Socio-economic Status

Survival, security, growth, health and reproduction of any living creature, animal or organism is dependent upon the resources available to it. (The only reason why you're able to read this article at the this very moment is the necessary resources available to you to do the same. Right?) Competition, struggle and fight for attaining and retaining the capabilities to acquire, control, retain, process and preserve the necessary resources is an ongoing hierarchical competition. It can silently and naturally take place between two or among many different human individuals, families, clans, groups, communities, ethnicity, countries and even the whole species of creatures.

Both cooperation and compromise exist in the whole world, as the core ingredient of peaceful cohabitation. However, competition or fight over resources is considered as the major driving force of biological evolution, bio-diversity and increased complexity. Climbing the tall ladder or pyramid of resource allocation hierarchy has been the one of the greatest pursuits of the mankind since the time unknown. Hidden nonverbal and behavioral indicators, messages, emblems, symbols and signs inside a socio-economic hierarchical structure are enormous.

Every position in the ladder is about the amount of power and capabilities one possesses to access, control, extract, acquire, accumulate, secure, process, preserve and consume resources which can be biological, non-biological, natural or artificial. Therefore, individuals, families, groups, clans and communities of higher class work less harder, consume more, spend more, (afford to) waste a plenty, find more time for amusement, (might) stay healthy longer and accumulate more over geographical area(s).

"Additionally, development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is most likely to create an entirely new geo-political hierarchy and socio-economic structures."

Public display, exhibition or show-off of the socio-economic status is very common across human societies since ages. There are many different ways, methods and mediums available to achieve the same. However, males are naturally motivated to display the higher socio-economic status in public with the symbolic cues or hints of their inheritance, belongings, capabilities, achievements and victories. Especially, display or exhibition of the higher socio-economic status by males seeking mate(s) or partner(s) is quite common in the presence of females.

Machines, factories and mass availability of resources in the market seem to have replaced the athletic capability, physical strength and muscular power with the financial prowess, at least in the techno-industrial world. In general, most women strategically prefer the strong socio-economic aspects of the males, in the modern techno-industrial societies. Through their body language and overall behavior, most females do convey their interest towards the males belonging to higher socio-economic status than their own.

Gone are the days when agile, robust, slender, athletic or muscular males used to hunt for food and fight for territory. Individuals with lower socio-economic status often try to imitate the individuals with higher socio-economic status by buying, owning, exhibiting and displaying low quality and cheap cloths, jewelry, artworks and artifacts which share external appearances with their high quality and costly counterparts. Fashion, food and lifestyle trends in the higher classes gradually permeates to lower classes.

Ancient Egyptian Social Pyramid/Hierarchy

Starting right from the clothing to the residential buildings, public display or exhibition of the socio-economic status is prevalent, cross-culturally, in almost every human society. The dialect or the choice of words, the overall mannerism and the kind of treatment/hospitality given to others is also part of public display or exhibition of the socio-economic status. Occupation of space around one's body and placement of one's body in the given social situation also speak loudly about the individual's socio-economic status, along with its family owned residential buildings.

In case of a family's house, factors like location, neighborhood, size, space, safety, security, amount, availability, affordability, rarity, creativity, variety, quality, quantity, hospitality, privacy and comfort nonverbally convey the socio-economic class of the family. Its size, amount of empty space around it, quality of material used for building and decorating it, amount of fortification, amount of safety and security measures, kind of availed facilities, amount and quality of furniture, amount and quality of upholstery and size of showcase are determinant factors.

Along with the same, types and number of transportation vehicles, kind of food (variety, quantity and quality), amount of food stored/preserved, number of aids and appliances, quality and quantity of clothes, number and quality of footwear, number and quality of body adornments, amount of private space reserved for every member, level of physical comfort, number of accumulated collectible items, number of pets etc. speak very clearly and loudly to others about socio-economic status of the individual family.

The interior of a house

Competition, struggle and fight for staying on and climbing steps of the food allocation hierarchy or pyramid can be easily observed in the kingdom animals and creatures too. Various members of the same species and various species of creatures strive for fitting or maintaining themselves at a certain position or rank in the long food chain. Similarly, it has been hardwired in the human male's brain to stay fit in the hierarchy. Also, most males do continuously fight for a better position than the current one.

Members from higher socio-economical class always try to control and dominate the members of the lower classes. Members of the lower socio-economical classes are structurally, methodologically and institutionally convinced, trained, tailored, educated, prepared, armed, styled, equipped and used by those from higher socio-economic status to serve their own best interests. Any higher class hardly makes any sacrifices whereas lower class is convinced and motivated to do the same.

If we closely study the entire human history then we'd realize that Male-dominant (patriarchal) tribes, families, clans, communities, societies, dynasties, deities, gods and religions existing almost all over the world is an outcome of the same hierarchical structure or the pyramid. Female-dominant and egalitarian tribes, families, clans, communities, societies, dynasties, deities, gods are very less in numbers.

However, unlike other creatures, a civilized, educated and technological human males (and females too) saliently do struggle and compete for achieving a higher level in more subtle and smart ways to ensure minimal (physical) hard-work, confrontations, clashes, combats, fights and harms. Their struggle includes education, status, economical growth, materialist possession, comfort, aesthetic attributes of their mates and opportunities for their children.

"The unification movements initiated in the resource deprived environments don't tolerate disobedience of 'heavenly instructions' that are drafted by politically ambitious human individuals only. They're symbolically, systematically and methodologically hard-coded inside the mind of population over generations. Also, the majority of martyrs belong to lower socio-economical classes only."

