

Crossed Legs

 

 

In females crossed legs are seen as a desire to show off her legs and catch the attention of the male they’re engaging in conversation with. However in more general terms both sexes tend to point their toes in the direction of their interest. This is especially observable in crowded settings where regardless of the circle they’re in the direction their toes point can give you a fairly accurate idea of where his/her interests lie. The explanation given to this particular behavior is that the pointed feet indicate the direction in which they would like to travel. Furthermore pointing the knees towards an individual denotes a desire to form a closer bond with him/her

 

Fondling Cylindrical Objects

 

 

A purely psychological explanation is given for the suggested relationship between sexual interest and handling cylindrical objects in both sexes. It isn’t uncommon for courting couples to reach for cylindrical objects such as a glass or a key ring. Psychologists suggest that this is a manifestation of a person’s desire to get intimate with the subject of his/her interaction. Similar behaviors are the repeated removal and replacing of rings that are worn, playing with the hair and other grooming behaviors.

 

The Leading Hand

 

 

This is an exclusively male behavior and also the only gesture which can be guaranteed as sexual interest. What is important however is the position of the leading hand, if the hand is placed on her hips/waist the sign is a fool proof indicator of sexual interest. The age old male instinct of protecting what is his property comes into play through this gesture wherein he is proclaiming ownership of who he considers to be his sexual mate.

 

 

 

By Dilshan Seneratne