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lie to me

So many people are asking me if I seen the new TV series called, "Lie to Me." I have DVR'd it and I will be watching it this weekend and reporting back about it here. In the meantime I am so excited that there is another venue for people to see the power of body language. I am also excited that Paul Eckman's research on facial expressions and deception detection is being shared with the public. For years Paul Eckman was only sharing it with law enforcement agencies like the CIA. Though if you were willing to spend 95 dollars on his academic book on facial expression. (yes I have all his books even this very expensive one.) you could educate yourself. So as I work on my deception detection book I will be sharing information of ways to read people's body language to detect deception. You can find some of my articles on deception detection on my website at www.pattiwood.net and find deception analysis of various political figures here on the blog.

the skill of reading body langauge

Yahoo jobs just asked me how you can apply the unusual skill of reading body language.
Since I was a small child I was able to read peoples body language and know what they were thinking and feeling. I ended up with degrees in nonverbal communication. Originally I interned as a counselor but since I pick up on the deep emotions of people as I “read” them that was taxing so In my case that has led to a job as a speaker, trainer and coach. I also work with law enforcement and the media reading people live and through video and still photos(see website for details) and sales people, health care workers and so many others who can use the unusual skills of reading body language. For my full story, How I became a body language expert, please go to my website at www.Pattiwood.net t

Ranking of Importance of Communication Skills

I was just reading a newsletter from Ravenwood that listed the ranking of the importance of communication skills in business. Of course it typically comes out as number one. Years ago when I was working on my Masters Degree at Auburn University my major Professor Larry Barker was not only one of the countries leading authorities on body language he was the president of the National Listening Association. He quoted research back in 1982 that listed good communication skills as the number one success factor in business. It is funny to me that anyone would think otherwise. If you don't listen. If you can not express your self and your needs clearly how can you possibly successful. The problem now is that there are fewer and fewer new employees that have even the most basic of communication skills. Here are the lists.
USA Today ranked communication skills #1 among a list of twelve success factors (Problem solving and an understanding of organizational structure ranked #2 and #3 respectively)
The Lamille Report of Top Executives ranked communications skills #1 among a list of ten success factors (Intelligence and integrity ranked #2 and #3 respectively)
A Society for Human Resource Management poll conducted in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal confirmed that "soft skills" now top the career success factor list for experienced employees
A study by the Center for Creative Leadership identified command of soft skills as the leading determinant of successful change management for executives
A study by Office Team concluded sixty-seven percent of HR managers would hire a candidate with strong soft skills whose technical abilities were lacking. Only nine percent would hire someone with strong technical expertise but weak interpersonal skills

What Does Playing with a Wedding Ring Mean

If a person twists their wedding ring as they are talking to you it typically means they are attracted to you and they are aware of the bond they are under and have a desire to ignore that bond. If they move the ring up and down the finger it shows there desire not to just ignore but to remove that bond. Men and Woman can also make these movements in a conversation with people they aren’t attracted to merely because the conversation make them regret their bond of marriage.

Body Language and Wedding Rings

At the request of The Sun newspaper in Canada I made some comments about body language and wedding rings because Jennifer Lopez had sparked rumors about splitting with husband Marc Anthony, after she had been photographed at a red carpet event without her wedding ring.

Here are the notes I sent to the reporter answering her questions...

What does it mean when someone stops wearing his or her wedding ring. Does it always spell trouble? Why would any women do this? Is this a way to punish your spouse or send a message? What about men who don’t wear rings? Or is it just a trend and is of little significance?

After all, when Madonna stepped out minus the wedding band, the media speculated that her union was on the rocks - and they were right. What does it mean if you just switch the ring in favor of a splashy art deco ring just for the night - like Michelle Obama did?

Anytime a woman takes off her wedding ring it sends a powerful message. A wedding ring symbolizes your bond and union. A woman can do it as a passive aggressive message. Jennifer Lopez is symbolically saying something is wrong. Some women take off the ring for an event to say symbolically "I am my own person." Some take it off to say silently, “my husband broke our bond by being unfaithful.” Some women take off their wedding ring to say, “I am available again.” No matter what the reason, a woman not wearing a wedding ring is rarely just a fashion statement. In rare cases, not wearing a wedding ring may be necessary because the person has problems with his or her fingers swelling or the ring is lost, but a women caught without her ring will usually speak to those extenuating circumstances immediately. In J-Lo’s case I think the fact that she is not wearing her ring shows a message that there are problems. In Michelle’s case I believe it was to show that she is an independent, powerful woman on her own. Typically, women are socially rewarded for their relationships and men for their work and independence. Women start their sentences with "we" much more often than men. That gender difference is dramatic. When a man wears a ring he is saying, “I am proud of my bond.” When he takes it off he is saying, " I am open to other offers."

I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

The Washington Post described Patti as, "The Babe Ruth of Body Language." and the New York Times credited her with bringing the topic to national attention. A professional speaker, author and body language expert she reads the nonverbal cues of world leaders, celebrities, criminals, business leaders and the world at large. She has been interviewed on: The BBC, CNN, FOX news, PBS, The History Channel, E!, The Discovery Channel, US Weekly, USA Today, Psychology Today, Cosmopolitan and many more. Time Magazine recognized her nonverbal communication course at Florida State University as a top college course in the US. Patti has been researching, writing and speaking on the topic since 1982. Her latest book is "Success Signals Understanding Body Language" and can be found at http://www.pattiwood.net/.