Basic responses in stressful situations

Have you ever been in a stressful situation? Actually, I shouldn’t have asked this question in the first place because every single person in this world certainly would have gone through not just a single but multiple stressful situations throughout entire life. What I should have asked instead is that have you ever noticed how exactly your own body responded under stress.

When you clearly understand the different bodily responses to a stressful and more especially to a life threatening or survival situation then perhaps you might be able to alter it for good. Are you getting me clearly?

Let me help you by explaining by sharing a real incident which took place with me quite recently, in an unexpected manner. How me and my wife quickly understood and altered our bodily responses under that particular situation dramatically affected our very well-being. This story is really interesting and I hope you would like it for sure.

Almost a one month ago, my wife and I went to visit a historical place. The place was Gingee fort (செஞ்சிக் கோட்டை), situated 150 KM (93 Miles) away from my rented home in recently flood hit Chennai, India. It’s one of the well built, almost impregnable and also nicely preserved forts in entire world.

We both started to climb by taking the stairs built with locally available rock pieces. As we climbed half of the way to the top, we both got mesmerized by surrounding panorama and especially natural rocky hills and rock formations. I couldn't stop myself from taking photos.

Finally, we entered in citadel which was a narrow and long strip of land, artificially created on top of large and continuous rock. I was really excited to catch images by standing at highest point of citadel but it was about to turn into horror within just few moments.

Gingee/Senji/Jinji Fort (செஞ்சிக் கோட்டை) was praised
as "Troy of East" by British army officers.

I was heading on a narrow and rough pavement and my wife was right behind me. Suddenly, I saw an alpha male monkey which was silently marching towards us. After looking at him, I immediately stopped walking to detect what he was intended to do with us. Instinctively, I started to collect his different body language clues because hungry monkeys attacking humans and injuring them for food is very common (at tourist sites).

As I realized that the grey hair surrounding his face were raised straight and he was bearing his long and sharp canines, both of us went completely frozen. We were completely unsure about how to respond to this unexpected and potentially threatening situation. Clock was ticking and the menacing monkey was walking towards us very fast.

My brain was rapidly gathering up and processing information about potentials risks we might be running into. Soon after realizing that the aggressive monkey was planning to attack us in his own territory, very first thought came into my mind was to run for life. This was very natural and also safer choice at that moment but we couldn’t have acted upon it effectively.

If we would have started to run away, monkey could easily have attacked us from back and injured any of us with his sharp teeth. On the other hand, a single mistake while running on narrow, rough and curly pavement could have resulted into serious injuries or in worst case - thrown us off into a deep moat which was running alongside the pavement. Also, thick grass on both sides of pavement wasn't tall enough to provide cover. For both of us, it was matter of survival.

Alpha male monkey
(Courtesy: dailymail.co.uk)

Even after calling aloud, there was nobody around us to run for helping. If we would have  offered handbag to monkey then we could have lost a camera, a cell phone and dry fruits kept inside it. It could have cost a lot to us. Hence neither running away from nor surrendering ourselves to that wild mountain monkey was a better choice.

After gathering my courage and recollecting best defense moves, I firmly told my wife to stand firmly and get into fighting mode. Both of us started shouting or roaring very loudly at and also blow clenched feasts towards the monkey.

Also, we started sweeping the handbag from one side to another so we could hit that creature. All we wanted was to look more aggressive, fierce and relentless in comparison to the attacking monkey.

For next couple of minutes, we continuously kept shouting, roaring, blowing our clenched feasts, sweeping handbag and throwing whatever we could pick by our hands. Monkey wasn’t giving up that easily but our strategy to appear aggressive and potentially harmful proved fruitful at the end.

After few iterations of attack and retreat, monkey gave up to our collective fierceness, aggression and potential harming capacity and ran away. Rush of adrenaline and sense of safety wasn’t fading quickly though. For further safety, while we were climbing down the fort, I carried a long and strong wooden stick in my hand.

Why we were so sure about saving ourselves by fighting back? My wife and I were far more superior to the monkey in terms of body size and mass, even while lacking required maneuvering capabilities, tactics and skills which untamed monkeys normally have.

The menacing alpha monkey had to retreat and run away only because we both were appearing bigger than normal sizes through aggressive postures, outreaching body movements, continuous roars, grunts and loud shouts.