Males (and a few percent of females too) employ their power, energy, intellect and social rapport for gaining higher socio-economic status and climbing on economical ladder to seize more opportunities, acquire more resources, attract mates, pair with them, reproduce with them and also retain them.

They provide a wide pool of resources, more physical space, favorable environment, better security, good nutrition, medication, better chances of survival and better prospects to their children. Naturally, children do inherit the resources, possessions and socio-economic status from their own parents.

Ranks, positions, levels, order and 'the chain of command' do prevail within an single human family as well. Certain physical spaces, privileges, authorities, rights and decisions are (strictly) reserved to elders or more experienced individuals whereas other (younger) family members have to respect, obey, follow and listen to them.

In almost every culture and society, fighting with, challenging, quarreling or debating with older members of the family is considered an unconventional, a disrespectful, a punishable and/or a nonsensical act. It's highly prevalent in orthodox, conservative, large and joint families (especially those who run businesses, own huge area of land and possess a huge amount of wealth) than the modern, small, liberal, salaried ones.

Other non-confrontational way of getting at a higher position on the socio-economic ladder is to gain the kind of skills, aptitudes, knowledge, proficiency, efficiency and expertise which make a great difference in lives of many and solve their problems. Proper education, good guidance, creativity and higher (applied) knowledge generate practical inventions, innovations, ideas, tools, machines, products, formulae, methods and processes.

They help many of us in achieving higher socio-economic status, success, fame, popularity, fortune and prosperity with a far greater efficiency and speed in comparison to (physical) hard-work, confrontation, competition, clashes, combats and fights. Additionally, modern technology, transportation, tools and machinery have made it very easy for us than our ancestors.

Source: https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774e77417a4d32457a6333566d54/index.html

Especially, the resulting competition over the resources is extremely brutal where climate is very harsh, land is less fertile and resources are very less, very few in numbers, highly perishable, hard to access and/or their availability is uncertain. Members of the local communities fight and compete among themselves to control resources in the local environment. They do strictly control, preserve, protect and guard them with vigilance.

The constant threat of dying due to hostile environment, resource scarcity and inevitably fierce competition is deeply seated in the minds of the local people. The resulting insecurity lurks not just in their routine social behaviors but also in their world-views, literature, traditions, folktales, legends, rituals, songs, ideas and art. It deeply influences their legal, judicial, hierarchical and organizational frameworks.

In such environments, peacefully maintaining a large amount of population and support its further growth is next to impossible. Therefore, most of the people are systematically preached that 'Earthly living is full of sufferings only and Life is far better after death' through a cunningly developed ideology. Indirectly, it allows the few 'heavenly chosen' individuals to enjoy the abundance.

"In the recent decades, millions of critically thinking, truth-seeking, investigating and humanist people are continuously bombarding their serious questions on the religious scholars and preachers of supremacist ideologies, most of whom really don't at all care about the current existential crises, climate change, global warming, peaceful coexistence or even HUMANITY itself."

To perfectly align with the best interests of the members of higher socio-economical classes and especially the 'heavenly chosen' individuals, a control mechanism is devised that silences the questioners to maintain authority and punishes the rebels and critical thinkers. The massive amount of power is tightly maintained through the constant threat or terror of instant and harsher punishments.

The unification movements initiated in the resource deprived environments don't tolerate disobedience of 'heavenly instructions' that are drafted by politically ambitious human individuals only. They're symbolically, systematically and methodologically hard-coded inside the mind of population over generations. Also, the majority of martyrs belong to lower socio-economical classes only.

On the basis of fictional justifications and the so-called 'heavenly instructions', the fanatic, well-crafted and imperialist political movement tries to unite the followers. Millions of brain-washed, motivated, clueless, gullible and naïve fighters from lower socio-economic classes give-up their lives while securing the best interests of a few individuals from higher ones.

Supremacist Ideology = Resource Acquisition Strategy

The principles of all religions or religious movements that organize or unify people are almost identical. However, an underlying (geo-)political motivation (if any) of all religions or religious movements MAY NOT BE exactly the same at all. Without any logical, rational, organic, apolitical, biological and/or natural reasons; sub-humanization, dehumanization, demonization, devaluation or vilification of those who follow faiths, harbor beliefs and/or worship gods that are different from one's own faith, belief and/or god(s) is the first step towards acclamation of the (existential and/or moral) superiority over them.

A strategically invented and smartly perfected (geo-)political ideology can boldly claim that only a certain group of followers are superior to others and that's why they deserve to rule the entire globe. A (geo-)political ambition, wisely wrapped under the cover of a religion, can be founded on the exact same ideology with the sole purpose of the total global domination, by constantly maintaining the super-massive deception of originality, superiority, beingness and brilliance.

Actually, it can perfectly hide the grandest masterplan of acquiring the resources from remote/foreign lands, right behind the brilliantly shining mask of equality, salvation, heavenly rewards or the liberation from eternal Earthly agony. It's all about subjugating and/or indirectly terrorizing the people to surrender themselves and their possessions and/or achievements, willfully to 'the rightful rulers' or 'the rightful successors'.

"Although they're utterly illogical and unrealistic, vivid, alluring and extravagantly graphical descriptions of paradise and its promised pleasures overwhelm the poor, naïve, clueless, deprived and unquestioning people. So, it subconsciously motivates them to simply surrender their critical thinking and reasoning ability and follow the instructions to 'enter into paradise'."

Under the cunningly maintained cover of brotherhood and equality, the members belonging to lower socio-economical classes of the same group can be repeatedly preached by the ideological master-minds to 'sacrifice everything' for divine salvation and heavenly rewards. It's the most deceptive psychological trap, specially created for the poor, naïve, clueless, deprived and unquestioning followers.

