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Mens Health - Great Eye Contact Question...

I recently helped to answer a question on Mens Health - Maybe you can benefit from my answer...

Question: I struggle to maintain eye contact. Can you help? Matt, Boston, MA

Answer: First, understand why you're loathe to lock eyes. "When you feel dominated, anxious, or shy, you look away as an attempt to regain control, disengage, and limit how much information you take in," says John Dovidio, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Yale University. So before any important conversation, make a conscious effort to rein in your addled emotions. If you're still struggling with eye contact, take the advice of body-language expert Patti Wood, M.A., and "split your attention among the person's mouth, eyes, and cheeks." This makes wandering eyes less obvious. And don't stop trying: University of Colorado researchers found that meeting a person's gaze makes you seem powerful and credible.

Fox News Network's O'Reilly Factor



The ApprenticeTune in to the Fox News Network's O'Reilly Factor:
America's Election IQ @
9/17/08 @ 5 - 6 PM EST

Body language expert, Patti Wood has been asked to join the set of FNN's O'Reilly Factor at 5:45 PM EST! Be sure to tune in and hear Patti's amazing nonverbal insights on Palin's body language!

Check Patti's Website for more about Patti.


Here is a preview of her commentary on Palin's body language:
She is actively moving and manipulating space makes her looks powerful and action oriented. Gestures automatically act like an orchestra leader’s baton to animate the voice
Emphasizes her points making them more memorable to us.

Tune in tonight for more!

Jessica Simpson Tongue Body Language for Glamour.com...


Playfully showing your tongue is often about seduction. In Jessica’s case her tongue is unusually long and she knows it.


She shows it off as she shows off her other assets with the goal of being noticed. The various ways she shows her tongue full out to the front, to the side or just showing the tip all work to say nonverbally, “I am the sexiest women you have ever seen.”

Mortgage Banker's Association

I recently spoke to the wonderful people of the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Here is a picture from the day...

Palin and Gibson Interview

I am sitting at the Delta Crown room of the San Diego Airport doing a body language analysis of the Sara Palin interview by Charles Gibson. Oh my goodness. She is SO out of her league. One of the most striking cues is her modified turtle posture, her posture that was so up and proud during her Republican Convention Speeches is now hunched down an her head is protected by her shoulders! She goes forward rather than up - this shows her fear. This is a dramatic shift in our previous images of her. She did had strength in her speeches using her - "We are mad as hell" voice. Here she is talking to the utterly calm and subdued Gibson then her sudden angry, louder than necessary voice as she talks about terrorism makes her sound like she is ready to attack the middle east tomorrow and she will be flying the bomber. You know I rarely editorialize in my body language reads, but this is unbelievable. When questioned about whether she believed the Bush doctrine she paused and tried to use one of her prepared answers but then he kept after her and finally had to define the Bush doctrine on terrorism. She did a side of the mouth tongue thrust at him. Yes she stuck her tongue out. It is obvious that Gibson can't believe she does not know the answers to his questions his voice even begins to portray his irritation. Notice how she shows her nervousness as she begins to answer the tough questions, by kicking her foot. She needs to plant both feet on the ground. Some of you know that I recommend that as it allows the hemispheres of your brain to sync and give you higher levels of cognition. She needs the help.