Hand : The lowest part of the arm below the wrist and including the fingers.

Arms : One of the two upper limbs of a human being.

Palm : The palm of the hand – the soft, fleshy part of the hand between the fingers and the wrist which is covered with many lines.

Have you attended any court case? If not you might have witnessed court scenes shown in movies. Usually the oath in a court or else where is taken by putting open palm on chest or on Gita or Bible. This means the person standing in the bar will tell the truth and only the truth.

An open palm carries the message of peace, honesty and truth. Beggars in the street show their palms facing up position. It indicates that they are seeking alm.

Palm facing down indicates

1) telling some body to sit down or stopping somebody. Therefore the palm position are

2) facing up position (gesture of submission)

3) facing down position (request with authority)

There is one more position where it is in closed finger pointed position (order with authority)

Facing up position also indicate that the person is asking something.

Facing down position indicates the person is giving something. Palms, a lier hides in his pocket or he keeps them on back or in a folding position against chest. Even if he does this his other gestures tells us that he is not telling any truth.

Hand Shake

Whenever people (two) meet usually, they shake hands. They use right hand palm. Hand shake conveys warmness.

This is to greet somebody or sometimes to say good bye (telling that he is taking leave of the other). Often shaking hands convey a sense of oneness. Whenever a person is introduced to somebody both of them shake hands. Now a day’s it has become common that the people of opposite sex also shake hands i.e. A boy shakes a girl’s hand and vice versa. Different countries adopt different patterns in handshake. By the method of handshake the characters at attitudes of inhabitations may be analyzed.

Usually the handshake reveal these basic attitudes. They are dominance, submission and equality.

Dominance

When a person turns the palm of his partner upwards and his own palm downwards it is a gesture of dominance.

Submission

When two persons shake hands, palm up gesture reveals submission to the other person.

Equality

When two dominant people shake hand, each one tries to turn the other’s palm into a submissive position. Then palms remain in a vertical position.

There are other styles of hand shake like palm down style, globe handshake, finger tip hand shake, double handed shake, dead fish handshake, stiff arm thrust.

In dead fish handshake, when a person shake the other person’s hand, the other person will have a feeling of holding a dead fish. There is no warmth feeling. It is lifeless.

Some people offer only fingertips for the other person to grab. It shows that there is a lack of trust in the self and in the other person.

There are people who have trust and affection for others. They use both hands. This is called double handed handshake. Of course such handshake is used only between two intimate friends or relatives. There cannot be a double handed handshake between strangers.

When people seek some favour, they use globe handshake. The person initiating such a gesture offers his right hand to the person in front for handshake and then puts left hand over the other person’s hand to express his trustworthiness. This is only timely. This may arouse suspicion.

In stiff arm thrust., a person wishes to keep the other at a distance.

Aggressive people have firm handshakes. Politicians shake your hand with their other hand covering the shake or holding your elbow. Usually woman prevents a crushing handshake. Handshake may be firm but not crushing. Usually domincering men often squeeze the hand of women during a greeting. The women withdraws people with low esteem often have a limp handshake.

Generally people prefer dominant handshake. Abraham Lincoln always counseled people to shake hands

Remember handshakes can be friendly, limp and lispless or even bone crushingly cruel.

Other gestures
When a person rubs his palms together he is communicating something positive. E.g.: News of success in his project. Expecting some gain

Cheerful

Businessman expecting good returns. Suppose rubbing of palms is fast it indicates that the person has something good to convey.

If it is slow the good news is for the person who is communicating good to convey, but not for the listener.

Rubbing the thumb against fingertips or index finger means the doer expects handsome money.

Raised thumbs

Raised thumb means dominance. As we see politicians use this gesture. They offer statements that are contrary to reality. They assure but won’t follow. They predict that they are humble servants.

Gesture by thumb can be an ok. Signal.

It may be even an insult signal. In that case it is jerked up fast. Men use thumb to display their ego and aggression. But still they are positive. Folded arms and thumbs pointing upwards exhibit superiority but the attitude is negative.

Locked fingers (clenching)

Mr. Rao clenches his hands. He has full confidence and is happy. He clenches his hands in front of face. But if his fingers turn white and appear to be welded together, he has turned frustrated and is adopting negative attitude.

The figure shows locked fingers. It is difficult to face him. If at all you have to talk to him make him to unlock his fingers.

If a person sits back, crosses his arms and legs, it is definite that his decision is negative. In a lecture hall or classroom or in front of a speaker if the listener is very much interested in hearing what the speaker say he/she will sit with his closed hands resting on his cheek and his index finger pointing upwards. Suppose he/she brings his/ her hands up and starts stroking the chin, it is an indication that he / she has made a decision. As said earlier, if his gesture is followed by crossed arms and legs and the listener sits back in his char he/she does not agree with the speaker.

A person in a lecture hall remove his specks and put one arm of the arms into his mouth, it indicates he has reached a decision.

When a person just laps the back of his neck and then rubs in it means he is frustrated. Folding of one or both the arms across the chest is an indication of the coming threat or occurrence of some undesirable event.

Stand arm cross gesture is common when one is among strangers and presume insecure. Suppose arms are gripped tightly it indicates the person is waiting for a call or anxious to know a thing that is unfamiliar. Some times the audience sit having their arms placed across their chests. This shows that they are not getting convinced with what the speaker is saying.

Folding arms indicates the social status of a person also. Suppose in a company a boss intends to speak to his juniors. He will stand at a respectable distance from them with his one hand in his pocket or by his pride or behind his back in palm in palm positions.

Partial arm cross position i.e. one arm holds the other one. Some people use this gesture. This is another to put up a barrier (separates people). A defensive attitude. There are people who wish to convey the impression indicating that they are not nervous. They hold books or vanity bags as barrier in between arms.