Also, there's no surprise that the members of the lower socio-economical classes are encouraged to keep fighting with the followers of opposing or competing ideologies and if necessary - willfully sacrifice themselves in the '(eternal) holy war'. Actually, their 'religious sacrifice' or martyrdom automatically transfers the conquered resources to the members of the upper socio-economical classes.

Although they're utterly illogical and unrealistic, vivid, alluring and extravagantly graphical descriptions of paradise and its promised pleasures overwhelm the poor, naïve, clueless, deprived and unquestioning people. So, it subconsciously motivates them to simply surrender their critical thinking and reasoning ability and follow the instructions to 'enter into paradise'.

In the recent decades, millions of critically thinking, truth-seeking, investigating and humanist people are continuously bombarding their serious questions on the religious scholars and preachers of supremacist ideologies, most of whom really don't at all care about the current existential crises, climate change, global warming, peaceful coexistence or even HUMANITY itself.

Mars Colonization: The Red, Cold and Dusty Dream?

Technological Advancement, (Territorial) Domination, (Geo-)Political Movement, Supremacist Ideology, (Ethno-)Imperialism, Fundamentalism, Radicalization, Sectarianism, Colonization, Separatism, Subjugation, Narcissism, Exploration, Extremism, Expedition, Us-Theming, Hegemony, Nepotism, Migration, Invasion, Conquest, Tribalism, Slavery, Racism and Schism are directly or indirectly related to finding, acquiring, extracting, protecting, competing over and/or tightly controlling the resources (available in the given environment or geographical territory).

Any supremacist ideology is an elaborate psychological strategy to claim the dominance over others. Its sole aim is to directly or indirectly claim over the massive amount of resources, while strategically depriving others of them. It all comes down to subjugating or dominating those don't belong to a supremacist movement, community, society, lobby, group, tribe, cult or club. Surprisingly, members of no other species of creature on Earth might have done the same to remaining members of their own species.

Exactly opposite to the natural, biological or organic competition, ongoing geo-political cold-wars among the different radical, extremist, supremacist and/or reductionistic ideologies are further intensifying the natural, biological or organic competition over the remaining resources. Along with rapidly changing climate, global social unrest is on rise. It is deeply rooted in the degrading, polluting and depleting resources.

"On the basis of fictional justifications and the so-called 'heavenly instructions', the fanatic, well-crafted and imperialist political movement tries to unite the followers. Millions of brain-washed, motivated, clueless, gullible and naïve fighters from lower socio-economic classes give-up their lives while securing the best interests of a few individuals from higher ones."

Additionally, development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is most likely to create an entirely new geo-political hierarchy and socio-economic structures. However, massive Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers are consuming a large amount of fresh, potable or drinking water at present for cooling purpose while its scarcity is growing day by day.

Visionaries, psychics, foreseers, futurists, scientists, thinkers and experts have been warning us about the exact same crisis, since many decades or centuries. While walking on the exact same path of unsustainable development, some of us already chosen to find the Earth-like habitable and resource-rich planets.

After tipping off the ecological balance through the uncontrolled consumption of Earth's natural resources, we've ventured in the outer space for continuing to survive beyond Earth. Without any doubt, the 'extraterrestrial competition' has already begun.

Extraterrestrial (ET) Aliens invading planet Earth
only for acquiring the available resources
isn't a fictional threat anymore at all.

[ #Ultimate Clarification: This whole article doesn't at all glorify, justify, promote, support or advocate the aforementioned hierarchical structures, manipulation technics, deception tactics, political practices, historical facts, observations, strategies and patterns. ]

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Cabin of Chief

The Great King Shivaji

Gone are the days when knights, kings, queens, emperors and empresses used to rule over their provinces, territories, kingdoms and empires from their forts, citadels and castles, just a few centuries ago. Tribal chiefs and leaders used to control, govern and guide their subjects or civilians in the prehistoric time in the exact same ways.

They all used to occupy a physical space inside court or durbar (Persian word for courtroom) that was slightly elevated above the ground and surrounded by enclosures or guarded by armed soldiers. Without adequate and well-equipped security around them, thrones were easy targets due to their particular position inside court or durbar.

They used to seat on specially crafted, decorated and adorned thrones or chairs exhibiting their sovereignty, superiority, competency, fertility, potency, prowess and rich ancestral inheritance. Thrones or chairs and protected areas surrounding them were like the sanctuaries in which only a single individual can enter, stay and watch over the all others.

Today’s organizations, enterprises, trade houses, industries or institutions are more or less like ancient territorial kingdoms that are founded on certain set of principles, ambitions and goals. They start small but expand to a large no. of clients and operate on a vast geographical areas beyond boundaries. Modern chiefs, bosses, executives and managers have turned throne and its surroundings into miniaturized form like personal cabins or offices.

Anyone can easily find the great difference between their cabins and the rest of the employees occupying the same workplaces. You would hardly find any personal cabin or office close to entrance or gathering point to make it hard to access for others and avoid easy intrusion or trespassing. Their cabins are exactly like the protected, surrounded or well guarded thrones from the historical and ancient era.

Today’s personal cabins or offices are guarded by peons or armed personals at their entrances. On single floor workplace, chief’s cabin or office often stands in the center or at the edge. If workplace occupies multi-stored building or multiple adjacent buildings, special care is taken to erect personal cabin or office with special security, facilities and amenities on topmost floors or in an isolated building.

