If someone is jittery and can’t sit still they may be anxious or nervous about something.
If someone isn’t looking directly at you, they may be lying, or they may be ashamed.

You can definitely tell how a person is feeling by body language.

If they sit/stand close to you, facing inward towards you, it more or less means they’re comfortable around you.

Yes. If I am feeling sad Its almost palpable and my ex caught me at the club the other day with a bad expression and body language. It was obvious I was not having a good time – Also if I’ve lost respect for someone I find it hard to look them in the eyes or If I feel guilty I find it hard to make eye contact too-

You can tell a ton by reading body language, there are even people who specialize in it. I’m not sure what they’re called (body language recognition specialist?) or how they train but I know they exist…like the people who analyze the President’s body language when he gives speeches.

Body language in all its subtle forms, speaks volumes. lol

(Unable to restrain myself, since it is late. “It’s” is not the same as “its.”)

Yes, absolutely. I rely on it constantly in interacting with others.

I see alot of people “slumped over”. I see this at the airport, in meetings…just about everywhere. I used to think it was just poor posture, but having met some of them…most are dejected. They walk slumped, they sit slumped and some even talk “slumpy”. On the other hand, I know some people whose general posture is, shoulders backed, chest out, head up. Obviously, this posture is indicative of someone with a positive attitude and a good outlook. So, to sum it up. I can tell how a person might feel simply by their posture.

Yes, body language says a lot of what a person is feeling, and thinking. Very powerful form of communication once you understand it!

Being jittery and avoiding eye contact can portray the person as being nervous, or that they’re lying. Look for other symbols such as fiddling with their ponytail if they have long hair, or messing with facial hair and so forth.

It’s pretty stereotypical, but it also has lotsa truth.

From Business Week, 14 February 2007:

Only a small percentage of communication involves actual words:7%, to be exact. In fact, 55% of communication is visual (body language, eye contact) and 38% is vocal (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice).

I know from reading that it is so, but I have never been able to decipher “body language” even by attempting to do it by memorization from photographs, films, etc. I have the same problem with facial expressions. It is part of the curse of autism.

Very much so. The body speaks long before the muth opens…...

@stranger_in_a_strange_land I have the opposite problem. I see it too much body language and can’t filter it correctly. So someone else sees a happy person and I see a happy/sad/angry/frustrated/curious person. I’ve studied pictures too, it just doesn’t click for me

Body language gives away everything. After being lied to so many times, you start to catch on.