Did you get that?

Hi all you body linguists Trace here for DNews. Scientists weren't around to ask, but they

believe verbal language evolved as a learning aid for ancient human-like ancestors. Language

helped us communicate, coordinate and cognate (yes! alliteration!).

what is body language Before we'd evolved to say, "I'm hungry,"

or "I like you," nature devised other ways to say those things: Nonverbal communication!

Even when not speaking we're sending messages about our emotions, health, age, and social

status! The way you're standing, your hand gestures, body tension, facial expressions…

all these communicate your inner feelings to the outside world, often without you realizing

it, and some of them are universal. who decided that's what nonverbals meant?

Charles Darwin first proposed the idea of universal body languages based on how our

muscles connected to our facial skin. 100 years later, a series of experiments by researchers

Tomkins and Ekman, found seven universal facial expressions: Happy, Surprise, Contempt, Fear,

Sadness, Disgust, and Anger. In essence, Darwin was right! We all have inherent structures

and adaptations in our brain's limbic system to process emotions -- and some are universally

expressed!

The amygdalae, which control reactions, self-preservation and emotional processing do all this work

for us, subconsciously. When people shout, "Surprise!" at a party, these almond-shaped

structures deep in the brain get that message first! First the amygdalae make sure these

people aren't about to attack, showing a universal fight-or-flight fear-evoked freeze response

while you process the emotion! Then after they're like, NO THREAT YOU'RE GOOD, you go

on to feel happiness and amusement. This happens all the time. When someone startles you, you

trip, or if your partner unexpectedly pops the question, you'll probably look scared

before you look happy… thanks amygdalae. Awkward.

so what body languages are universal? We are constantly shouting emotions with our

postures, gestures, and body shifts too. Yes, the fear-evoked freeze is universal, but so

are some others. A 2008 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found

sighted, blind, and congenitally blind people from more than 30 nations all expressed shame

or pride in the same way, and a 2010 study also in PNAS added laughter to the list as

well! In yet another study, researchers found intense emotions don't even need a facial

expression: we can guess just from body language! what about body expressions

Even though body language is super important, face+body are better together says study after

study. According to 2013 research in the journal Science, when people were just shown faces

of people (even displaying "universal facial expressions,") they only had a 50-50 chance

of guessing the emotion, and by adding body language to the picture guesses became quote

"far more accurate."

Interestingly, some body language we think of as universal is not at all. Winks can mean

trust and friendship, or deviousness and concealment; the context matters. Additionally, body language

is intensely cultural. For example, in Russia, West Africa, the Middle East, parts of the

Mediterranean and Australia there's a gesture which means up-yours, but in the U.S., it

means LIKE! Or, in the West, close friends stand close together, and strangers further

apart, but a Middle Eastern salesman might stand closer to show trust. In the U.K. business

world, looking someone directly in the eye is considered rude but in the U.S. not meeting

a gaze is untrustworthy! In the end, more research, it be needed.

how do we control nonverbals? Even though they're subconscious, simply knowing

nonverbal cues exist can help you understand that secret language. According to Paul Ekman,

"Learning to recognize facial expressions of emotion in others helps you learn to recognize

your own emotions… [and this can] help you manage the expression of your own emotions."

And just remember, if you pop the question and your partner looks scared, that's just

their amygdalae… Hopefully.

If you still aren't sure how to express your emotions, there are other culturally appropriate

expressions some people engage in. See what i did there? Engage in? This video was proudly

sponsored by Kay Jewelers, who might have some ideas on how to help. Every kiss begins

with Kay.

Nonverbal might be the most important part of language, but it's not the only way we

communicate with each other. On my other show TestTube Plus we spent a whole week researching

human communication, how it shapes your brain, how emoji might be the future of language,

and how klingon could be a REAL language. Check it out here.

Are you good at reading nonverbal cues? Are you going to look for them now? Bonus fact,

the harder you look, the worse you get at discerning the emotion, just let it happen

naturally. Tell me your thoughts in the comments.