Hand Gestures

[Jadzia]

I was thinking this morning about the hand gestures we use when conversing with others, and how some people have a preference for some hand gestures over others.

Sometimes we can tell much about a person's personality from the hand gestures they tend to use.

For example, my preferred hand gesture when I'm debating a subject with others is to imagine an abstract space in front of me and to move my hands to zones within it corresponding with the different entities I'm talking about. So when I'm talking about one entity I'll gesture to it's zone. If I'm talking about a relationship between two entities I'll gesture to one and draw a line from it to the other with my other hand.

Sometimes with fine or complex points I'm explaining, I'll tend to pinch thumbs and forefingers together like an orchestral conductor and make a conductor like gesture to add emphasis.

In fact, my gestural style is very similar to my high school physics teacher (who had very mobile hand gestures, although mine are not as mobile as hers). I remember how when she would explain complex things to us how she'd often be staring into this abstract space in front of her as she boldly juggled entities within it with her hands.

I also remember a few years ago when I was doing this with a boy and he stopped me mid sentence and asked "what the hell's all this hand waving?". That made me wonder if people in general understand the zone-entity gesturing, or whether it's more of a private language between people with mathematical/scientific backgrounds.

What hand gestures do you tend to use most? Do you feel that there are various dialects of hand gesture, which are communicated and understood best by a specific personality type over others? Do you readily notice if you share a similar gestural dialect as another person, and if so do they tend to have a similar personality to you?

 

[iguana_tonante]

I'm Italian. I think that's enough to guess I much I use hand gestures when I talk. We have an entire lexicon of hand gestures with specific meanings. We can have two very different conversations going on at once: one with words, and one with gestures. And if you want to know what we really think, discard the words and look at the hands.

Personally, I'm almost physically incapable of explaining myself correctly if I can't move my hands. If I try, I end up muttering a lot of "um" and "er" and half-words. It's so bad, I wave my hands around in front of the screen when I type.

I agree with you about using hand gestures while talking maths or physics. I do it a lot, especially the "manipulation" of abstract concepts. I am know to pick concepts from the desk, put them in mid-air in front of me, move them around, rotate them and then discard them behind me when they are no longer useful. I also pace a lot. As you may guess, my talks are always quite entertaining.

 

[WillsBabe]

I have two particular hand gestures I'm aware of using that I am currently trying hard to stop using. I work in an office and so usually have a pen in my hand. I find that when I'm making a (probably contentious) point that I wave the pen in what's probably a challenging and aggressive manner. That's the first one I'm trying to stop. The second one is when I am explaining things to clients. I will often put the side of my hand on the desk in front of me and tap it against the desk in a manner of emphasis. I notice that without exception people look at my hand when I do that, which makes me stop doing it. I'd rather not do it in the first place.

 

[MetalPants]

I am very conscious of my hand movements when talking to people. As I am in retail and am very visible, I talk to many people every day.

I never point one finger at a person, I use my whole hand in sort of a broad, "let me offer you my hand to help you" type of gesture.

I am very aware of the gestures people use around me, it conveys a lot about the person and their state of mind. Example, I have one guy that works under me that likes to point at me when he is talking to me. He has one conversation point that he is trying to get across to me and is (with his gesture) trying to pin me down and get his one point almost physically across to me.
I'll make the "pull my finger joke" at him until he quits pointing at me, and then laugh to myself as he stammers around because he can no longer point at me. It is as if his whole thought and vocabulary were contained there on the tip of his finger.

 

[think]

I agree the math behind hand gestures is invariably accurate from time to time me I would use the palm up fingers out as a QED sorta invocation there it is the gestures of hand that have the magic in them // see Carlos Castaneda's Magical Passes: The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico (©1998) ISBN 0-06-017584-2. (Body movements for breaking the barriers of normal perception.) // I have read through this book and there are multiple madras that are interesting (madra hand gestures: the Brahman use this and ofter perform whole works of choreography in hand gestures for audiences ..) don't get me wrong I like the Buddhi postures and madras as well .. neat little things to have my hand hold the positions of..

I might come back and edit this post due to grammar and such..

 

[Holdfast]

When I'm "off", I use hand gestures in a pretty free and uncontained manner. That comes from my mother's side; she was Mediterranean.

When I'm in professional situations (or other settings where it matters), I use hand gestures and body language in a much more controlled way, to emphasise or modify verbal language as need be. It's not a tricky skill to learn, though it takes a bit of practice for it to feel natural and to start using it effectively.

 

[judge alba]

the main gesture I use is two digits displayed rampantly

 

[K'Ehleyr]

On a slightly different slant ~ sorry Jadzia.
FIL came for Christmas dinner and is quite deaf. My Grandfather was also deaf and used to get upset when people talked 'around' him so I am aware of the importance of keeping those at the table included.
Although there was no need for mathamatical or scientific explainations or gestures. I found I was being very expressive with my hands.
Combined with looking straight at a deaf person and talking slowly and with defined mouth movement, hands and body language definately make a great difference.
I would love to learn sign language ~ I find it beautiful. But I also find that if you are expressive enough with your hands, people will understand you more clearly.

