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Patti in the February Issue of Glamour Magazine







I am in the February issue of Glamour magazine. It's on news stands now. There are different covers. I love that I got to talk about specific actions you can take to help ease the difficulty of hard conversations.  It's so much healthier to talk face to face! 








Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
     

Body Language Experts Analyze Prince William and Kate Middleton's Relationship With Their Kids

The only thing keeping us from crying about Princess Charlotte's start of nursery school (they grow up so fast!) is the fact that there will be another bundle of joy joining the royal family in a few months. Even though their love story is practically public news, Prince William and Kate Middleton keep it fairly private when it comes to their family — until they have a mandatory royal engagement that gives us a glimpse into their private life. This is when they prove that they're a normal family after all, temper tantrums included.

Through it all, the loving couple serves as the backbone for the family — and their body language is proof. " Overall, their attentive body language indicates that they're in tune to their children's emotional needs," Blanca Cobb, body language expert and author of Methods of the Masters, told GoodHousekeeping.com.


Not only are they in tune with their children, but they try to stay at the same level — literally. In many instances, both William and Kate will lean down and become eye level with their children. "This behavior shows that their children are their primary focus, regardless of how many cameras are in their face," Patti Wood, body language expert and author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma told GoodHousekeeping.com.

Being eye level creates an intimate moment between them and their children, shielding any of the craziness going on around them. And let's face it, they're always surrounded by craziness. "They look their kids in the eye, which shows that they want a true connection, even a little authority when necessary," Traci Brown, body language expert and author of How to Detect Lies, Fraud and Identity Theft: The Field Guide, told GoodHousekeeping.com.


In this particular instance, Prince William is leaning his body over Prince George, proving that he's his son's protector during uncertain moments. "William is also letting his son determine how much he needs him," says Wood. "Here, Prince George is only holding on to his father with a few fingers, proving that he feels comfortable in the situation."

It's important to remember that moms and dads comfort their children in a number of ways — and both William and Kate have their own flair. "Rubbing Prince George's hair is not only a means of care-taking but also a way for Kate to protect him from the cameras," explains Wood. A pointed elbow and straight fingers, like Kate is displaying, is similar to a karate move. In other words, this is Kate' subconscious — and polite — way to tell others to back off her little boy.

Now, prepare for the ultimate Kodak moment. While arriving at the airport, the couple (yes, both of them!) reassured Charlotte that everything was a-okay.
"A double touch is a truly standout moment," says Wood. "They are both are completely in the moment, ensuring that Charlotte is comfortable." For extra reassurance, Prince William is leaning forward, trying to catch eye contact with his daughter. With one lock of the eyes, Princess Charlotte will feel at ease and they can carry on, no matter what comes their way.


One of the best ways for a parent to physically show their child that they're there for them is to physically be there for them. Here, Prince William is taking his son's weight and leaning back to make his son feel extra secure. "The lower arm acts as a seat for his son and is an anchor that makes him feel supported," says Wood. The cutest part? Prince George looks completely serene in his father's arms.


If this isn't enough evidence already, the couple's body language suggests that they adore being parents. "Both Prince William and Kate are all smiles while interacting with their children letting us know how much they enjoy being parents," says Cobb. Our hats are off to you, Will and Kate! You make even the most difficult of moments look as sweet as can be.




Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
     

Body Language Experts Analyze Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip's Relationship Through the Years

The way Prince Philip looks at his wife hasn't changed in 70 years.


      
After 70 years of marriage, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip know a thing or two about love. The couple has seen it all: alleged affairs, the tragic death of their daughter-in-law, and even the birth of their great-grandchildren. Through everything, the couple has had the unwavering love and support of one another — and we've all been fortunate to witness this tremendous love story in action.
While the royal couple keeps their PDA behind closed doors, there have been a few instances over the decades that confirm true love is alive and well — and their body language is proof.
       
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in October 1972.

"When you look beyond the royal formality of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth's public appearances, you clearly see Prince Phillip's love and adoration for his Queen," Blanca Cobb, body language expert and author of Methods of the Masters, told GoodHousekeeping.com. He does whatever it takes to be closer to his wife — and in this particular case, he even moves his cane aside to reduce the space between them.
Most of the time, the Queen is rather guarded, trying to prove her independence. "Queen Elizabeth is always trying to be seen as her own person," Patti Wood, body language expert and author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma told GoodHousekeeping.com. She leans on her husband out of necessity, rather than affection. This doesn't imply that she is never affectionate with her husband, she simply waits until the world isn't watching.
          
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting Tuvala in 1982.

When Prince Philip leans toward his wife, that indicates that he is completely focused on her. Even when they're spectators at a formal ceremony, his eyes are on the Queen. To complement his lean, the Prince isn't afraid to showcase pure joy with a crack of a genuine smile.
          
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting Parliament in 1993
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It's expected for the royal couple to be more rigid than the younger generations — she's the Queen, after all! Despite the formality of the occasion, Prince Philip and the Queen still have a ritual of their secret touch — a hand hold. "This type of hand hold is seen time and time again," says Wood. "It's more formal than interlocking fingers but it's unique to them. It's their way of reassurance and comfort."
          