The most important things observable in chief’s cabin or office is a clock hanging on wall or kept on table, visible to all. Obviously, clock reminds other the timeliness and to honor precious time being spent by the chief. Mostly, rectangular table is kept to create a secure space between chief and other individuals.

Various objects like pen stands, file racks, flags, emblems, miniatures, motifs, mascots, statues, flower pots, table lamps, diaries, computers, laptops and telephones or cell-phones kept on the table to mark territorial boundary of chief hence intrusion and utilization of it by other is strictly prohibited. Only personal assistants, officials of equal or higher ranks are allowed to enter and utilize this territory by formal or informal permission of chief.

Windows are left into the surrounding walls to mimic an enlarged physical space, facilitate more natural illumination and allow looking outside. Curtains made up of rich fabric are installed on windows. Walls are adorned by precious gifts, antiquates, masks, vintage artifacts, crafts and paintings to exhibit the status.

The revolving globe or a large world map signifies the expanse of vision and ambition. Certificates, medals, trophies, testimonies and photographs with individuals silently show off accreditation, excellence, competencies, achievements and capabilities. They establish and enforce the status.

Photographs depicting chief along with other pioneers, dignitaries, celebrities and high ranking personals are also kept to convey strong rapport. Often, books are kept in shelf to demonstrate eligibility and access to knowledge and are used for quick reference whenever required. Costly furniture brings the an overall effect of majestic surrounding.

The chair handpicked for the chief is taller, bigger, more comfortable and pricey compared to sitting arrangement made for others. Chair with rotary axle, push-back, elevated back support and head cushion help chief to appear as strong, secured, relax, focused and confident.

The chair is placed facing its back towards fixed partition or wall to add security same way thrones were kept inside court or durbar. Often, sitting arrangement for other faces its back to door of cabin or office so that they could made their exit quickly and easily.

Other individuals are usually allowed sitting on ordinary benches and chairs with smaller resting surfaces, low in height, fixed backs and stationary axle to put them on the edge of comfort, coziness and confidence level, ultimately to neutralize their defensiveness.

Other individuals greet, engage in hand-shakes, offer or receive gifts, discuss and give presentations by sitting or standing at one side of the table. Only in inevitable or special situations, personal space of chief is invaded around the table.

Oval Office of the president of the United States of America

In many cabins or offices, a sofa is kept on which chief can seat with officials of an equal or higher rankings, parties, consultants, invited guests or field experts and openly discuss or share view points and establish trust.

Glass panels are installed to allow watching entire workspace and the people working and moving outside. Often glasses are tinted dark, allowed boss to look outside but not allowing others to know what's happening inside.

There can be some exceptions to or variations in modern cabins or offices, depending upon type of gender of the boss, geography, industry, organization, working conditions, work culture etc.

Materialistic aspects and features of a cabin can be called as secondary body language of the persons who owns it.

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Conscious shift in body language

Modern generations are becoming more and more dependent on verbal and written modes of communication. Most of us can’t go beyond the words and understand what is really being exchanged under their cover. Moreover, we are lacking attention which we should duly pay while interacting with others in real time.

Electronic gadgetry is becoming more famous day by day but some of you might have heard about recent inventions of mind reading devices. However, it’s not surprising that each of us has such built-in mind reading device; it's our subconscious mind itself.

Our subconscious mind continuously investigates world around us. It’s the system which evolved to protect ourselves from all possible dangers, challenges and threats to our very existence. Not only threats are predominantly examined but opportunities that increase the chances of our survival are also exploited. Communication is the one way we try to achieve it.

Effective communication is not only letting others know about your our thoughts, ideas, opinions and feelings but understanding others more accurately. How well we reciprocate with others decides what we can achieve together.

Human brain’s large size compared to primates is what separated us from them on the path of evolution. Human evolution was not only driven by course of nature but by the steps our ancestors took towards development.

Most of us think that knowing about body language is like getting an access into others' subconscious mind but that’s not the sole purpose of it at all. More you know about yourself, better you could communicate with others and avoid the circumstances or situations you don’t want. For the same, we need to monitor our thoughts consciously and let them express more effectively so they manifest the way we want.

We need to take initiatives ourselves to improvise the patterns of communication, let them be nonverbal or verbal both. Physical exercise empowers, improves immunity, adds energy, and brings liveliness and self-worth. Same way, shifting body language also affects the way others perceive you and respond.

Standing and parading confidently shifts hormonal secretion as well and brings sense of self-control or using gestures reasonably makes conversations interesting or friendly gaze and smile makes other feel better about you for example.

Let’s take an example of one of the etiquette we all follow in social life. We greet others on our own to let them feel comfortable and friendly with us and we get alike responses from other in return almost unmistakenly.

Watch this very interesting TED presentation delivered by Dr. Amy Cuddy about her own study conducted about the dramatic hormonal secretion after conscious shift in body language.

Our own reactions and actions have brought what we are currently. Today's reactions and actions affect our future too. Each of us has potential to revolutionize life and we got to believe it.

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Like attracts Like

In daily life, most of us would prefer to situations or conditions which are favorable and parallel with our best interests. Very few of us willfully struggle with adverse and anomalous things on constantly basis. It’s natural tendency to gravitate in safer environments and circumstances as soon as possible because we have to spend less energy and labors.

We unconsciously try to multiply survival opportunities by doing same. Small variations are unconsciously perceived as nuisance or an immediate threat to our existence. Same rule applies to the persons we try to attract or get attracted to at an unconscious level.

