Zendaya and Tom Holland’s body language at a Spider-Man photo call

ow that it’s officially the holiday season, I must ask: Is there any gift better than red carpet photos of Zendaya? No, no there is not. And between publicity for Dune this fall and Spider-Man: No Way Home this winter, we have been spoiled (spoiled!) with shots of the 24-year-old star in 2021. Outfit inspo aside, Zendaya and Tom Holland’s body language at a Spider-Man photo call in London on Sunday, Dec. 5 offered us an extra special glimpse into the actors’ (and real-life partners!) chemistry off-screen. While they definitely seemed a little reserved in front of the cameras, they were also pretty flirtatious, and undeniably adorable. Dating rumors began swirling around these co-stars in 2017, though they only publicly confirmed their relationship in 2021. Although they’re both seasoned in the art of the red carpet walk, Zendaya and Tom didn’t appear to let their guards down entirely. While it’s impossible to know exactly what was running through their heads during this moment, their posture and facial expressions give us some clues. Elite Daily chatted with Patti Wood, body language expert and author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language & Charisma, to gain insight on Zendaya and Tom’s connection based on their body language. In a photo that almost looks like they’re meeting for the first time (which they’re not, obvi), Zendaya’s tilted head and hand-on-heart suggest that she’s feeling simultaneously coquettish and cautious of Tom. “She does a head tilt, which is a little bit flirty — women tilt their heads to reveal the vulnerable part of the neck, and it’s kind of defined as a ‘come hither’ cue,” says Wood. “It’s interesting, because she’s actually saying ‘come hither,’ but she’s also blocking her heart. The palm of her hand is blocking her heart.” In the world of body language analysis, there are no coincidences — that gesture typically indicates a need to protect yourself. Oh, and that hand hold? It’s cute, for sure, but Wood says it’s not the most intimate or lustful gesture from either Zendaya or Tom. “The way he has his palm?” Wood points out. “He’s not holding [her hand], he’s not encompassing [it]. There’s nothing sexual in that… [Her] fingers aren’t curling around, there’s no interlacing.” The red carpet photos also suggest a slight mismatch in their sexual connection, Although Wood notices that Zendaya is giving Holland a “sexy” gaze in many of the photos, it’s not always reciprocated. In fact, he looks pretty tense. Wood explains that Holland has “erect posture, some tension in his smile, and his hand in his pocket.” Sure, it could be the event making him uncomfortable, but as a successful actor, Holland is no stranger to the red carpet. Wood guesses, “It could be ‘I don’t want to show any sexual connection with her.’” (Fair — he’s in work mode.) However, this tension wasn’t consistent. In one photo, Holland’s feet and pelvis are tilted toward Zendaya, hinting at his interest in her. And in another, Zendaya and Holland shared an “intimate zone of space” (they’re less than two feet apart). This proximity typically indicates a desire for connection. Not to mention, they shared a “really nice mutual gaze” during the Spider-Man photocall. With “lifted cheeks” and deep eye contact, Wood flags this look as a “love gaze.” Here, though, Zendaya was the one who looked slightly on edge. “Her heart is pulled back slightly as if to say, ‘I need to protect myself.’” Such a wide range of mixed signals might seem like a bad sign for the couple, but that’s not necessarily accurate. In fact, per Wood, it might be a result of a joint decision that the couple made to keep their romance on the more private side. Wood says that the duo’s body language might reflect “decisions they are making to be independent.” “I’m seeing her desire to protect, and I’m seeing a little tension in him,” Wood explains. “They’re not ready to be seen as a full couple… Maybe they’re just not quite ready to be seen as a unit.” After all, they are co-workers. Keeping things professional during a work event (because, yes, for A-listers, red carpets are work events) is probably a good policy. All in all, Zendaya and Holland’s body language is full of contradictions. And although their closeness might not be super obvious in these red carpet photos, there’s no doubting Zendaya and Holland’s connection. During the event, Holland himself explained their relationship to the Associated Press, “​​The biggest way is just companionship, you know, like two friends coming together, experiencing this world, going through the same problems at the same times, having a shoulder to cry on, has been a huge thing for the pair of us.” Spider-man and MJ have nothing on these two. Link to article with Photos https://www.elitedaily.com/dating/zendaya-tom-holland-body-language-spider-man-photo-call

Do Masks on Children in School Interfere with a Childs Development?

We primal hard-wiring that makes our eyes unconsciously look at interesting things, especially faces, and look away from unpleasant things. So much of how children can learn, and be emotionally healthy about masks is how the adults and other children in their lives view masks and those who wear them. Children can be quick to adapt and read body language without mouth cues as long as those around them see people wearing them as normal. But if they see those wearing masks as scary, they will associate them with danger rather than safety.

Eye Scanning—We scan faces according to a systematic pattern. The pattern consists of a series of triangles that crisscross the eyes and then travel down to the mouth. During an initial interpretation, we spend 75 percent of the time exploring the triangle of the eyes and mouth, 10 percent on the forehead and hair, and 5 percent on the chin, with the remaining 10 percent devoted to other features. The average scanning time is around 3 seconds.

