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- [Narrator] Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back to our channel.
Have you ever wanted to know what someone is feeling
or what they meant to say,
based on their clothing, expressions, or behaviors alone?
Maybe you've seen too many episodes of "Sherlock,"
and so now you're determined to become a detective yourself.
While no one can read another's mind,
not even Sherlock Holmes is that good,
there are some tricks
that can help you get a better understanding of others
and what they really mean to say.
Here are some tips on how to read nearly anyone.
Number one, be open-minded and unbiased.
If you wanna learn to read people,
you must first practice approaching people
with an open mind.
We all have hidden biases within us,
based on past experiences, current emotions,
and interactions.
If we judge someone too quickly,
we're more prone to misreading others.
Practice entering a new encounter with an open mind.
According to Judith Orloff, M.D., in Psychology Today,
you must surrender to other vital forms of information,
so that you can learn to read
the important nonverbal intuitive cues that people give off.
To do this,
you must also be willing to surrender
any preconceptions or emotional baggage,
such as old resentments or ego clashes,
that stop you from seeing someone clearly.
The key is to remain objective
and receive information neutrally, without distorting it.
Number two, enter open-minded,
but be aware of your instinctive feelings.
While it's best to be open-minded,
it may not be a good idea to ignore our gut feelings
and first impressions entirely right away.
Why?
Our first impressions may be more accurate than we think
according to research published
in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2009.
The study had subjects view full body photos
of 123 strangers.
The strangers were viewed in either
a controlled, neutral pose and facial expression,
or the strangers naturally posed themselves
in an expressive pose.
When the subject saw the photos
of the strangers expressing themselves naturally,
their judgments of them were correct
for nine out of 10 personality traits.
Sometimes when we look at how others
choose to generally represent themselves
through unique fashion, photos, and poses,
we may just be right in the basis of our first impressions.
Now, the real trick is to know the intricacies of them,
more than just how they choose to present themselves.
Number three, notice their posture.
Posture can reveal a lot about someone.
Maybe they hold their head high
because they've had a good day,
or maybe they're slumping in their seat
because they didn't quite get a full night's rest.
According to Judith Orloff, M.D.,
notice if someone holds their head high
in a manner of confidence
or maybe they have a strong ego and puff out their chest.
Orloff also notes,
walking in an indecisive manner
with your head low and cowered
could be a sign of low self-esteem in some cases.
Posture can reveal so much
about how someone is feeling for the day,
so keep an eye out.
If they're falling asleep in their chair during class time,
you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes
to guess how tired they are.
Number four, notice what they're wearing.
According to Personality Psychologist
at the University of Texas, Sam Gosling,
we should notice what people
choose to tell us about their appearance.
Gosling calls these signs identity claims,
and they can include little things like what they wear,
tattoos, bumper stickers, to even our screensaver.
Gosling explains that identity claims
are deliberate statements that we make
about our attitude, goals, values, et cetera.
One of the things that are really important
to keep in mind about identity claims is
because these are deliberate,
many people assume we are being manipulative with them,
and we're being disingenuous.
But I think there's little evidence to suggest
that that goes on.
I think, generally, people really do want to be known.
They'll even do that at the expense of looking good.
They'd rather be seen authentically than positively,
if it came down to that choice.
So, pay attention to what people
want to convey about themselves.
They're likely truthful to a good degree.
Number five, pay attention
to their normal behavior and personality.
Each of us has our own unique mannerisms and behaviors
that reflect our personality.
It's important to get a baseline for how someone acts
before jumping to conclusions.
If you notice someone
is nervously tapping their foot at your party,
does that mean they have something to hide,
or do they just not like parties,
or simply have a habit of tapping their foot?
Once you get the baseline
on their common behavior and personality,
you'll have an easier time reading them
when they deviate from their normal behavior.
And, number six, look out for certain facial expressions.
There are a few common facial expressions that can give way
to what someone is really thinking or feeling.
When someone's jaw is clenched and they grind their teeth,
that can be a sign of tension.
Someone may just be feeling bitter, angry, or contempt,
if their lips are pursed.
Deep frown lines forming?
You can bet they're definitely worried or overthinking.
Wanna know if someone is genuinely smiling in delight?
Look for what is called a Duchenne Smile.
According to Healthline,
this occurs when the zygomaticus major muscle
lifts the corners of your mouth
at the same time the orbicularis oculi muscles
lift your cheeks and crinkle your eyes at the corners.
It's the type of smile that reaches up to your eyes,
causing those wrinkles, known as crow's feet, to appear.
This type of smile appears when someone is genuinely happy
as opposed to a polite and kind smile
or even a forced smile.
And there could even be an easier way
to interpret different smiles.
Cardiff University's Magdalena Rychlowska
and her colleagues of researchers
developed a classification of smiles
and their effect on others
with the help of a complex modeling program used in 2017.
When you're giving positive feedback,
you can often show what Rychlowska calls the Reward Smile.
This is when your lips are naturally pulled directly upwards
and eyebrows lift,
and you form small dimples at the sides of your mouth.
The Dominance Smile communicates friendship and liking.
This includes pressing your lips together
along with the appearance of the small dimples.
Lastly, the dominance smile
is when your upper lip is raised, you wrinkle your nose,
and your cheeks get pushed upwards while smiling.
During this smile, you raise your upper lids,
and you sort of sneer,
with the indentation between your nose and mouth
naturally deepening.
So if you happen to notice
someone you've been recently talking to
using the Dominance Smile,
they may just be trying to be your friend,
unless they're smiling in their sleep,
then maybe they're just really tired
and having a good dream.
So, do you think you'll be able to read others better now
with a bit of practice?
Are you the next Sherlock Holmes in the making?
Tell us in the comments section down below.
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