Generally, we tend to avoid differences and so persons who are difficult to handle or easily co-relate with. We feel comfortable to connect and interact with others having similar kind of behavior, habit, communication patterns, beliefs, ideas, ideologies and interests irrespective of geography, language, gender, race, and ethnicity they belong to. Even though we may get attracted to or influenced by persons of dissimilar nature, it's a short lasting tenure most of time.

Take an example of healthy partnership or deep friendship. These relationships survive and flourish when peers have quite similar personality traits, feelings, and dispositions (though having different skill sets, levels of energy, and competencies) or they consciously manage to match or complement with each other. Happy marriages or romantic relations walk on same way.

This is quite evident in outside world that two persons with similar natures or psychological characters get attracted towards each other and stay together over a long time - let them be enthusiastic, depressed, unhappy, socially outgoing, jealous, confident, adventurous, charismatic, submissive or even pathetic.

Similarities offer two person greater advantage in most situations and over a long time. We wants to stay with people with alike nature because we've to spend less time and energy to match or compromise with unconscious survival plans that are different than our own.

When it comes to self-esteem or body image, law of attraction works even stronger than usual. A person perceiving itself as less attractive or appealing (despite of what others think about him/her) remain more comfortable over a long time with others with negative body image and vice a verse.

Promisingly, change in mindset or the communication pattern can change kind of union you could stay in. So it’s your own choice to attract or get attracted towards the kind of people who resonate with your true nature and emotional character.

When two or many like minded persons are attracted to each other then subconsciously mimicking, copying each other's body language or synchronizing body movements can alo be clearly seen. It's one of the most magical phenomena in body language.

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Importance of Eyes

When it comes to talking about body language, eyes are given an enourmous importance. Looking at eyes and looking into eyes of each other is subconscious and it starts from early childhood when a mother and a child are locked into an intimate eye contact. Eyes and their movements are controlled by the most primitive parts of our brain so they don't miss to convey an array of emotions, feelings, intentions and moods.

It’s undoubtedly true that Eyes are the windows of the soul. Romantic poets, photographers, painters, classical dancers and artists have a lot more to mull over them than the rest of us. Without eyes on the face, we can hardly imagine about communicating with the outer world in the first place. Matter of fact is that eyes start taking shape before any others facial features in fetal stage.

Eyes not only collect an enormous amount of visual information from outside world but also express emotions, intentions, motives, feelings and cognitive states. Biological construction of eyes is way more complex in comparison to some parts of human brain itself. Eyes are crucial sensory organs for every creature that got evolved with it and almost every creature on earth have eyes.

Looking at each other is an inevitable part of every face-to-face confrontation and communication. Basically, looking at the other person or looking at each other can be anything like attracting, getting attracted, sympathizing, respecting, surrendering, dominating, threatening, interrogating, invoking, attacking, stopping or permitting to enter into private space depending upon facial expressions, neck position, gestures and postures.

Even if two persons are not looking at each other directly or into each others' eyes, batting of eyelids by them clearly signifies they both have noticed presence of each other through their peripheral (secondary) vision. Also, batting an eyelid once or in a few repetitions is an unconscious expression or reaction out of fear, submission, insecurity or respect towards a (complete) stranger or a known person.

Especially, an elongated and direct eye contact exchanged by two different individuals sparks the neural pathway that triggers the primitive defense mechanism and it prepares our whole body for an emergency. We have to decide either to approach/face or back off from the person who is directly looking at us or into our eyes with some kind of motive, intention or drive.

Generally, we avoid long lasting gaze at strangers to avoid aggression or reprisal from them since they are not fully aware with our nature, intentions or motives until getting acquainted. However, looking directly at something or somebody (with completely expressionless face and without batting eyelids) over a long time indirectly suggests that something is really troubling internally or externally.

In very close and intimate relationships, considerably longer, comfortable and frequent eye contact is the key for retaining mutual interest, sympathy, confidence and trust. In the initials stages of courtship, only eye contact regulates the direction, pace and progress of relationship formation. Unlike apparent and easily detectable hand gestures, eyes can send signals to indented receivers without being noticed by others.

We commonly experience that a steady gaze with non-threatening facing expressions like smile, (slightly) titled neck and slightly raised eyebrows with wide open eyes for a second or so is an irresistibly interest invoking facial gesture. Also, this gesture can be easily sensed or detected from a few feet away. Smile makes this entire gesture threat-free.

This is a genetically hardwired social ritual for letting others feel secure, safe and comfortable while confronting face-to-face or sighting alongside. However, an accidental short lasting gaze or glance should not be considered as signal of attraction or hostility. Actually, facial expressions and especially eyebrows give the clear clue.

Bedroom eyes or dilated pupils and Beady eyes or contracted pupils are wisely capitalized by commercial advertisers. Pupils get automatically dilated when subconscious mind (limbic brain) finds someone or something worth interesting, appealing, agreeable or attractive. Pupils get contracted when aggression, anger, disinterest and hostility takes control of our minds.

Physiologically, pupil dilation is also subjected to amount of light it receives at any given moment. Pupils dilate in darkness whereas they contract in bright light. However, candle light dinner is an illusionary effort to induce attraction or affection since pupils automatically dilate receiving low light.

Our brains are hardwired to get attracted to a person (especially of an opposite gender) with the dilated pupils. That's the very reason why the restaurant and coffee shop owners purposefully create and reserve low illuminated areas for couples for helping in inducing arousal and romantic feelings in them during the time spent by paying for the private physical space.

Gaze held at the line of sight and comfortably meeting with others' eyes symbolizes social, confident, friendly and open approach whereas gaze hovering on face or other body parts below it convey reserved, aggressive, awkward and intimate feelings. Unsteady gaze and eye contact might be subjected to mental instability, uncertainty or inability to regulate emotions.

