The direction, duration and movement of the eyes as a person looks toward or away from another.
A speaker holds steady eye contact while making a key point, then glances away as the thought softens. The movement of the eyes tracks the flow of the idea, settling on you when conviction is strongest.
Steady comfortable gaze suggests engagement, while frequent breaks may suggest discomfort, thought or deference. Watch the pattern over time rather than any single glance, since people look away naturally while thinking.
Gaze norms vary widely between cultures, so what reads as confidence in one place may read as rudeness in another. A learner from a culture that lowers the eyes to show respect is not being evasive.
A true smile that engages both the mouth and the muscles around the eyes, creating crinkles at the outer corners.
ExploreA polite smile produced mainly by the mouth, often held to meet social expectation rather than to express joy.
ExploreA very brief flash of true emotion that crosses the face in a fraction of a second before composure returns.
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