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting Parliament in 2000.

As they age, the Queen is becoming more dependent on Prince Philip. "In her older years, the Queen holds hands with the Prince for assistance as opposed to affection," explains Woods. In these moments, the Prince is armed and ready. "He's constantly looking at the Queen to make sure that she's okay. He's completely in tune with her needs," says Cobb.
          
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in March 2015.

It's clear that these two lovebirds are wildly in love, even after a lifetime together. See, there's still hope for the rest of us!


Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
     

What Trump Really Felt While Singing the Anthem, According To A Body Language Expert



President Trump was mocked Monday night for seemingly not knowing the words to "The Star Spangled Banner." At the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Atlanta, GA, Trump mouthed parts of the anthem — though it wasn't clear what he was actually singing.
And while the world is debating whether the president knows or doesn't know the lyrics to the national anthem, his body language revealed something more: He was nervous. That's according to nonverbal communication and human behavior expert Patti Wood, who told Refinery29 that Trump's body language pointed to the fact that he was in a stressful situation.
"There's inconsistencies in his behavior throughout the anthem — and it's not a long song," Wood, who has more than 35 years of experience as a body language expert, said. "He had two choices: He could be very solemn and still, or he could be rousing and look up to the crowd, sort of saying: Isn't this fantastic? This is our national anthem. He didn't do either of those."
Trump has spent months crusading against the NFLspecifically Black athletes, who have chosen to kneel during the national anthem as a way of protesting police brutality and racial inequality. And just hours before the game, he revived the controversy, telling the audience at the American Farm Bureau Federation in Nashville, TN: "There’s plenty of space for people to express their views and to protest, but we love our flag and we love our anthem and we want to keep it that way."
For Wood, Trump's behavior was the "antithesis" of how he has said people should behave while "The Star Spangled Banner" plays. First, he broke away from the norm established by other elected officials, who typically sing the whole anthem. And then his behavior throughout the song made it seem like he was uncomfortable.
"For the brief period that he has his hand over his heart, he's tapping with the tip of his fingers over his heart. That's highly unusual," she said, adding that the movement is a comfort cue and generally shows the person is feeling anxious. She continued, "He's tapping faster than the anthem, which typically signals a desire to get through it — to get to the other side of the anxious situation."
Wood also pointed out that the president was swaying while the anthem played. She said: "That would be normal if it was a fight song or a rousing song. But there's a solemnity to the national anthem, so people stand still as a sign of respect and reverence."
That's certainly something that we've seen Trump do before. "He does this normally when he's standing in a situation where nothing is going on and he is not in control of it," Wood said. "It's a comfort cue. You see this on children and the elderly."
Though we don't know what was going on in Trump's mind while the stadium sang "The Star Spangled Banner," his body cues point out that his anxiety was really taking over. Wood highlighted that at the beginning Trump seemed unsure of whether the anthem had begun to play, either because it started differently or he couldn't hear due to the noise in the stadium.
There's also the chance he just doesn't know the lyrics. And he's not alone on that front, either. According to a 2014 Harris Interactive survey, about 61% of American adults don't know all the words to the anthem. But it's worth pointing out that, unlike Trump, those people are probably not on a "patriotic" crusade against those who choose to protest under the protection of the First Amendment.


Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.
     

What Happens Behind the Back of the Victim of Narcissism.

Trustworthiness What Happens Behind the Back of the Victim of Narcissism.

I speak on conflict management, how to deal with difficult people, including how to deal with narcissism.
The "Path" draws in the friends, family co-workers and acquaintances of the victims with his or her personal charm in an effort to build a (false) trust relationship with the fringe audience. This is accomplished with little effort as the Path has innate skills that easily manipulate the perceptions of others endearing them to him or her as they wield their persuasiveness and charm.

The initial impact, though appearing quite harmless and innocuous is commonly cloaked in the appearance of sincere concern for the victim’s well-being and might sound something, like, “I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but have you ever thought that (insert victim’s name) may not be what he (or she) appears to be?” No accusations, no data, reports or inclinations of anything concrete, just tilling the soil and fertilizing it with a little doubt. All the while, they are increasing their own credibility with someone who may be a family member, friend, co-worker or acquaintance of the intended victim; unaware that they are being groomed as the Path’s minion who will be turned against the victim when the time is right. SOWING FALSE “FACTS” Grooming from this point forward will take a secretive slant and will likely be presupposed with something, like, “Don’t tell (insert name), but…” as they actually sow seeds of doubt.

As the relationship between the Path and his minion(s) grows deeper, more and more seeds will be sown in an effort to cast doubt, while the victim is none the wiser. I’ve always thought it peculiar, that in most cases, these once close associates of the victim rarely, if ever, courteously approach them with the sensitive information with a sincere, “Hey, I was just wondering about (insert reports of lack of sanity, trustworthiness, a secret double-life, illicit drug-use, illegal activities, pathological symptoms, etc…)…” that would definitely be an early indicator that something was up.

