Leaning Quote by Jonathan Berent

““ Forward Lean Just as facing a person directly demonstrates interest, so does leaning forward slightly. Leaning forward shows that are you actively listening. It’s a kind of nonverbal compliment that tends to keep the conversation going. But pay attention to appropriate social distance (see p. 179, Proxemics, for more on this subject). You don’t want to come on too strong. Leaning back, especially with hands over your mouth or behind your head, communicates boredom or lack of interest. When others pick up on this, they will cut the conversation short and move on. When you perceive that someone you are talking to is leaning back, you may do well to change the subject, perhaps by asking what he or she thinks. If this produces no change in response, it may be time for you to move on. Don’t take it personally, especially in a party environment. Most people who attend large gatherings are accustomed to moving from conversation to conversation and may not want to spend more than several minutes with any one person.””

— Jonathan Berent