3 Types of Directed Gaze

Women are more comfortable with considerably the direct, prolonged and steady eye contact since they are more sympathetic, social and diplomatic. They seek trust, confidence in and assurance from others. Men's nervousness or lack of confidence in meeting the eyes with the women might generate feelings of insecurity, distrust and uncertainty in the women.

Unlike the women, most men like their male counterparts from most of the other animal species are guardians of their own geographical territories and also they follow social hierarchy. Hence they mostly avoid direct, prolonged and steady eye contact until it’s a friendly encounter with other men or a flirtatious encounter with the women.

During a conversation, avoiding an eye contact (with the person who speaks) shows aversion, disagreement, withdrawal, lack of attention or even disrespect. Moderately dropped and averted gaze can be attributed to submissiveness, disappointment, doubtfulness, disagreement and lack of confidence, low self-esteem or depression.

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Words and Gestures are alike

Evolution has given human race the gift of bipedal anatomy (ability to walk on two legs) and ultimately two hands free to perform many tasks. Same aspect separates us from other species of creatures on the way of intellectual, technological, social, strategic and communicational development.

While talking, speaking, delivering speech, communicating and interacting face to face; we can control the flow of verbal output, emphasize, draw attention at, divert to, mimic, assert, confirm, clarify, signify or demonstrate/represent something by our arms, palms and fingers.

Apart of spoken words, gestures, signs and symbols generated by hands play a very significant role in communication to make it more visually acknowledgeable, clear, firm and interesting. Brain is more attuned to pick, process and store visual clues than words because our eyes receive almost 80 % of the total information from outside world. Hand gestures provide a 'helping hand' in understanding the information in a quicker and better way.

Gesticulating by hands, making hand gestures, gesticulation or gesturing is critically important part of human body language. In some cultures, making too many hand gestures, too frequent hand gestures or too bold hand gestures is strictly prohibited or frowned upon e. g. Southern India especially Tamilnadu. In other cultures, it has been accepted, adored and even institutionalized.

It's a quite shocking fact to know is that some people can't communicate without gesturing. For example, it’s proverbial truth that you can make Italian man silent just by tying his hands on his back. You can watch an interesting video that explains origin and meaning of different Italian gestures. Many of these gestures are global. Nice work by Mr. Carlo Italo Aurucci!

Moreover, words and especially symbolic gestures are alike. According to recent study done by fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanning of brain, words and gestures are processed by same areas inside it. Development of sign or code languages for verbally disabled people is very good example of adherence of verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication.

Gestures are also highly important while learning or teaching foreign languages, complex ideas, concepts, mechanisms, views or theories. It has been found that a person making or mimicking gestures is more likely to understand complex ideas and concepts and can learn new skills faster than a person who doesn't.

Intel's new gesture recognition technology allows you to control devices by making simple hand gestures like turning knob by fingers to increase or decrease the volume of your TV or waving a palm to receive an incoming phone call on your cell phone. It's like converting hand gestures into verbal orders.

Discovering and meeting enormous potential of gesture recognition and their interaction with various objects has been transformed into SixthSense Technology by a young Indian scientist Dr. Pranav Mistry working at MIT Media Lab (Massachusetts, USA). It's definitely going to change the world in near future or already has.

[Mr. Carlo Italo Aurucci is a retired construction professional who has published several videos on Italian Sign Language and gestures on YouTube. Don't forget to watch them.]

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Body Language of Poor Body Image

BODY IMAGE is a person's own thoughts, feelings and evaluation of its own body, specifically attributed to aesthetics and attractiveness. In fact, most of us are quite good in size and shape which are strictly adhered with our genetically predisposed features and inherited physical aspects. We are not mass produced and processed in large factories by machines. We mostly get what our parents, grand-parents and genetic lineage give to us, along with a few mutations.

However, most of us frequently, unnecessarily, compulsively and obsessively compare themselves with some contemporary and widely advertised standards of physical beauty which are entirely based upon a few fashion models, actors, actresses, athletes and celebrities who entirely don't represent the diversity of the entire human population. Most surprisingly, most of them too suffer from poor body image, negative body image or bad body image. It's not prevalent in so-called average and/or below-average looking individuals only.

As per observations, the individuals who are regarded as more beautiful and attractive than averagely looking people also suffer from negative body image. You might have heard about some of the very famous and popular female celebrities, models and actresses sliding into depression due to negative or depreciated body image. Some of them openly speak about the same while others don't. That's it!

Body image also corresponds to self-worth and self-esteem. How worthy you feel about and value yourself affects the way you behave with yourself and communicate with others. While choosing, attracting and retaining a partner in a romantic, committed or marital relationship; an individual's body image strongly dictates its biases, preferences, orientations and choices. However, issues originated from negative body images are denied, suppressed and ignored altogether.

Obsession to meet hypothetical beauty standards imposed by others leads to physical and psychological disorders that are very difficult to cure. Negative body image can lead to marital, physical and sexual dissatisfaction too. Also, two partners with dissimilar body images might drift apart due to predictive complexes they develop about themselves.

Dissimilar body images is the source of many problems.

We simply can’t deny the crucial importance of body image with respect to the ways we approach, communicate, complement, reciprocate, respond to, behave and express both nonverbally and verbally with others, especially the members of the opposite gender, including existing or potential partners in short or long term relations.

It has been widely observed by researchers, psychologists, psychotherapists and counselors that persons suffering with negative body image ('bad body syndrome') avoid spontaneous social interactions as much as possible due to lowered or complete lack of self-respect. Also, it's more common in youngsters going through or following puberty.