In most, if not all, circumstances the victim continues to navigate their life’s journey unaware that the world they once enjoyed is being eroded or destroyed behind their back. It is common for the Path to project their own psychological attributes onto the victim. For instance, if they are a closet illicit drug user, then this will be represented as being a problem of the target. If he or she is manipulative or controlling, this would be presented as something that the victim struggles with unbeknownst to others. If they tend to make up elaborate stories, it will be the victim who that accuse of secretly lives a fantasy-life where nothing is as it seems… on and on and on…

Why? Because no one knows these attributes better than the Path. They are the undeniable expert in these pathologies and they know how critical it is for someone who has them to keep them a secret in an effort to appear to be normal. In no way am I suggesting that the Path might limit their Psyca-attacks to their own attributes. They are extremely acute at the skill of taking a known truth and spinning it into a ludicrous conclusion that will cast a dark shadow on anyone at any time. ENTER THE “SPIN” Paths have the ability to spin any factual data into an amazing story that will breed conspiracy or contempt for any individual at will.

For instance, let’s say that you had a hard day at work all day, due to struggling with an intense ongoing headache. Everyone at work could tell that you were not “on your game” as usual. If you intimated to the Path that you had a headache; that would give them the data that they needed to spin a tale. The tale may take many shapes and forms, but will be consistent with some of the previous seeds that had been sown against you. For instance, if the Path’s intention was to have you appear to his or her minions that you were a closet illicit drug user, he or she might intimate, “Wow, did you notice that (insert your name) was out of it yesterday? It’s normal to go through withdrawals when you don’t get your fix before you get to work… It’s so sad…” No matter what you say or do, you cannot prevent the Path from spinning it into a negative story about you that will erode your sense of normalcy.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END When the Path has a clue that you are coming to the end of your usefulness in the accomplishment of their goals, he or she ramps up the defamation, usually making it appear that it is you who is beginning to attack them. At this point the Path will appeal to their minions’ sensibilities as they present themselves as the sacrifice, martyr or victim of your psychotic manipulations. It will become apparent to you when your relationship with the Path is coming to an end, that there has been a definite polarity has taken place. People who were once your friends will drift away… and you will notice a gravitation toward the Path. Having no internal filter, they will stop at nothing in an effort to humiliate you. They will spout vile accusations, even proclaim you’re mentally ill, if it will support their proclamation that you cannot be trusted or are inherently evil. Trying to defend yourself is almost pointless.

If the Path is quite proficient – as most of them are very accomplished – anything that you say in your defense will appear to be a part of your psychosis and will strengthen all of the groundwork that the Path has laid in preparation of this moment. Even if the Path’s relationship with the minions begins to dissolve (as it almost always does when the Path moves on in search of new victims and minions), the seeds will always leave a mark in their minds… and as heartbreaking as it may be, in most cases, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the Path’s lifestyle, there may be no hope for recovering the life that you once knew. Jobs and careers may be lost, friends will turn their backs on you, family members will distance themselves, the people that you once trusted with your most intimate thoughts and feelings will always wonder who you “really were” all the time they knew you.

THE COMMITMENT TO YOUR DESTRUCTION There is no way to anticipate how long the attacks will take place. In some cases, if the Path is the least bit concerned that you might at some point discredit them or tarnish their appearance or reputation… the attacks will continue. If the Path believes that at any point you could be a threat to their charade, the spinning will not cease. This perceived threat may continue until either of you cease to be. Many Paths have come right out and made bold, public declarations that they, “will not rest until you are,” locked up, put away, homeless, or dead. NEXT article http://psychopathvictims.com/tag/character-assassination One of the dead giveaways of psychopathic behavior is that of the vicious, psychotic character assassination campaigns that are wielded against anyone who stand in their way or might pose a threat to their agenda(s). Please keep in mind that if you have become the targeted victim of a psychopath’s smear campaign, that it is nothing personal. In fact, nothing can ever be seen as “personal” to a psychopath as they are devoid of any feelings (like a normal person might have); no love, no hate, no empathy, no remorse. They only see other people as tools or possessions and may even use phrases, like: • You’re mine • I own you And when they are done with you, they have so little regard for you that they might say: • I will end you • You will be nothing when I’m done with you.

This campaign focused on your destruction need not have any basis in actual fact, as the psychopath will create an alternative universe using a method that transfers the attributes of the psychopath in an effort to discredit the victim so much that anything they might say would not be considered as a factual representation of the truth. The battleground may include close personal relationships, workplaces……………. . For the psychopath it is a long-term commitment to bury their prey and sometimes it can be a lifetime obsession. The appropriate response when attacked by a psychopathic smear campaign is not to respond, not to defend, not to react, and not to contact the predator ever again; period, as any response, no matter how negative, threatening or even a lawfully empowered response will only add fuel to the fire that runs the engine of the assailant. Do not ask the psychopath to stop or try to negotiate with him/her. Without responding, document everything. In regards to the importance of documentation: Psychopaths will manipulate those who have your confidence in order to probe you for information that feeds the psychopathic fire and they will be spreading lies about your credibility and/or sanity. Anything you say to them will be twisted and misconstrued to reflect upon you in the worst possible light.