We could safely came down from citadel of Gingee fort without loosing valuable stuff and getting hurt only because we chose to fight in face of an unexpected and life threatening challenge. Nothing else but that very incident inspired me to write this article.

Until we don’t understand how exactly our brain and body naturally and sequentially responds in stressful situations, we may not able to alter it if needed or also appropriately respond to, co-ordinate with and assist others who have chosen a particular response unconsciously. Each response is nothing but a marvelous gift of evolution, a proven strategy through Darwinian natural selection.

All of these responses are primitive and they evolved billions of years ago and all (living) creatures act upon them no matter how big or small their brains and bodies are or kind of habitat they live in. These responses are fundamental so can hardly be overridden.

One primary and three secondary responses

Responses have been given by following a sequence in which each creature gives them away. Freeze response in very basic, independent and also mandatory while other responses are strategy based. Each secondary response is either given away either as a final solution or it might be tried after any other response fails.

For example, a person might start running away or fighting back but surrender at last after realizing that both responses could do more harm. Also, a person or creature can choose different combinations of three responses to protect itself and render expected results.

1) Freeze (Detecting): Before anything else happens, this is a very first response that every creature gives under any stressful as well as normal situations. Before reacting to an impending situation, we all need to detect and understand what is going on exactly. As if we accidentally receive an electric shock, we keep ourselves still or simply stop making any kind of body movements.

This response greatly helps us in concentrating on and collecting all possible hints and clues about an ongoing situation or any approaching entity. Our brain tries to gather and process them as accurately and quickly as possible. However, freezing time does vary from one person to another due to experience.

That’s the very reason why some persons appear frozen, unsure or locked-up over a longer duration in face of danger before giving further response. On the other hand, some of us react quickly but inappropriately at most of time, only because of not being able to judge outcomes of particular response.

Duration of staying in frozen or detection mode is entirely dependent upon how quickly we could figure out our own capabilities, risks subjected with our involvement in an impending situation or with any approaching entity and also potential consequences of very next step we take in defense.

2) Flight (Running away): After judging a situation or approaching entity as potentially harmful and assuming that we may not survive (by fighting with) same, we unconsciously choose to move away from physical space we share with it, its possible reach or attacking range of it as quickly as possible.

Flight or running away is a very basic yet warrantable response especially to novel or unexpected situations, approaching or emerging entities, concepts, ideas or thoughts because we don’t have any experience about possible outcomes due to lack of previous encounter or engagement with them.

It’s also equally interesting to know that physiological changes taking place corresponding to flight response are almost indistinguishable from that of fight. While giving both responses, our heart increases blood supply to major muscles of our body. In result, skin temperature also increases.

Unlike freezing over a considerably long amount of time, running away from danger happens comparatively faster. Flight or running away is most likely response to be given by our limbic system because it’s matter of survival.

3) Fight (Defending): After judging a situation or approaching entity as potentially harmful and assuming that we should, can or have to defeat it; we unconsciously choose to prepare ourselves for launching an attack. We don’t keep ourselves away from physical space we share with it, its possible reach or attacking range of it.

Fighting or defending is a very tempting response especially to known or previously encountered situations, approaching or emerging entities, concepts, ideas or thoughts because have experience about results which came out of  previous encounters or engagements with them.

Unlike running away from the source of danger, launching an attack takes some time because one needs to decide an effective strategy, choose correct physical movements and pick appropriate weapons to defeat and overcome the source of danger.

4) Forfeit (Surrendering): When neither running away from nor fighting with seems to work in favor at all, we choose to surrender ourselves in the face of potentially harmful situations or entities. Very dramatic and rapid changes happen in our overall body posture.

We unconsciously choose to appear small, self-consoling, immobile and harmless. Also, we try to conceal and protect our most vulnerable body parts like neck, chest and ventral cavity i. e. abdominal area by arching our back and pulling our legs closer to body.

Passengers in Brace Position

Haven’t you ever heard about the brace position inside the airplanes? It’s always exercised during aircraft crash to save ourselves from physical injuries as much as possible. While aircraft is crashing, we know that only turning ourselves into a turtle could possibly save us from injuries cause by impact.

