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Lifestyle

Correctly Interpreting Body Language: Show Me How You Behave and I’ll Tell You What You’re Thinking

October 2, 2025

Humans communicate constantly – with words, but above all with body language. This says a lot about us. You can pay attention to this when interpreting body language.

Understand body language – why?

Why should you deal with your own body language? Dr knows that Simon Breil from the University of Munster. He researches the connection between non-verbal language and personality perception. It has been proven that the perception of personalities is very strongly influenced by how we present ourselves, “before we have even spoken a word to each other,” says Breil.

It is well known that first impressions count. And this is derived 95% from our body language and only 5% from what we say. Other people form an image of us based on our body language. Precisely because we find it difficult to consciously control our facial expressions and gestures, it often speaks the truth about what we are actually thinking and feeling.

Is my counterpart telling the truth, is he comfortable? Understanding what your own body language and that of those around you is signaling can help you better understand others. communication becomes easier. In addition, a healthy posture can also have a positive effect on the inner body feeling.

What clear signals are there?

The movements in our face sometimes say a lot about our inner being. A frown can symbolize confusion or anger. A real smile is easy to tell apart from an artificial one. Do the cheeks lift, do small wrinkles appear next to the eyes? Body language is difficult to deceive. Another important aspect of facial expressions is eye contact, which can be used in many different ways. When two eyes cross each other on the dance floor, it’s an expression of mutual interest. You pay attention by looking. But be careful: Eye contact that lasts too long can also be uncomfortable or offensive. If the other person avoids eye contact, they don’t seem interested in you or are embarrassed.

It is also important what we do with our arms, legs and hands. There are gestures that are almost universally understood: raising your hand to greet someone, waving goodbye. If you like something, give it a thumbs up. But our body subconsciously controls many gestures. Anyone who has ever tried to keep their hands still while talking will quickly realize that this is almost impossible. Because the centers for speech and hand movements are close together in the brain. Man gestures to visually support what is being said.

Whether it’s for job interviews, lectures or on a first date – a confident posture is convincing. Anyone who walks and stands upright appears self-confident. A dynamic gait and relaxed arms support this impression. A sunken attitude, however, reflects insecurity, possibly also sadness. Anyone who carries their arms close to their body and takes small steps when walking appears tense. During conversations, you should lean forward a little to pay attention to the other person.

This is how you convince with your own body language

Not everyone has the same prerequisites for correctly assessing facial expressions, gestures and posture. However, being able to interpret signals is a first step in working on your own body language. Here it helps, for example, to observe other people, they can be friends, but also strangers. What gestures and facial expressions do they use to underline their words? How does their behavior appear to the outside world? It is also particularly interesting to do the same with politicians. Because they have often gone through coaching.

Politicians appear determined and self-confident through their body language. The same applies here: not everyone is a natural talent. Insecure people can practice body language in front of the mirror. The social psychologist Amy Cuddy developed the concept of “power poses”. Various exercises should help to radiate self-confidence. To expand the chest area, the hands can be crossed behind the head. Hands on the hips and hands on the front edge of the desk should also convey a confident impression.

You want to permanently change your body language? Rhetoric courses, drama, pantomime or dance can also help. The language of the body is constantly being used here. But ultimately, you shouldn’t force anything. Only those who feel comfortable in their own bodies appear authentic.

The man sticks out his chest, the woman crosses her legs

Typical behavior patterns of men or women indicate differences in their body language. The man sticks out his chest, the woman crosses her legs. You should even be able to tell from the gait whether a female or a male is walking in front of us.

Crossing the legs of women can have various external effects. On the one hand, this gesture is a sign of elegance, on the other hand, it can reflect a reserved and insecure character. The latter also applies when women play with their hair.

Men, on the other hand, tend to make sweeping gestures. They take up a lot of space, for example when sitting with your legs apart. This makes them appear more present. However, it is clear that posture is more a question of type and personality than gender.

Different countries, different customs – different body language

If the next holiday in distant countries is pending, you should also be careful when it comes to body language. Many gestures and facial expressions are culturally influenced and cannot be used universally. While for us a head shake means “no”, in Bulgaria and India a slow shake of the head means “yes”.

Eye contact, which is considered friendly in Germany, encroaches on the private sphere of the Japanese. Crossing legs is considered offensive to Arabs and Asians because it shows the soles of the shoes.

And you should also be careful with the popular “thumbs up” gesture. In Sardinia, Colombia and the Middle East, this sign can be interpreted as indecent.

Keep Reading

Food

11 Foods You’re Better Off Avoiding in Winter

September 21, 2025

Our kitchen and fridge are full, even in winter – but often with the wrong food.

