Developing Your Ability to ‘READ’ Others

‘The face is more honest than the mouth will ever be.’ – Daphne Orebaugh

How good are you at mind reading? How good are you at knowing what someone is thinking or feeling without their having to tell you? You're probably pretty good at it. You can get better.

When you observe a person's body language, you can see what they are feeling and thinking as they feel and think it. If, for example, you see their face is contorted and they are banging their fist on the table, you know that person is angry.

Facial expressions, posture, touch etc. are all emotionally driven and can clue you into a person's true feelings and intentions in any one moment. Every shift in a person's inner emotions is communicated through their non-verbal behaviour and it happens in the present.

However, not all emotions are as obvious and easy to read as anger or joy. Disappointment, for example, is expressed in far more subtle ways than anger. It's not so easy to read what's going on.

Many emotions occur fleetingly – they happen in the moment – so you need to pay attention. By mindfully observing people as they communicate, you are more likely to notice those subtle fleeting cues as they happen. You can get a real insight into what's going on for that person, in that moment.