Also, time wasted during freeze response can be reduced by enhancing detecting and judging abilities e. g. a well-trained special force operator, martial artist, soldier or spy can launch attack on its opponent(s) or enemies much quickly than an ordinary person. James Bond pulls trigger far before his enemy does. Right?

I’m quite sure that many of us (including biologists, psychologists, behavioral researchers, body language experts, nonverbal communication experts and personals handling emergencies that involve people in trouble) simply confuse the forfeit response with the flight response which isn't right at all.

If you have same confusion at deeper level then please go through the aforementioned details again to know clear differences between the both. On the other hand, forfeit isn’t considered as one of basic responses because term ‘Fight-Flight-Freeze’ or simply ‘Flight or Fight’ was very popular among us.

Chasing and Running: Classical story of a cat and a mouse

Whenever I recall that brief incident, I truly appreciate these responses and also very ability to detect them in ourselves and others. If we would have failed to detect aggression in that monkey before choosing to fight over running away then fate of me and my wife would have been entirely different for sure.

Only ability of precisely detecting behavioral changes and nonverbal clues subjected with these four basic responses given by body can ensure better and harmonious results for individuals, groups and organizations that have to face and deal or interact with people and creatures on routine.

Not just specific people but we all have to do it day in and out. Isn’t it right? In our large and complex world, with people growing in numbers, detecting nonverbal and body language clues accurately and quickly is crucial and moreover - life changing.

Successful survival of my wife and myself was the result of a well thought-about tactical move. However, I would kindly suggest you to stay adventurous and exploring while maintaining caution and safety.

Related Articles:
1) Basic Emotional Expressions 2) Fear Factor 3) Just by looking at Hands and Eyes 4) The Body Seeking Comfort 5) Amygdala Hijack: Irrational Physical Reactions

Are you a 'flying' terrorist?

None of us could dream or imagine oneself being into a situation in which a small group of lunatics or extremists has took control of airplane and threatened to blow it in sky or crash it into an important installation. Terrorists and hijackers (skyjackers) have found their way into highflying and costly commuter planes only to make whole world pay serious and immediate attention at their outrageous demands.

They have done serious damage to global peace and mostly the innocent passengers have been put to death indiscriminately by them. After 9/11 attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon with the help of commercial airplanes by a group of religious extremists, airlines are under serious pressure. As passengers, we all need to remain alert, cautious and vigilant.

World Trade Center hit by two passenger airplanes

After recent major incidents, both airport security and passenger screening have been made stringent and strict throughout the world. There is no surprise to see a large and penetrating network of cameras, metal detectors and X-Ray scanner and body scanners setup along with vigilant and armed security personals and sniffer dogs on international airports which comb through passengers.

Developed countries in west like America or England takes or handles potential threats to civil aviation more seriously because considerable portion of population travels by air regularly in the both countries. However, to err is human so it’s no surprise that mistakes happen while scrutinizing passengers too.

We must know that our body unconsciously, involuntarily and continuously gives away clues beyond and without words to the outer world i. e. different kind of signals and clues originated from, caused by or related to different emotional, cognitive and physical states and conditions.

As most of us traditionally assume or are regularly told about, there are certain body language clues or hot-spots that can help us in spotting and catching (potential) liars, perpetrators, offenders and conspirators. Some experts who are or have became more confident over time came forward to catch terrorists with their ‘established’ techniques.

Airport security in America has come up with an integrated framework that helps in short listing potential terrorists moving along with other innocent and naïve passengers. However, there are major flaws in the same because the system hardly considers contexts behind the clues and cluster of signals being given away by passengers under scrutiny.

What if an innocent airliner passenger is arrested by security personals or officers based upon the check list they fill in while observing its so-called ‘suspicious body language’? Exactly this is what happens by most. Moreover, a few terrorists have successfully. Just don't forget to watch the below video.

The heavily funded Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program has been facing criticism and allegations from both passengers and experts alike since its inception back in year 2007. The list of body language signs or signals against which a trained Behavior Detection Officer (BDO) needs to look for matching inputs given away by passengers is immature or flawed.

Most of ‘suspicious’ signals selected by SPOT implementers are what an ordinary and innocent person would give away unconsciously in front of officers. What officers need to thoroughly observe and quickly understand is the context in which a particular expression is given away by a person under observation. Considering the amount of passengers, it's really touch to achieve.

