BodyLingual

Coronavirus is changing human behaviour. We are all becoming more aware of proxemics and are washing our hands more frequently. But another piece of advice is proving more difficult to follow: the warning ‘don’t touch your face’ is easier said than done.  Dr Sara Cody, Director of the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, said “Today, start working on not touching your face — because one main way viruses spread is when you touch your own mouth, nose, or eyes.” Within a minute, the health officer had licked a finger.  Many behaviours are performed automatically (unconsciously). Done thousands of times before, these actions have been passed to System 1, and this makes overriding them a conscious act. Take a look at HRH Prince Charles struggling to change a handshaking routine that’s become deep-set. He does, eventually, replace the handshake with a namaste gesture but for how long.      Most of our actions are performed beyond our awaren...

H Habitual behaviour Many behaviours have become habits. They may become part of a neutral baseline, a trait behaviour, or be the person’s ‘go to’ adaptor. Brains have many habitual pathways some of which result in damaging thinking. It’s easier to maintain habits (and pathways) than carve new ones, and our minds limit choices – for efficiency - making habitual behaviours and thoughts easily performed. Hair play This can be a self-comforter (pacifier), especially when raking nails through hair or pulling at it, but it may also signal flirting, as if to show the receiver ‘you could be doing this’ whilst also directing attention to the sender’s hair. Removed hair from a face, such as a hair flick, lets onlookers admire the face, another preliminary courtship signal, as too may be preening. Ruffling another’s hair is a teasing act often done by an older sibling. When ruffling their own hair, as Boris Johnson often does, the performed is saying ‘I’m your pal’ whilst it’s als...