To appear dominant, people need to create an impression of physical strength, to look calm, and to appear un- concerned about any threats from others.
One way to
DOMINANT TELLS achieve this is by placing the hands on the hips. There are two main versions of this posture - the one-handed 'arm akimbo' and the two-handed 'arms akimbo'. The two- handed version is more spectacular, but the one-handed version can be pointed at other people in a way that the two-handed version cannot. There are three components that make hand-on-hip postures dominant:
• THE EXPANSION COMPONENT. When someone
places a hand on their hip they appear to be larger and potentially more threatening. When both hands are used, the effect is doubled. Hand-on-hip postures also expand the territory that someone occupies - rather like straight- leg sitting postures.
• THE THREAT COMPONENT. Anyone who has ever
tried to push through a large crowd knows how effective the elbows can be at clearing a path. Elbows are bony and sharp. They can be used to nudge, lever or prod people out of the way without causing the kind of offence that might arise if one were to use one's hands. In this respect the elbows are a 'second-grade weapon', but a weapon nevertheless. This makes it possible for the elbows to be used in an understated, almost subliminal way. With the arms akimbo the message is subtler - the elbows threaten people without them being fully aware of what's happening.
• THE PREPARATORY COMPONENT. The arms
akimbo posture is half-way between having the hands down by one's side and having them raised and ready for attack. The posture is therefore a partial preparation for attack -
THE BOOK OF TELLS
one where the intentions of the person are disguised by the fact that the hands have conveniently come to rest at the hips. In the case of people who are armed with a sword or a pistol, placing the hand on the hip often brings the hand closer to the weapon. This allows the hand to be at rest while it is preparing for attack.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the arm akimbo posture was an accepted part of upper-class male deportment. People in high office were frequently depicted in portraits with an elbow fully extended - Hans Holbein's famous painting of Henry VIII is a good example
- and sometimes with their elbow pointing menacingly at the viewer. At the time the arm akimbo posture was intimately connected with the profession of arms - so much so that those who wanted to pass themselves off as having a military background would do so by adopting the posture.12
In 1532 Desiderius Erasmus, the great Dutch philosopher, complained about those who 'stand or sit and set the one hand on the side, which manner to some seemeth comely like a warrior, but it is not forthwith honest'.13
The arms akimbo posture has caused offence on other occasions. For example, after accepting the surrender of the Japanese at the end of the Second World War, General Douglas MacArthur was photographed standing beside the Japanese Emperor. While the Emperor stood to attention with his hands discreetly by his side, General MacArthur had his hands on his hips. The Japanese saw this casual attitude as a sign of great disrespect. In Japan it is impolite to stand with one's hands on one's hips; to do so in the presence of
the Emperor, regarded by many Japanese as a deity, was unforgivable.
D OMI N A N T TELLS
The Straddle Stance. This is Hans Holbein the Younger's famous portrait of Henry VIII - legs apart and elbows firmly pushed out - a strong, vibrant-looking monarch who is very much in charge of
his destiny and that of his people.
THE BOOK OF TELLS
Superficially all hand-on-hip postures look the same. On closer inspection, however, we find that there are actually four main variants, each involving a different position of the hand or hands.
• THE FINGERS VARIANT. Here the fingers face forward,
the thumb faces back, and the palm faces down. Men favour the 'fingers variant' because they feel better pre- pared for attack with their fingers facing forward. Men tend to adopt this posture in order to assert themselves - either when they are feeling dominant, or when they feel that their dominance is being threatened. For example, when a goal is scored in a soccer match, members of the losing side often assume the arms akimbo posture, partly to threaten their opponents, but also to reassure them- selves. The posture can also be used as a gesture of defiance. When Mick Jagger was strutting his stuff in the
1960s, he frequently adopted an arm akimbo posture as part of his routine. This can be seen very clearly on recordings of the Gimme Shelter concert, when the defiant 'Jagger Swagger' was at its peak.
• THE THUMB VARIANT. In this version the thumb
faces forward, the fingers face back, and the palm faces up. Women show a stronger preference for the 'thumb variant' than do men. The main reason for this is that women have a wider 'carrying angle' than men. This means that they can bend their arms further back at the elbow, which makes it easier for them to place their hands on the hips with their thumbs facing forward.
• THE PALM VARIANT. The 'palm variant' is the most
DOMINANT TELLS affected of all the hand-on-hip postures. This is the rather unnatural, flexed posture of the hand, where the back of the hand is in contact with the hip and the palm faces away from the body. It's the hand position that is commonly found in sixteenth- and seventeenth- century portraits of kings, Cavaliers and generals - in other words, individuals who needed to distinguish themselves from the rest of society by adopting artificial poses.
• THE FIST VARIANT. Here the fist is in contact with the
hip. This is potentially the most threatening version of the hand-on-hip posture. Because men recognize the dis- ruptive potential of this version, they tend not to use it. Women, however, do use it - occasionally to show their defiance, and sometimes as a gesture of self-mockery. There's a famous photograph of Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) where she has a foot on the front fender of their car, a cigar in her mouth and a revolver in her right hand. Her left elbow leans on the lamp of the car, while her right hand, holding the revolver, rests on her hip. When we look at the photograph, we see immedi- ately that it's a picture of total defiance - not just because she's clutching a gun, but because she's showing her elbows!