What Does Winking Mean? The Definition of Winking.

What Does Winking Mean? The Definition of Winking.

Winking can be a greeting, it can indicate interest, attraction and or indicate you have a secret connection Winking is a conscious deliberate set of body language cues. We tend to think it is just the closing of one eye, but what is also necessary is that the person looks at the receiver of the wink with his or her other eye. It is a fascinating combination of low and high power cues, and closed and open gestures.  

You stare with one eye to show interest and the wink with the other to soften the stare. Starring, extended eye contact can indicate a desire to attack.  So winking is a way of showing interest but softening what could be threatening continuous eye contact. That is why I recommend it in my chapter on flirting in SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and Charisma.

Winking is sometimes done with a tilt of the head that is an additional softening cue. So a wink and tilt may indicate, “I am interested, but I’m harmless.”

The conspiratorial wink to one person can translate as, ‘You and I have a secret, we both understand, others do not.”

Winking can also be a slightly suggestive greeting and is reminiscent of a small wave of the hand as in “Hello there, beautiful!” or “Hello you hunk You.”

A perfect example of the softening/conspirator wink is given in the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” Santa gives traditional nonverbal cues to show he is harmless and not going to attack with, “A wink of his eye and a twist of his head.” Together these body language cues let the narrator of the story who just saw a stranger who just bounded into his living room carrying a sack is a charming interloper, not a dangerous intruder planning to abscond with the silver.

I remember being out with a group of friends, one of whom I had dated. A topic came up in the groups discussion that he and I had discussed and laughed about many times when we dated and I looked at him and gave him a wink and the exact moment he turned to wink at me!

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - 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 Does Winking Mean? The Definition of Winking.

What Does Winking Mean? The Definition of Winking.

Winking can be a greeting, it can indicate interest, attraction and or indicate you have a secret connection Winking is a conscious deliberate set of body language cues. We tend to think it is just the closing of one eye, but what is also necessary is that the person looks at the receiver of the wink with his or her other eye. It is a fascinating combination of low and high power cues, and closed and open gestures.  

You stare with one eye to show interest and the wink with the other to soften the stare. Starring, extended eye contact can indicate a desire to attack.  So winking is a way of showing interest but softening what could be threatening continuous eye contact. That is why I recommend it in my chapter on flirting in SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and Charisma.

Winking is sometimes done with a tilt of the head that is an additional softening cue. So a wink and tilt may indicate, “I am interested, but I’m harmless.”

The conspiratorial wink to one person can translate as, ‘You and I have a secret, we both understand, others do not.”

Winking can also be a slightly suggestive greeting and is reminiscent of a small wave of the hand as in “Hello there, beautiful!” or “Hello you hunk You.”

A perfect example of the softening/conspirator wink is given in the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” Santa gives traditional nonverbal cues to show he is harmless and not going to attack with, “A wink of his eye and a twist of his head.” Together these body language cues let the narrator of the story who just saw a stranger who just bounded into his living room carrying a sack is a charming interloper, not a dangerous intruder planning to abscond with the silver.

I remember being out with a group of friends, one of whom I had dated. A topic came up in the groups discussion that he and I had discussed and laughed about many times when we dated and I looked at him and gave him a wink and the exact moment he turned to wink at me!

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - 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.