Even if we assume that these signals are the true indicators of person having anti-social or harmful intentions towards others, the situation in which the person is giving them away is critically important. The passengers who are traveling at very first time to any international destination might give them away due to nervousness, anxiety and fear about flying in the first place.

In addition to the same, sniffer dogs, metal detectors, X-Ray scanners, presence of modern firing weapons, body touching by security personals, their serious faces and their suspicious stare could easily and surely add to existing nervousness, stress, irritation, frustration or anger of the passengers. These obvious clues could easily get misinterpreted by officers.

On the other hand, the sequences in which different suspicious clues, gestures and expressions are given away also need to be analyzed thoroughly. One passenger’s nonverbal interaction with other passenger in different contexts needs to pay a very close attention at. Also, there could be a huge cultural differences in expressions emotions on faces.

Few of the signals listed under SPOT

Signals like exaggerated yawning, rubbing or wringing of hands, gazing down, excessive throat clearing, widely open staring eyes, exaggerated or repetitive grooming gestures or whistling might definitely catch attention of anybody. So how much observing officers are interested in checking the reason behind these body language clues is pivotal.

Other experts have given a very valuable and critical suggestion against existing and not-so-successful SPOT program. They say that suspects should be thoroughly questioned and their nonverbal clues should be observed inside a closed room than just catching them based on the score in SPOT Referral Report hand filled by behavioral observer.

Above all, normal, empathetic and pro-social individuals wouldn't take guns and grenades in their hands to terrorize and harm others. Terrorists are deeply troubled individuals who are systematically brainwashed for extending certain political goals and ambitions through terrorizing people, authorities and governments.

Their body language clues and their intensity might be different than that of the normal, empathetic and pro-social individuals. Hence, scanning or screening people belonging to two drastically different personalities using the same checklist is an immature or irresponsible act by itself.

Failure of this ambitious program or system should be enough eye-opening for creators, designers, developers or implementers of similar programs which revolve around screening the potential criminals or offenders based upon their body language.

Related Articles:
1) Micro-expressions 2) Body Language Brain 3) Emotional expressions are manipulated 4) Observation is the key 5) Job Interview Tips 6) Analytical Interview: Are HR Professionals ready for it? 7) Inside Interrogation Room 8) Recognizing emotional expressions: Scientific viewpoints 9) Face of a liar(?) 10) It’s Written All Over You... 11) Entire body can’t lie 12) Body Language of Extreme Psychopath

Cultural connection with Gesturing

Rajnikanth: Tollywood Movie
Superstar and Icon

In January 2014, I moved from Pune (India) to Chennai (India) with my wife after choosing a new job from a local IT company. It was very first time of coming into direct contact with native south Indian population since I never traveled this part of the country ever before in my life at all.

I was really excited yet I felt a little bit nervous and challenged too because I didn’t know local language i. e. Tamil (classical one and 5th most spoken language in India), etiquette, mannerism and normal (or socially acceptable) nonverbal behavior before moving to Chennai.

Although I've few Tamil friends living in Pune, facing and interacting with same people in their own territory is very different because they tend to behave, act and express very culturally, naturally and comfortably. Also, some people might dominate, cheat and harass the strangers and visitors too.

Knowing the fact that gestures have different meanings and purposes in two different cultures, I started to investigate one particular hand gesture which I found completely different. I never saw people from any other cultures especially people from other parts of India making this gesture, in exactly the same way.

It’s a typical gesture that Tamil men and women make especially during face to face conversations. One of my colleagues turned close friend makes this gesture a lot of time during conversation so I could pick enough details about same from very close distance.

Questioning Gesture

How this gesture is made? One hand is stretched out, held above torso (upper body), thumb is kept jutting outside partially or fully, other fingers are clenched and finally this whole formation is abruptly shaken 2 or 3 times vertically at elbow. Through a stranger’s point of view, it appears as if a person, who makes this gesture, is trying to hold and shake something quickly by one hand.

I didn’t see my Tamil friends living in Pune (India) making this gesture. Has this gesture any strong connection with local population, culture and geography of Tamil Nadu (or South India) only?

