(upbeat guitar music) - [Narrator] Hey, Psych2Goers,
welcome back to our channel. Have you ever wanted to
know what someone is feeling or what they meant to say, based on their clothing,
expressions, or behaviors alone? Maybe you've seen too many
episodes of "Sherlock," and so now you're determined
to become a detective yourself. While no one can read another's mind, not even Sherlock Holmes is that good, there are some tricks that can help you get a
better understanding of others and what they really mean to say. Here are some tips on how
to read nearly anyone. Number one, be open-minded and unbiased. If you wanna learn to read people, you must first practice approaching people with an open mind. We all have hidden biases within us, based on past experiences,
current emotions, and interactions. If we judge someone too quickly, we're more prone to misreading others. Practice entering a new
encounter with an open mind. According to Judith Orloff,
M.D., in Psychology Today, you must surrender to other
vital forms of information, so that you can learn to read the important nonverbal intuitive
cues that people give off. To do this, you must also be willing to surrender any preconceptions or emotional baggage, such as old resentments or ego clashes, that stop you from seeing someone clearly. The key is to remain objective and receive information
neutrally, without distorting it. Number two, enter open-minded, but be aware of your instinctive feelings. While it's best to be open-minded, it may not be a good idea
to ignore our gut feelings and first impressions entirely right away. Why? Our first impressions may be
more accurate than we think according to research published in the Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin in 2009. The study had subjects
view full body photos of 123 strangers. The strangers were viewed in either a controlled, neutral pose
and facial expression, or the strangers
naturally posed themselves in an expressive pose. When the subject saw the photos of the strangers expressing
themselves naturally, their judgments of them were correct for nine out of 10 personality traits. Sometimes when we look at how others choose to generally represent themselves through unique fashion, photos, and poses, we may just be right in the
basis of our first impressions. Now, the real trick is to
know the intricacies of them, more than just how they
choose to present themselves. Number three, notice their posture. Posture can reveal a lot about someone. Maybe they hold their head high because they've had a good day, or maybe they're slumping in their seat because they didn't quite
get a full night's rest. According to Judith Orloff, M.D., notice if someone holds their head high in a manner of confidence or maybe they have a strong
ego and puff out their chest. Orloff also notes, walking in an indecisive manner with your head low and cowered could be a sign of low
self-esteem in some cases. Posture can reveal so much about how someone is feeling for the day, so keep an eye out. If they're falling asleep in
their chair during class time, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to guess how tired they are. Number four, notice what they're wearing. According to Personality Psychologist at the University of Texas, Sam Gosling, we should notice what people choose to tell us about their appearance. Gosling calls these signs identity claims, and they can include little
things like what they wear, tattoos, bumper stickers,
to even our screensaver. Gosling explains that identity claims are deliberate statements that we make about our attitude,
goals, values, et cetera. One of the things that
are really important to keep in mind about identity claims is because these are deliberate, many people assume we are
being manipulative with them, and we're being disingenuous. But I think there's
little evidence to suggest that that goes on. I think, generally, people
really do want to be known. They'll even do that at the
expense of looking good. They'd rather be seen
authentically than positively, if it came down to that choice. So, pay attention to what people want to convey about themselves. They're likely truthful to a good degree. Number five, pay attention to their normal behavior and personality. Each of us has our own unique
mannerisms and behaviors that reflect our personality. It's important to get a
baseline for how someone acts before jumping to conclusions. If you notice someone is nervously tapping
their foot at your party, does that mean they
have something to hide, or do they just not like parties, or simply have a habit
of tapping their foot? Once you get the baseline on their common behavior and personality, you'll have an easier time reading them when they deviate from
their normal behavior. And, number six, look out for
certain facial expressions. There are a few common facial
expressions that can give way to what someone is really
thinking or feeling. When someone's jaw is clenched
and they grind their teeth, that can be a sign of tension. Someone may just be feeling
bitter, angry, or contempt, if their lips are pursed. Deep frown lines forming? You can bet they're definitely
worried or overthinking. Wanna know if someone is
genuinely smiling in delight? Look for what is called a Duchenne Smile. According to Healthline, this occurs when the
zygomaticus major muscle lifts the corners of your mouth at the same time the
orbicularis oculi muscles lift your cheeks and crinkle
your eyes at the corners. It's the type of smile that
reaches up to your eyes, causing those wrinkles, known
as crow's feet, to appear. This type of smile appears
when someone is genuinely happy as opposed to a polite and kind smile or even a forced smile. And there could even be an easier way to interpret different smiles. Cardiff University's Magdalena Rychlowska and her colleagues of researchers developed a classification of smiles and their effect on others with the help of a complex
modeling program used in 2017. When you're giving positive feedback, you can often show what
Rychlowska calls the Reward Smile. This is when your lips are
naturally pulled directly upwards and eyebrows lift, and you form small dimples
at the sides of your mouth. The Dominance Smile communicates
friendship and liking. This includes pressing your lips together along with the appearance
of the small dimples. Lastly, the dominance smile is when your upper lip is
raised, you wrinkle your nose, and your cheeks get pushed
upwards while smiling. During this smile, you
raise your upper lids, and you sort of sneer, with the indentation
between your nose and mouth naturally deepening. So if you happen to notice someone you've been recently talking to using the Dominance Smile, they may just be trying to be your friend, unless they're smiling in their sleep, then maybe they're just really tired and having a good dream. So, do you think you'll be
able to read others better now with a bit of practice? Are you the next Sherlock
Holmes in the making? Tell us in the comments
section down below. If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to click the like button and share this video with a friend. Subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell icon for more content like this. And, as always, thanks for watching.
