There are some people who are more comfortable walking around or standing with their hands held behind their back, such as those in the military, priests, school principals, and policemen. However there are also many people who do this without thinking about it as a body language signal. This signal can mean many different things depending on the situation and the way the person holds their hands behind their back as well as how high up the arm they are holding behind their back. These signals not only show how the person is feeling or the outward emotion that they want to present, but also in some ways their inner desire or intent.
Palm in Palm
When someone is holding their hands behind their back and the hands are positioned in a palm in palm gesture, this not only exposes the entire front of the person’s body but is a display of fearlessness, superiority, as well as confidence in themselves. Many people who display this body language can be misconstrued as arrogant, overly confident, and boastful depending on who the person is and how they use this body language. However this is not always the case and is an unlikely conclusion to the position that the person is displaying.
Palm over Hand or Palm Downwards
Some people will put their hands behind their back and hold their wrist or allow their hand to face downward in a display of frustration or self-control. You will see this often in courtrooms when the attorney or lawyer is questioning the accused and it can be interpreted as holding themselves back as though they want to punch or slap the person in front of them. You can also learn a lot from how high up the person is holding their arm as the more frustrated the person is, the higher up the arm their grip will be.
Learning the Signs
When learning to pick up these little signals you should simply watch how people around you react to one another. You can even seem many signs like these when you ask someone you know is confident in a particular skill set display these body signs. Or you can go to a public court hearing and watch the attorneys and lawyers body language in a court room setting and how they present themselves at particular moments. Our body language will always betray us and show the world how we are feeling, and learning to pick up on these cues isn’t too difficult.