If life were a silent movie we would
have to rely on appearance and body language as we struggled to read and understand
people. And if people overplayed their emotions in real life the way actors did
on the silent screen, we might be fairly successful. But life is not silent,
and most of us rarely exaggerate our dress or mannerisms enough to broadcast
our emotions unambiguously. The villains among us don't have long han-dlebar
mustaches to finger gleefully as they commit their dastardly deeds, and heroes
don't all wear white hats. In real life, distinctions in physical appearance
and body language are often very subtle and may convey many different and often
contradictory meanings. After all, a woman may cross her arms because she's
angry, defensive, or nervous, or she may also just feel cold.
Physical characteristics and body language
are what you'll often notice first, but file those observations away for a
while. Unless you absolutely must, never evaluate another person solely on the
basis of his attire or the way he walks across a room. You need much more information
to make a sound judgment. These are just the first steps along the path to
understanding others. Don't stop here—continue the journey.