If you shop correctly, you are not only doing something for your health, but also for the environment and fair working conditions.

Strawberries

Strawberries now mostly come from abroad. For example from Spain, where strawberry plantations have fallen into disrepute due to exploitative working conditions, the massive use of pesticides and questionable irrigation methods. Or they are even imported from Israel or California.

The following applies to strawberries from Germany: don’t be fooled! In autumn and winter they ripen in this country only with a considerable expenditure of energy. Above all, the power consumption for the artificial lighting is enormous.

In our Utopia seasonal calendar you can find out which fruit and vegetables you can buy from local growers.

Imported apples

What is more ecological: an imported apple from New Zealand or a local apple from cold storage? This question is a well-known ecological dilemma – luckily we can’t care until about mid-December.

Until then, there are fresh apples from the region that do not have to be cooled using a lot of energy, for example Cox Orange, Jonagold, Elstar, Berlepsch. So there really is no need for apples from overseas.

In our photo series “Determining apple varieties”, you will mainly find apple varieties that also grow here.

Green salads

When it’s cold, green lettuces (like lettuce, batavia, iceberg lettuce) come out of the heated greenhouse and end up in stores “immature”. That is why they have less taste and also contain fewer healthy nutrients such as vitamins and phytochemicals.

There are still enough lettuce in season in Germany, for example lamb’s lettuce, chicory, radicchio, endive or purslane.

Imported Nuts

Most of the nuts in our stores come from far away: peanuts from the US and Israel, walnuts from California, almonds from the US and Spain, cashews from India.

Therefore, especially in the autumn and winter months, we should eat varieties that also grow in our area (and that can be stored without using a lot of energy). So: walnuts and hazelnuts from Germany.

Conventional citrus

Even if it says “untreated” – residues of pesticides and preservatives are regularly found in conventional oranges, tangerines and lemons.

Manufacturers use tricks so that they do not have to specify the chemical treatment: Sprays that are normally applied to the fruit after harvesting are already sprayed on the lemons and oranges hanging on the tree.

So: better buy organic and fair!

Conventional ACE juice

An extra portion of vitamins for an intact immune system? Better not with conventional ACE juice. The fruit content is usually only between 20 and 60 percent. For this, water, sugar or sweeteners and vitamins are added. These vitamins often come from the laboratory, and their use is also highly controversial.

If you want to take vitamins in liquid form, it is better to drink organic not-from-concentrate juices – they are healthier and are usually bottled during the respective season. Or try one of our healthy winter smoothie recipes made with seasonal ingredients.

Tomatoes

We like to eat them all year round. But in the cold season, almost all of our tomatoes come from the Netherlands, Spain and France, where they are grown in greenhouses with high energy consumption.

Better: Avoid “fresh” tomatoes in winter and use organic tomatoes that have been strained in a glass jar for pasta, pizza, etc. These are harvested when ripe and therefore not only taste better than winter imports, but also contain more nutrients. But it’s better to take a closer look when you’re shopping, because glass and canned tomatoes often come from China and have been transported long distances.

Cucumbers

The same applies to cucumbers as to tomatoes. They are popular all year round, but we only have season from June to the end of October. In winter there are greenhouse imports and that means less healthy nutrients, problematic production conditions and long transport routes.

Another reason that speaks against cucumbers in winter: In some supermarkets you can now only find them wrapped in plastic. The supermarkets justify that the cucumbers would be better protected during transport.

We show you how you can avoid packaging in the supermarket instead.

Zucchini

Although zucchini is a pumpkin plant, it is only in season here from June to the end of October. “Real” pumpkins such as Hokkaido or Butternut, on the other hand, are available until December and from then on as stock goods from local cultivation.

We show which pumpkins you can also eat with the skin. You can also try this delicious, warming pumpkin soup recipe.

Conventional tea

Black and green tea comes mainly from China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Working conditions on conventional plantations are often miserable. Exploitation, discrimination and poverty are the order of the day. The massive use of pesticides harms the environment and workers, residues end up in our cup.

You should therefore buy black and green tea from fair trade and with the EU organic seal. Or: prefer herbal teas made from local herbs.

Imported Grapes

From November, grapes mostly come from South Africa, India, Chile, Peru or Brazil. Because they do not ripen, they are harvested fresh and then transported to us by ship. Depending on the place of origin, this can take up to three weeks – and that’s it with the freshness.

Conventional grapes are also often contaminated with pesticides because vines are susceptible to fungi, lice, mites and other pests. Not only do we suffer from this, but also the environment. You should therefore only buy the fruit regionally, during the season and in organic quality.