10 Things You Need To Know About Men, Body Language and Attraction

While women use over 52 gestures to express when they are interested in a man, men only have about 10 flirtation moves in their arsenal. Don’t let this fool you though–guys are anything but simple. The best way to figure out a man and his motives isn’t by talking, it’s by paying close attention to his body language, as just about any question you have can be answered by picking up on what he’s putting out. Just like in poker, it’s important to pay close attention to your opponent so you can leverage any advantage and identify any deceptive behaviors..hey, all is fair in love and war.  Here are ten surprising facts about men, and body language attraction to get you started reading his unique signs.

1. Research shows that between 70-90% of the way we communicate is non-verbal, ie: body language. This should come as a huge relief to the ladies since it’s been proven that on average, men use about 13,000 less words per day than women. While he may be a man of few words, there is no doubt that the guy you’re crushing on is constantly sending you silent signals that can tell you if he’s interested in you or not.

2. Can’t tell if a man is flirting with you or just being friendly? If he’s interested, he’ll raise his eyebrows quickly (body language experts refer to this as “the Eyebrow Flash”), flare his nostrils so his face appears more”open”, tilt his head and smile with his lips parted. Um, attractive? While this all sounds a bit creepy, it’s actually very subtle, so you’ll have to pay close attention to pick up on the signs. Another signal of male flirtation is self grooming, so he might run his hands through his hair, fix his socks or smooth his shirt down repeatedly.

3. Research done by Helen Fisher of Rutgers University shows that humans know within ONE SECOND if they are physically attracted to someone or not. If you meet a guy and he passes that test, it only takes three additional minutes of talking to him to decide if there is any relationship potential. The key here is his voice, and women are more likely to be attracted to men with deep voices who talk fast. Once the three minutes are up, your opinion has been formed and it’s not likely to change.

4. Men are not as adept at reading body language as women are. It might not come as a huge surprise that men are wired to be especially oblivious to women’s non-verbal emotional signals, which basically means you shouldn’t get mad at him when he doesn’t notice that you’re pouting in the corner; it’s in his DNA.

5. If you want to know if you can trust a guy, make sure you can see his hands! Yep, if his hands are shoved in his pockets, or if he keeps them out of sight under the table, it might be because he has something to hide. Bonus points if you can see his palms, as this means he’s a total open book.

6. The best way to get a guy’s attention isn’t necessarily with your cleavage–it’s with your neck or your armpit!  A long, bare neck or an exposed armpit are said to release sex hormones that instantly grab a male’s attention. When you’re trying to show off your elegant neck, think more Marilyn Monroe than giraffe though, and don’t go shoving your armpit in a guy’s face–allowing him to catch a glimpse of it in a tank top will do just fine!

7. Follow his feet. Body language experts insist that men angle their feet and toes towards the person they are the most interested in. Ideally, his feet will be facing you, but if they are facing the door or window, he might be looking for a way out.

8. Men like to show off the goods. Let’s just say that if he likes you, he’ll definitely want to highlight all that he has to, ahem, offer. He’ll stand completely erect–shoulders back, chest out, stomach in, and might even place his hands ever so subtly on his hips. Basically, he’ll draw attention to the areas of his physique that he hopes you’ll notice.

9. If a guy is all up in your space bubble, he’s trying to claim you as his own. Men assert dominance in really annoying ways like hogging the couch, the arm-rest, the bed, the space under the dining room table, etc., but come on, as long as you like the guy, is this really an issue? Cuddle up!

10. “Mirroring” is a technique used by car salesmen, con artists and players to fake a connection, but can also be used for good, not evil. Subtly lean in closer when your crush leans in, pick up your glass when he grabs his, or smile at the same time he breaks into a grin. The goal is to express how in sync you are, not to totally freak him out, so only mimic his movements when it appears natural.

Do you pay attention to body language when dating?
Image via Gideon on Flickr

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