Fun Fact: A 2012 study of participants inspecting nude bodies shows that men spent more time looking at female private areas than men’s private areas, but women spent equal amounts of time looking at females and males.
Raising eyebrows
What It Means: Moving from the single raise to the double, now we mean business. Women pluck their eyebrows higher up their forehead because it makes us look more helpless. This actually releases hormones in a man’s brain to protect and defend the female. Women tend to raise their eyebrows and lower their eyelids to give the look of orgasming (think Marilyn Monroe).
On the other hand, if both eyebrows are suddenly raised, this can mean someone is surprised, such as when receiving good news. However, it can also mean that someone is worried https://besthookupwebsites.org/cougar-dating/. This is different from an eyebrow flash because the eyebrows usually stay raised longer.
I often get this question: “Why do people raise their eyebrows when they talk?” When we want to make an important point during a speech or argue with someone, we tend to raise our eyebrows. This is a way to show someone that you are actively listening to them.
This gesture is also used as a punctuator during speech. People raise their eyebrows as a natural warmth cue-to say “look at me!” and it is considered a micropositive when it is not part of the surprise expression.
Typically in conversation, when someone is speaking and really wants you to pay attention, there will be a cluster 5 :
– They will look at you– When they gain momentum and make a big statement, they will look away briefly– They will look back again after they’re done speaking to see if an impact has been made
Now here’s where the eyebrow raise comes in-raise your eyebrows and give a triple nod to look attentive. This reinforces to the speaker that what they said DID make an impact and will make you memorable.
Raised eyebrows are also an indicator of interest. According to the Peases’ book, “Why Men Lie and Women Cry,” women widen their eyes and raise their eyebrows and eyelids to create a “baby face” to trigger in men the desire to protect. It can also mean a woman is delighted and excited to see you.
Rapid eye blinking
What It Means: Dr. David Givens, director of the Center for Nonverbal Studies, says that rapid eyeblink (or “eyelash flutter”) means “you’ve raised the blinker’s level of psychological arousal… faster blinking may reflect sexual excitement.”
Flirty eye blinking is known as “eye batting”-this is usually coupled with a downward head tilt and is associated with more “baby-like” features, as the tilt makes our face smaller and eyes bigger.
On the other hand, rapid blinking can indicate an inner struggle 3 . You might see rapid eyelid fluttering if someone says something we don’t like. We also flutter if we have a hard time expressing ourselves in a conversation, such as in a performance or delivering of information.
Prolonged eye contact
What It Means: When people think others look at them a lot, they subconsciously think they are liked. Eye contact is a huge rapport-building gesture and boosts dopamine, and it’s generally a good idea to maintain more eye contact than less. I found people are not making enough eye contact nowadays!
We tend to favor those who make more eye contact with us, especially if they are of higher status 1 . For example, eye contact from a VIP makes some of us feel favored, and people who make more eye contact are generally seen as more intelligent.