Following are of the some combined body language and behavioral clues of individuals suffering from moderate to severe negative body image:

1) They smile very rarely, laugh hardly, walk slowly and appear psychologically occupied, lacking energy and under-confident. They appear depressed, derailed, lost and lacking enthusiasm.

2) They mostly prefer good looks over performance, purpose, functioning, design and utility. They try to feel the deep inner void of negative body image with good looking things.

3) They seat with arched back and maintain downward gaze mostly. They use excessive grooming gestures and try to seek attention of others towards themselves.

4) They copy others blindly with the hope of matching their social and approval status. They remain eager to hear from others the kind of things which enhances their self-worth.

5) They get nervous very quickly and ruminate a lot. They adapt defensive or withdrawal postures most of time. They engage themselves in petty tasks for a long time.

6) They pass sarcastic, jealous or derogatory comments in the absence of a individual whom they suppose to be more beautiful and good looking than themselves.

7) They pass immature, illogical and offensive comments to the individuals from their own families about their physical attributes which they perceive as negative.

8) They refrain themselves from exposures, interactions, open discussions or debates. They avoid direct eye contact. They don’t take initiatives by themselves.

9) Generally, they stay closer with others who suffer with negative body image. They feel paralyzed when they are isolated from such individuals or their group(s).

10) They buy different cosmetic products, cloths and accessories in a huge amount in attempt to enhance their exteriors to compensate the lack of self-worth.

11) They may express jealousy towards individuals (irrespective of gender, age and looks) having positive body image and confidence. They keep them away.

12) They frequently peep into mirrors and try different attires that don't match or suit with their present social or professional profile, image, designation or status.

13) They may also impulsively defend to somebody commenting on their appearance even if it’s a gag or a joke because they feel very pity about themselves.

14) They assume themselves as incapable, incompetent, unfit and unworthy in giving their best, trying to or even initiating something on their own.

15) They tend to develop harmful eating disorders which are widely known as Bulimia and Anorexia.

Most women suffer from negative body image world over and there are very strong reasons behind the same. By most, women are appreciated, valued, accepted and rewarded entirely on the basis of attractiveness, physical beauty, good looks and skin color in the male-dominant environments, economies, societies, communities and families. Hence most women focus on their exteriors more than knowledge, personality, thoughts, opinions, aspirations, virtues, skills, qualities, strengths, talents, health, nutrition, well-being, fitness and performability.

Exposure leads to comparison, insecurity and urge of acceptance.

Especially after World War II and industrial revolution, wide-spread education and socio-economical transformations availed opportunity to millions of women for working in offices, factories and stores. Facing, interacting, traveling, talking and coming in close contact with each other in a large number and on a wider (geographical) scale made women more conscious and anxious about physical beauty and competitive over the same than ever before. Print and electronic media intensified it.

Modern world's commercial movies, television, social media, advertisement, modelling, fashion industry and pornograhy massively materialize female (and even male) physical beauty. It began propagating and establishing the illusionary standards and measurements that women started to chase desperately. Feeling about lack of control, insecurity and economical freedom fueled it ultimately.

"Global multi-billion hike in cosmetic product sale, botox injections, medications and therapies is nothing but the strongest indication of modern women's degrading body image due to massive media exposure."

Following pregnancy, most women develop negative body image due to sudden change in their body shape, size and weight. Lack of personal care, lack of exercise, poor nutrition and partner's shifted focus could make it worse.

Many women might choose very weird, unusual or illogical strategies, ways, tools and methods to re-evaluate their self-worth, re-establish self-respect and re-gain confidence which are not easily, seriously and duly felt, understood, acknowledged, sensed, recognized, accepted, respected or reciprocated by most of their own male partners (in committed relationships).

How much you respect and love your own body?

If their male partners have focused their entire attention towards their (newborn) babies and/or work, some (working) women suffering from negative body image after pregnancy might start unconsciously and dramatically expressing their unsettling urge of re-evaluating re-establishing self-respect and re-gaining confidence in front of outsiders, neighbors, colleagues or friends. It could ultimately lead to (emotional) attachment, flirting and affair with those who attend, accompany, affectionate, listen, appreciate, sympathize, respect and reciprocate.

"Images created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) of individuals with 'perfect looking body' could further worsen the lives of millions of people who are already suffering from poor body image."

Both men and women can and do inherit negative body image from their parents. Those who inherit them don't realize that their parents were suffering from negative body image in the first place. Also, their preferences for and expectation in marital partners are dictated by their own parent's hidden, suppressed and unfulfilled wishes.

The only way to overcome negative body image is to accept your inheritance, respect your body, keep it more functional, adapt healthy practices and become as asset of society. Equating healthiness, well-being, fitness and performability with beauty should be kept in mind because such equation lasts longer. Don’t compare your physical features with others at all. Respect diversity and identify your uniqueness.

Bringing down your social media time greatly would be the best first step in getting rid of negative body image. Try to realize what your body is truly capable of doing and performing other than appearing (in front of others) because you are not a mannequin, a doll or a puppet.

The individuals acutely suffering from negative body image for a prolonged period of time should approach counselors or psychotherapists as early as possible. Don't waste your precious life!

Rapidly spreading virus of poor body image, negative body image or bad body image is a silent global pandemic.

[Additional Note: Besides poor body image, negative body image or bad body image, another mental health issue related with external appearance of own body is known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

If an individual is suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, appearance of the individual's body negatively affects the ability to live and behave normally. The individual want to fix the issues.]

