Body Lowering Gestures

Body Lowering Gestures

• Historically, lowering the height of one's body in front of another person has been used as a means of establishing superior/subordinate relationships. We refer to a member of Royalty as 'Your Highness', whereas individuals who commit unsavoury acts are called 'low'.
• Let us examine the non-verbal aspects of the situation in which you have beenspeeding in your car and are stopped by the policeman. In the situation,
  
  1.) The policeman approaches your vehicle, and a driver’s usual reaction is to remain in the car, wind the window down and make excuses for having exceeded the speed limit.
  
  2.) By remaining in your car, you create a barrier between yourself and the policeman.
  
  3.) Under these circumstances the police officer is obviously in a superior position to you, this type of behaviour only serves to make things go from bad to worse and your chances of being booked are increased.
  
• Instead, try this if you are flagged down:
  
  1.) Get immediately out of your car and go over to the police officer’s car.
  
  2.) Stoop your body over so that you are smaller than he is.
  
  3.) Lower your own status by telling the officer how foolish and irresponsible you are and raise his status by thanking him.
  
  4.) With your palms out, in a trembling voice, ask him not to give you a ticket.
  
  When this technique is used as directed, it can save you from being booked more than 50 per cent of the time.