Take some time to become more aware of your habits while communicating. Do you often use hand gestures? If so, this actually says a lot about your personality!
If you walk into an Italian home, you will likely never see family members sitting silently or still. You will see people talking while using many different hand gestures. This can be interpreted as a method of displaying passion and Italians are often considered to be extremely passionate individuals. Research has found that people who use their hands to communicate are generally warm, agreeable and energetic! On the other hand, those who do not communicate with their hands are often less warm and more analytical.
According to a study that analyzed viral speakers on Ted Talks, the most effective and viral speakers used approximately 465 hand gestures. You may think, “So what do hand gestures have to do with effective speech?” Well, the effective speakers in this study used over twice as many hand gestures as the most ineffective speakers. When someone is speaking with hand gestures they appear to be more interesting and enthusiastic. They are simply more fun to listen to and people are drawn to them more.
So, the next time someone tells you that you talk with your hands too much, you can tell them that it actually says a lot of positive things about your personality!
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Main Image: Helena on Unsplash
