Gesturing whilst talking

[Guido]

Using hand gestures whilst talking is quite a weird thing when they don't add particular meaning to what you are saying, but for some reason someone who uses them does become more engaging, and they also are an indicator of confidence I think.

What are your thoughts? Do you gesture whilst talking? Did you always do it, or have you done it more as you have aged?

A bit of a weird question I know, but it's interesting I think. (at least to me!)

[Dundonnell]

Using hand gestures whilst talking is quite a weird thing when they don't add particular meaning to what you are saying, but for some reason someone who uses them does become more engaging, and they also are an indicator of confidence I think.

What are your thoughts? Do you gesture whilst talking? Did you always do it, or have you done it more as you have aged?

A bit of a weird question I know, but it's interesting I think. (at least to me!)

(Should this thread not be in 'The Diner'?)

To answer your question.....I don't know if I gesture when I am talking, I don't know that I have ever thought about it. I doubt if I do it very often but then I am a shy and retiring sort of person(as vandermolen, Jezetha and Christo could probably confirm ). It is probably more common amongst the French and Italians, say, than the British. The former tend to be more expressive anyway.

One thought though. How many pieces of wood has David Cameron actually broken now with his double karate chop hands gesture? Every time he speaks he adopts the same downward movement with his hands vertically in parallel

[Solitary Wanderer]

I have an Italian Father-in-law who waves his arms when he speaks 

[The Six]

Doth thou gestureth whilst engaging in the art of speech? My word! Is it not natural?

[Guido]

Oops yeah, should be in the diner... if someone could fix that for me! 

[greg]

You know this video was coming:


http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/9JhuOicPFZY

[alkan]

A ferry boat sinks and all the passengers are cast into the water.
Rescue is slow to arrive and there is only one survivor .... an Italian.
The rescuers asked him how he managed to keep afloat for so long.
He shrugged and said .... "it's a-simple.   I just keep a-talking to myself ...."     

[springrite]

Try talking without ANY gestures for a day. It is weirder.

[Herman]

Using hand gestures whilst talking is quite a weird thing when they don't add particular meaning to what you are saying, but for some reason someone who uses them does become more engaging, and they also are an indicator of confidence I think.

What are your thoughts? Do you gesture whilst talking? Did you always do it, or have you done it more as you have aged?

A bit of a weird question I know, but it's interesting I think. (at least to me!)

I take it you're a recent arrival from Mars?

Gestures and other visual aids are an integral part of speech.

This is why writing with the same kind of clarity and impact as face to face speech is so difficult.

[Guido]

I take it you're a recent arrival from Mars?

Gestures and other visual aids are an integral part of speech.

This is why writing with the same kind of clarity and impact as face to face speech is so difficult.

You are right of course about the difficulty of expressing oneself in a purely written medium compared to face to face speech, but I think voice tone is just as important as gesturing (if not more important). I just noticed recently that the people I find most interesting to talk to use lots of had gestures whilst speaking as well as using a wide range of tones and facial expressions - all within reason of course. Lot's of people move very little while they are speaking (at least here in Cambridge, England, Mars).

Hand gestures can sometimes be distraction and show lack of confidence if they become uncontrolled: Some speakers can sort of flap around nervously.

This is something I have definitely witnessed too - especially amongst introverted academics!

[The Six]

Gesturing while posting - now there's a strange thing.

[springrite]

Gesturing while posting - now there's a strange thing.

Now, wait a minute! What's wrong with posting while air-conducting Le Sacre

[Brünnhilde forever]

If I would be forced to sit on my hands while conversing, nobody would hear a word from me! And that goes for telephone conversations too! 

[Dr. Dread]

I have gestured at the computer screen many a time.

[Lethevich]

It is probably more common amongst the French and Italians, say, than the British. The former tend to be more expressive anyway.

Blame the ancient Romans (and possibly Greeks) - they considered gesturing to be an essential part of political debate

One thought though. How many pieces of wood has David Cameron actually broken now with his double karate chop hands gesture? Every time he speaks he adopts the same downward movement with his hands vertically in parallel

Brown's physical tics don't generally inspire confidence in me either. Blair had the body language thing down quite well, though. He also used those "choppy" gestures (Cameron has even been copying those? Haha ), but only sparingly.

[Franco]

My wife says I gesture with my hands quite a lot while talking on the phone; something she finds odd.  But then again, I'm Italian.

[greg]

I gesture during my head conversations.