I was very intrigued to observe this gesture at very first time because I really didn’t know that exactly why native Tamil people make this gesture. After few instances, I realized that a Tamil person makes this gesture only while asking (seriously) or emphasizing something.

Finally, true nonverbal purpose behind the gesture was disclosed. Even though I no longer find this gesture as an offensive or weird, as people from other cultures might assume it to be, investigating it further became necessary. Why and how this particular gesture might have evolved in the first place?

‘Shikhara’ gesture

To my surprise, I found that Bharatnatyam (भरतनाट्यम or பரதநாட்டியம் - a classical dance form of Tamil Nadu, India) dancers also use this gesture for exactly the same purpose - asking question or demanding answer in a symbolic way. In Bharatnatyam, this gesture is called as ‘Shikhara’ (शिखर/शिखरा or சிகர், Sanskrit word synonymous to ‘Peak (of a mountain)’) and it’s made in a slightly different way.

Unlike common way of gesturing, dancers don’t shake hand at elbow but just hold it stationary and raise their eyebrows significantly. Bharatnatyam might have adapted this gesture from native people’s nonverbal vocabulary and later modified it.

As per my own speculation, this gesture might have evolved out of a very normal yet an effectively threatening practice which ancestors might have developed. Perhaps, they might have become used to ask questions by holding a tool or weapon e. g. chopper, knife or stick to bring seriousness in conversation (Enough is enough! Now come to the point.). My own strong speculation is that it might be tightly related with agricultural/occupational background of Tamil community.

People carrying and using ARUVAL (a handy chopping tool or a large sickle with a long, thick and high carbon steel blade which is curved at its outer end) can be watched to shake their clenched fist over the tool (by jutting out thumb) same way during conversation to emphasize or put stress on something during face to face conversation.

Aruval: a tool and a weapon

Even today, we make many gestures in absence of same or similar kind of objects which our ancestors might have used to hold in or handle by their hands. One very good example is ‘beat you with stick’ gesture which is made by wagging an index finger in front of the person to be warned off.

Also, both thumbs up and thumbs down gestures are used to convey OK (Positive) or Not OK (Negative) respectively but they evolved in such a way that we can’t imagine in today’s context.

In ancient roman Colosseum, spectators used to send signals to winning gladiators for killing (Thumb Down) or letting go (Thumb Up) their loosing opponents. Thumb was representative of a sword so pointing it downward conveyed stabbing and pointing it upward conveyed keeping the weapon into non-harming upright position.

Not only cultural but historical, social, educational and genetic aspects also influence the way certain group of people gesticulates normally and unconsciously (during conversation). There can be many distinctive gestures people from different cultures might be making.

What all we need to do is to pick and analyze them in different contexts than jumping into misinterpretation or misjudging people who make them. So next time you watch any distinctive gesture, please check its cultural, social and geographical background first.

[Special Note: Mr. M. Kalyanaraman (Senior Assistant Editor) from the Chennai office of world's largest English daily Times of India contacted me to write an investigative write-up on the same subject. My article was published in the same on 9th June, 2014. Currently, the article doesn't exists anymore on the newspaper's website but you can find its image below (Click to zoom).]

Related Articles:
1) Words and Gestures are alike 2) Basic Gestures: Best Survival Tools for Travelers 3) Gestures: Are they learned or genetic?

Reading Body Language - Perceptual Bias

Are you reading right?

I can clearly recall one incident which would perfectly explain what I’m trying to put here in this article. This article is all about how an individual's own strong desire or unsettling urge can and does influence the individual's ability to interpret body language of others, especially those who are targeted, selected or chosen to fulfill the desire or urge.

At one fine afternoon, I went on a walk with some my friends and colleagues from my office team in Pune (India) after lunch. After covering some distance, we reached in a large and open public space as we did several times before. All of us sat on a bench except one special person. He stood right in front of us by resting his hands over his hips, ultimately making himself look bigger. Inside the office, he was my team leader.

I would like to mention here that he used to claim himself as a body language expert publicly, most of the time only in my presence and right on my face. It didn't stop there too. One day, he challenged me to interpret his body language in front of a few colleagues which I humbly denied, right on his face. Actually, he was alluring me into his trap, wanted me to go wrong anyway and make fun of me.