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Let your spirit soar higher

Even though we don’t pay much conscious attention, body language definitely speaks louder than words. This phenomenon is exactly like looking at illuminated bulb without being able to touch, taste or smell an electricity. Body language is the dialect of the subconscious mind. It’s the true and fundamental universal language which none of the living biological creatures can communicate without.

How you dress, walk, move, stand, maintain interpersonal distance, lean, orient, seat, postulate, gesticulate, touch, pronounce words, glance, gaze and express facially helps building your image in minds of others and the same image is reflected through their behavior or treatment for you.

In personal, social or professional life, positive attitude is the most important. Positivity always attracts positivity. Simply, it’s a law of nature. You treat others in positive, respectful and harmonious way; you get same kind of treatment in return. Take an example of a smile. When you smile impulsively or intentionally, it makes others smile and helps soothe tense environment.

Having the positive attitude means to be open, humble, confident, comfortable, favorable, approachable, welcoming, showing interest, respecting, complementing and persuading towards others in an appropriate way without intrusion, manipulation, intimidation and domination.

Moreover, showing positive attitude is not the salesman’s domain. It’s not at all about making smiley face, sharing funny jokes and trying to make everyone feel happy all the time. Reasonable and constructive defense is also required whenever necessary.

If you closely observe all great, respected and most loved leaders and individuals who influence our minds, thoughts and lives ultimately then you may find how their positive thoughts, attitude, energy and spirit manifest both verbally and nonverbally.

Developing, possessing and expressing positive attitude is simple but only when you are mentally prepared for same. It’s very crucial to look at yourself exactly the way you want to get treated by others. For the same, you need to believe in yourself and need to be confident. Most people would assume about you what exactly want you let them to assume.

Not comparing yourself at all with others, valuing your existence, not underestimating strengths, finding a purpose in life, identifying your virtues - skills - competencies, remaining determined - focused - goal oriented and respecting diversity would bring emotional stability, peace of mind, harmony and cognitive precision.

More you feel better about yourself; more you become healthy, immune and charming. Don’t curb your ultimate potentials, don’t put down your spirit and let it soar higher. Let it be promise to yourself for lifetime. Let each venture make you feel more and more fulfilling with positive attitude towards yourself other.

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Secret of metropolitan nervousness

I'm quite sure that you could easily spot the difference among rural, sub-urban and metropolitan people just by looking at their body language. Rural and sub-urban people appear more open, friendly, stress-free, touch-friendly and more expressive as compared to metropolitan population. Also, their body language is apparently a little bit different from each other.

Metropolitan people appear more shrunk, tense, nervous or expressing no emotions on their faces while traveling, shopping, standing in queues, riding in elevators, walking and driving on roads. When they're outside of their cities, they appear quite differently. The very secret behind this seemingly 'weird and unsocial' behavior of metropolitan citizens has to do with amount of space each person shares with others over a territory.

Every living creature needs a certain amount of physical space for fundamental necessities like sheltering, resting, feeding and breeding. Members of some species mark and aggressively defend their territories like the way they compete during their mating seasons. More the intrusion in their territories by strangers or rivals; more there are tensions, conflicts, battles, bruises and killings.

In rural and sub-urban areas or small settlements, there are very less chances of intrusion or trespassing of personal and intimate zones by (complete) strangers. Also, every person has more geographical area around itself. In rural and sub-urban areas, almost everybody is familiar with each other people are adapt in handling intrusion or trespassing in more friendlier and social ways.

It has been observed that a large no. of animals forcefully packed in limited geographical areas are more susceptible to anxiety, violent breakout, abnormal behavior, psychological disorders, infections, diseases and deaths ultimately. Despite of being advanced species, humans are not excused of this rule. We also struggle to maintain comfortable and safe interpersonal distance with others, especially with (complete) strangers.

Basically, there are only reasons to invade personal and intimate zones i. e. either to attack and harm somebody or to get intimate with somebody. Hence, lesser the physical distance remains between any two individuals, more both of them expect non-offense, courtesy and carefulness. Otherwise, they try to fight or run away (flight) for their own safety. More unfamiliar individuals gather in a space by keeping less physical distance among each-other, more peaceful, cooperative and non-confrontational behavior they expect.

In comparison to the smaller settlements, more strangers trespass or accidentally come closer to each other very frequently, at different places and at several occasions in large cities. Expressing yourself openly, loudly and spontaneously to someone you are not familiar with is likely a provocation and intrusion of its personal space by itself.

A completely strange individual (irrespective of the gender) who is gesticulating, talking loudly, laughing, sharing jokes, touching, fidgeting, making aggressive body movements, exhibiting intimacy and expressing emotions on its face uncontrollably in front of a few random individuals would make them feel invaded, offended or attacked unconsciously.

During such unavoidable situations, we share our personal and intimate zones with others on an unspoken agreement. When two strangers invade or share their personal and intimate zones with each other by keeping very less distance between themselves; they tend to appear idle, inexpressive and most possibly - motionless to avoid appearing provocative or disturbing to one other.

This adaptation assures less uneasiness, stress or conflict and let space sharing individuals to perform different tasks peacefully while staying closer for a certain period of time. This adaptation assures less conflicts and let all commuters and travelers to reach their destinations peacefully.

Metropolitan public transport system is evident to any observer. Most people simply divert their attention from others by mimicking sleep, reading newspapers - books - magazines, listening songs, eating, looking at sealing - flooring or looking out through windows.

There's a good solution to break the icy cold environment inside commuter buses and trains. Forming a small friendship group with regular commuters helps most of us in mitigating (unconscious) threat of being looted, harassed, provoked or harmed by strangers.

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