 

[Jadzia]

Some our world leaders have preferred hand gestures too...

Who can forget Bill Clinton's grape crushing thumb?

Or Tony Blair's box holding gesture?

It's interesting to wonder whether these are natural gestures, or are choreographed to have a specific psychological effect on the audience. For example, Clinton's thumb could symbolise the application of controlled pressure to crush a (minor) problem.

Blair's hands holding the invisible box could symbolise containment, and thus convey a sense of him being in control and on top of things.

 

[WillsBabe]

^ Good points, Jadzia. I always found Blair's box holding to be very distracting. I found myself spending more time thinking about what it meant when I was watching him speak than I did listening to his words. The UK's current PM, David Cameron, seems to spend a lot of time making a "gavel" gesture with a closed fist, as if for emphasis. I find it very amateur!

 

[Holdfast]

It's interesting to wonder whether these are natural gestures, or are choreographed to have a specific psychological effect on the audience.

Choreographed. Very heavily, actually.

There's a bit at the start of Primary Colors that highlights the importance of this sort of thing, though of course it takes a very superficial view of it. But politicians, and anyone involved in public speaking, negotiation, and the like, has the opportunity to be taught and to practice non-verbal communication skills like these. Their skill at it - or lack of - is another matter entirely.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

I tend to steeple my hands when I'm listening to somebody that I really don't want to be listening to. It combines well with a scowl. I also tend to do the facepalm quite often as well. Also, when I'm making a point that seems obvious (at least to me), I tend to do the "wheels on the bus" motion with my right hand.

 

[Jadzia]

^ Good points, Jadzia. I always found Blair's box holding to be very distracting. I found myself spending more time thinking about what it meant when I was watching him speak than I did listening to his words. The UK's current PM, David Cameron, seems to spend a lot of time making a "gavel" gesture with a closed fist, as if for emphasis. I find it very amateur!

I don't watch much television anymore, so I can't say I've really noticed Cameron's body language. But I'm guessing you mean like this...

The clenched fist used in a non threatening gesture is often a symbol of solidarity, which I think Lenin used in combination with hoisting his index finger. Hitler and Mussolini also famously used the clenched fist to symbolise solidarity, albeit rather more emotively.

Cameron's gesture is most like a judge's gavel as you say. Perhaps this tells us to think of him like a judge, and accept that his word is the final word, and discussion is over.

 

[SVD]

The only time that I'm aware of my hand gestures is when I'm giving driving directions. I get my whole body into it:

Example, if I'm standing standing giving directions to Hamilton city and then to Butte college, here's the conversation:

First thing you need to do is get on Highway 32 heading * throw/stab my outstretched right hand to the east* east.

Now when you leave Hamilton city, continue east bound. Easiest way to Butte College from there is to keep on 32 *make a sweeping hand motion from my front to the right to indicate the bend in the road* and turn *point left with my whole arm* left on East Ave.

Get on Highway 99 going *point to the right* south. Take the Butte College exit and turn *point to the left* left. Keep going until you see the sign.

 

[RJDiogenes]

My favorite hand gesture is when I curl up my fingers and move my hand in a forward horizontal direction until it makes contact with my opponent's nose.

No, not really. But I suppose I do use hand gestures to underscore certain points. Nothing in particular that I can think of, though. I'll have to pay closer attention the next time I talk to someone.

 

[Mary Ann]

I use hand gestures all the time and always have, even when I'm just thinking and not speaking out loud. I worked with very young children for several years, and though I'm not trained in Makaton (wish I was, though) we'd use basic signs and gestures with the non-verbal children to help them communicate. I only recently left that job and I have yet to reign in the gesturing habit. I could never speak without using my hands, though.

 

[Riker5]

I ran across this on the internets - http://www.travelinsurance.org/hand-gestures/

I suppose it's a good idea to pay attention to culturally conditioned stuff when traveling abroad anyway.

 

[RJDiogenes]

So, basically, anything you can do with your hand is obscene somewhere.

 

[Amaris]

I ran across this on the internets - http://www.travelinsurance.org/hand-gestures/

I suppose it's a good idea to pay attention to culturally conditioned stuff when traveling abroad anyway.

Well, if I have to travel internationally, I'm boned.

So, basically, anything you can do with your hand is obscene somewhere.

Yeah, I can see myself getting shot for agreeing with the Bangladeshi Taxi driver.

 

[MLJames]

This thread reminds me of a speech class I took in college. During the course we all had to make a short speech that was videotaped. I found out from watching my performance that I had a subconscious desire to be an orchestra conductor. I've tried to curtail my gestures ever since.