Well! Let's come back to the incident which ultimately resulted into this very article. While we were chatting among ourselves, a small group of boys and girls came there and all of them sat 50 to 60 feet away from us. What happened after that moment only added to my deep interest about the social readings out of unconscious desires.

Right from the moment the group arrived at the spot, a really good looking girl caught attention of the self-proclaimed body language expert. He started to look at her continuously and without batting his eyelids but she somehow didn’t realize about same. Apart of other girls in the group, she had dressed up very well indeed.

She sat 5 to 6 feet away from rest of her friends, only to talk with somebody else privately on her cell phone. This only added to excitement of the guy and perhaps few others too in our group, as most of them were unmarried and looking out for suitable partners. She kept talking on phone and he started looking at her only, almost continuously.

The girl on her cell phone

Just a couple of minutes passed and an unexpected event occurred. The so-called body language expert suddenly asked me a question, “What’s your interpretation of that girl’s body language?”. Without wasting a single moment, I answered to him, by saying, “She’s just busy in talking with someone in private. Other than that, she’s not conveying anything.”

It simply didn’t just end there and the whole incident took a new turn. Matter of fact is I was expecting the same derogatory comments from him at that moment when he was quite busy in looking at her continuously. Undoubtedly, he was enormously attracted at her beauty and wanted her to look at him in return.

The so-called body language expert tried to simply turn me down in front of others in our group, by saying, “Sachchidanand, you simply didn’t fulfill my expectations by answering this way. The girl is doing nothing but trying to grab attention (of him only?) by sitting away from her friends. What all she wants is to get attention (of him only?).”

Well! The guy indirectly conveyed his own desire or urge even when she never looked at anybody else other than her own group of friends. She wasn’t giving away any nonverbal clues of attention grabbing, grooming and/or flirting. She never looked at him and anybody in our group. She was just sitting there, glued to her cell phone and busy talking with somebody.

Like all others in our group, I was quite aware and experienced about sarcastic, jealous and derogatory commenting style of the guy. Definitely, he was quite skillful in reading people and has done some good social readings, according to my personal experience. However, his unconscious desire or urge took hold of his mind while reading her body language clues.

The only reason behind his wrong, incorrect or biased interpretation about the girl was his own desire or urge to attract her attention at himself as he couldn’t move towards an unfamiliar but nice looking and well-dressed girl. Not just with him only but this exactly happens with almost everybody, everywhere and quite frequently!

Subjective Perception

When our instincts, emotions, impulses, desires and urges are stronger than rational and logical thinking, we simply look at people and/or situations in false colors only. We unconscious try to convince ourselves or (openly) defend our own biased or individual-centric viewpoint(s) about the individuals we are looking at and/or the situations we are in.

We try to interpret people and/or situations on the basis of our own intentions, motives, emotions or desires that we harbor for/towards them. Very few of us can throw away, override or keep aside what we unconsciously need, want or expect from the individuals under observation. Only those are called as the real experts.

Moreover, an individual assumes that he/she is the only target or center of attention of the individual or a group of the people that he/she is looking at the moment. This frequently and widely prevalent psychological phenomenon, which I personally call it as Perceptual Bias for Unconsciously Desired Result (PBUDR). In other words, it can be shortly called as ‘Subjective Perception’.

We don't just misread or misinterpret facial expressions and body language of people but also appearances, placements, arrangements, sequencing and links among different objects and entities. Don't you really believe in what I'm saying? There are plenty of real life examples and there's a single best one to put here. Just take a simple test of yourself!

What you personally think after looking at this woman’s face? Does she look jealous, angry, bored or lustful/flirtatious? Without any doubt, your answer would reflect your own subjective perception or desire about her especially if you're a male seeking female attention.

Are these eyes jealous, angry, bored or lustful?

Just to mention here that this face has been included in a small quiz created by me. By clicking on this link, you can test your social reading skills and know your score. Go ahead with it!

Related Articles:
1) Hand Gestures 2) Facial Expressions 3) Postures 4) Para Language 5) Micro Expressions 6) Context 7) Proxemics 8) Congruence 9) Clusters 10) Challenges 11) Interpretation 12) Baseline 13) Observation is the key 14) Are you Jealous? (of me)