Reno, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- Crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, smiling, you may not thing too much about it, but your body language can tell a person a lot.
"Your true intentions can be made known based on what your body is saying."
Jerry Balistieri knows a thing or two about body language. As a body language expert, he said the way you carry yourself can affect everything from personal relationships to a job interview.
"Our bodies give off clues or tips to people if they know what to look for and know what they mean when they see them," he said. "Number one, be constantly aware of the messages and signals you're sending, and the other is of course observe, observe, observe all the time."
He said folded arms on a person could mean they're upset or just cold. If you want to strike up a conversation with someone or show someone you're interested, keep eye contact. And if you're crossing your legs, that typically can be read by others as a good sign.
"Anything that kind of goes against gravity is a good thing. That person is normally feeling quite well," he said.
So why are we so oblivious to our own body language? Balistieri blames it on technology.
"We simply don't have the skill set that we should have because when we do get into a face to face situation, we're oblivious to the signals that we are sending as well as reading other people's signals."
He said the main thing to keep in mind is always project how you're feeling on the inside, on the outside too.
"The more you know about context, it helps explain why people do what they do."