One of the main stress points adults have when wearing masks is they feel they can see or show a smile to show they are friendly. The smile is such an important signal of friendliness that it can be recognized from a football field away. Smiling is a "harmless" cue that makes you look less threatening. Smiling makes people feel safe as you approach or lets them know it's safe to approach you because you are smiling. But many of the facial cues that indicate a "real" smile occurs above the mask.

We have learned to read those cues and simply showing children how to read them and be confident in reading a true smile can help children adapt and be more comfortable wearing a mask in the classroom. (We can fake a smile with the mouth, and you can recognize a real smile from just the eyes. 

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.
     

Do Leaders Need Soft Skills?

I speak to millions and billon dollar business owners and C-suite executives on body language and leadership. Why? -Yes, More than ever. They have to assess and respond to the needs of their employees. If they are oblivious to the nonverbal cues and don't put credits in the "relationship account, they won't be able to keep their employees happy, prevent conflict, and keep their employees motivated. Leaders say their top two priorities right now are how to hire the best employees, keep employees from leaving, and detect deception.

Are Narcissists Happy? Body Language Expert Patti Wood

Happiness and Malignant Narcissism. Years ago, I was dating a charming Malignant Narcissist and broke up with him. One of his arguments in his plea to keep me was that I couldn't break up with him because he always has to start a new business when a woman breaks up with him, as otherwise, the emptiness in his life makes him feel like he is in a deep dark void. He already had too many businesses and didn't want to start another one. He didn't say what he liked and loved about me. Instead, he shared the emptiness he would feel without me in his life and equated that with the fulfillment of starting and business. Not very romantic, but it does show how Malignant Narcissists view their happiness met by a supply of stimulation filling a void. Malignant narcissists feel happy when they are fed well with Narcissistic supply. What makes them "Happy" is different. They don't feel the normal human emotions of love, bonding, and empathy. Those parts of their brains don't light up. Instead, their brains light up when they are admired and feel they can control others. They are happy, creating negative emotions in others. T They are puppet masters. Normal (low score on a continuum) narcissists can receive pleasure and happiness, making people happy. For example, a normal narcissists actor derives pleasure from the applause of a delighted audience watching them perform. However, the malignant narcissist pleasure centers light up when they see and or create intense negative emotions like drama, fear, pain, and discord in others. These emotions create the MG's "Narcissistic Supply." Because they lack those loving bonding emotions

Why we need to improve our gun safety laws.

Why we need to improve our gun safety laws.

 

When I was in my 20's in my master's program and teaching at Auburn, I got a call at 7:00 in the morning from the father of my brand-new boyfriend, Shane Ford. He said, "Shane was shot in a hunting accident. He is not expected to make it, and he is calling out your name and wants to see you." The pain in Shane's father's voice was the worst sound imaginable. I had lost my father a few months before this, and I knew that pain.

I was home with the flu and 103-degree temperature, and there was an ice storm, and I had never driven in snow. So I got in the car and drove on an ice-covered deserted road to the hospital. I masked up and went into the intensive care unit to say goodbye to Shane. When I first saw Shane, he was covered in blood and hooked up to many pieces of equipment. (I didn't know some was the deer's blood.) So there, surrounded by his family, Shane and I said our goodbyes.

That morning a young boy, I believe he was 14, who had never hunted or held or shot a rifle, was handed a gun and instructed how to shoot it by some men that knew the boy came from a troubled home. Their intent was the teach him to be a man and help him bond with other men. The boy and the hunters laid down in line at the deer stand with their guns and Shane ran the deer (chased the deer in front of them) The body saw movement and shot Shane.  The Bullet went through Shane's spleen and his kidney bounced off his spine and lodged in his heart. He lost 37 pints of blood in 24 hours. In the first surgery, they couldn't find the bullet. They stitched him up and we said our goodbyes as he was bleeding to death. But just by happenstance there was a visiting physician there to teach at the hospital and he asked us if we were willing to have Shane be a research patient since he was going to die, they would continue to look for the bullet, but they didn't have much hope. We said yes, and the visiting surgeon found the bullet lodged in his aortic value and was able to replace it with a pig's valve and save his life. With his blood loss, this was a medical miracle and in fact, Shane's case was written up in three medical journals.  Over 400 people donated blood at the hospital that week in Shane's name.
Shane, according to the doctors, was not supposed to live, and when he survived, they said he would never walk again, as the shock trousers they had put on him to push the blood to his heart and brain had cut off the blood supply to his legs for too long. He had a long recovery; that recovery was difficult and painful for him and all of us. I saw firsthand what that one rifle bullet did to his body. The long deep red scar down the center of his body. The hole in his back. I know how many people worked to save him; I see the love it took to keep him motivated to fight for his life. I know all the work it took for all of us to help him recover and walk again. I wouldn't wish that agony of a journey on anyone.  

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.