What Is Body Language?

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Being shot by gesture can arouse anger and fear, but does a symbolic shooting express an actual death wish?

Language relies on the motor system, and gestures show emerging ideas rather than finished thoughts.

In conversations, hand gestures can reveal a speaker's emotions and evoke strong responses in listeners.

Gestures that seem violent are transient flashes in emerging thought processes.

When I told a friend whom I'd voted for in 1980, she pointed her finger at my forehead and pulled an imaginary trigger. I’ve been killed symbolically before, playfully strangled by people who wrapped their hands around my neck and shook me a few times because they didn’t like something I’d done. Have you ever been murdered by gesture? How serious are the death wishes of people who kill by pantomime?

In most parts of the United States, pointing an actual gun at someone constitutes a crime, even if the gun isn't loaded. Because pointing weapons at people can make them fear for their lives, “brandishing” can qualify as a crime of assault. A finger representing a gun can’t hurt anyone physically, but emotionally, it can do powerful work. A murderous gesture can arouse anger and fear, maybe because it signals a desire to kill without making an actual threat.

People unfamiliar........

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