SYSK TRENDING - Understanding Body Language

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Do you want to hear about visionaries creating a better world? People working in conservation, exploration, science, and tech, alongside storytellers imagining and creating a better future. I'm Alex Honnold, professional rock climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation, bringing you season six of Planet Visionaries. This season, I speak to guests like National Geographic photographer Tom Pechak, and Anna Rathmann, Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Watch Planet Visionaries on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Mike Carruthers (0:33)

What if you could tell what someone else was really thinking, even when their words say something completely different? Are they interested in you? Uncomfortable? Hiding something? Maybe even lying? We're all constantly broadcasting information through our face, our hands, our posture and even the way we move. The problem is most of us are pretty bad at reading those signals, and some of what we think we know about body language is simply wrong. That's why today's SYSK Trending Topic is Understanding Body Language. My guest is Scott Rouse, a body language expert and behavior analyst, and he's going to reveal the subtle clues people give off, what they really mean, and how learning to spot them can give you a fascinating new way to read the people around you. It's an enlightening conversation, and we'll get to it right after this.

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Is body language really a useful tool in determining what people are thinking or telling if someone is lying?

Can a person's physical movements or how they hold their body really telegraph what's going on in their head? Maybe, but it isn't as simple as if someone crosses their arms, that means they're bored or closed off, or if someone refuses to look you in the eye, it means they're lying. It's more complicated than that, according to Scott Rouse. Scott is a behavior analyst and body language expert who holds multiple certificates in Advanced Interrogation Training, and he has trained alongside the FBI, the Secret Service and US. Military Intelligence. He has a really interesting YouTube channel, and he is author of a book called Understanding Body Language, How to Decode Non-Verbal Communication in Life, Love and Work. Hi, Scott. Welcome to Something You Should Know.

Scott Rouse (4:07)

Hey, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.

Mike Carruthers (4:10)

So I think everybody's heard those things about body language that, you know, if someone is talking and they look up and to the left, that that means something, or, like I said, if they cross their arms, they're closed off, which from what I've heard and read isn't necessarily true, but you can't make general assumptions based on things like that. And if you can't make assumptions like that, then what is body language good for?

Scott Rouse (4:37)

All it does is give you a pretty good idea of what that person is thinking and what they might do next. That's basically what you're looking at. And as far as the myths go, those are two, you just nailed two of the big ones, like crossing your arms means you're not listening or you're not into what that person has to say or you're closed off. It can mean that sometimes, but sometimes it means you're cold. Sometimes it means that's more comfortable. And the whole looking up and up and to the left and all that, there's nothing there. People do, a lot of times they'll look down to the right for emotional things. They'll look at a specific place when they're thinking about sounds or recalling a sound.