# Are certain types more likely to use body language when speaking? Or use more of it?



## The Nameless Composer (Sep 20, 2014)

I know there are many factors, like cultural background, other personality aspects, your mood, what you're talking about, but I wonder if any generalised trends exist with how much each type/function uses body language.

Like moving your hands a lot to explain things, making dramatic gestures to express or demonstrate something, shrugging, perhaps being more tactile, using other body language cues. Would Se users tend to do this more than others? Extroverts more than introverts? Fe more than Fi? Not really including facial expressiveness, but I feel it would correlate to.


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## Lunaena (Nov 16, 2013)

I can be very active with my hands when explaining something, while other times I am completely motionless.


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## Saturnian Devil (Jan 29, 2013)

I suppose it depends. Compared to most other ISTPs, I am considerably expressive (in regards to facial expressions and vocal intonation) although I am not always aware of it. 

However I do know I gesticulate with my hands when talking about something, and that's something common within the Puerto Rican culture (in which I was raised). I also point to things/people by scrunching my lips and tilting my head in the direction said thing/person is located. That's also a cultural thing for me.

I do appear placid (and sometimes annoyed) in my neutral state, though.


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

I use alot of physical expression in my body language. Gestures, facial animation. Etc.


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## ReverieInSight (Sep 22, 2015)

Ah, I love gestures. I can be very open in my body language when I'm in a heated moment, but most of the time people have trouble reading me. I tend to not give away what I'm feeling/thinking.


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## Elaihr (Jun 24, 2015)

I'll make a list of how some people I know use their body language while speaking. Here goes!

*INFJ:* This is myself. I'm not very animated in my speech, well, verbally I am (I've been told I'm good at telling stories), but my body language often doesn't stretch much further than little nods or tilting my head a bit. I sometimes try to illustrate abstract ideas by drawing in the air - but it works much better if I get a pen or paper.

*ENFJ:* One of them is absolutely nuts - if you hold her hands when speaking you could as well hold her tongue - it's like her verbal abilities just disappears if she can't move meanwhile. The other ENFJ I know does wave his hands around a lot, but not to the same extent. He isn't as verbally active as her either.

*ENFP:* Oh my friggin goodness. If the ENFJ is nuts, he's nuts-er. Sometimes he even waves around his body parts without speaking actual words. He happens to be my fiance and I'm afraid my thighs will get bruised from this - he often lays with his feet on my lap when we watch films or TV and his feet will start jumping with every feeling he gets (which means pretty much constantly). Sometimes I wonder if he's electrically charged or something, the way he's spazzing around.

*INTJ:* A lot like myself, he sometimes use hand gestures to illustrate an abstract idea. I've also found that the both of us make a lot of sound effects while talking or telling stories.

*ESFJ:* Hm, haven't thought about it. She's so well rounded, she'll use her body language in a way that doesn't seem stiff, nor exaggerated. 

*INFP:* All INFPs I know are physically calm, unless they get very excited. 

*ESTJ:* I think she must appear to be pretty stern, because she does seem a bit stiff in her body language... And actually also a bit in her way of speaking. Very precise and straight to the point. It's kind of funny because I can recall many times when she's pointed fingers while trying to direct people, haha!


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## Ylith (Dec 8, 2015)

I read somewhere that high Te users tend to be hand talkers, but I'm not sure if that observation is based on any credible evidence.

I'm actually very animated in my speech, more so than most of my friends - I can't imagine explaining something interesting and not gesticulating. I've also noticed that my body language is pretty straightforward, numerous times I've caught myself in the typical "body and feet are turned towards the person in the room that interests you most" position, among other things.


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## Lunaena (Nov 16, 2013)

Elaihr said:


> *ENFP:* Oh my friggin goodness. If the ENFJ is nuts, he's nuts-er. Sometimes he even waves around his body parts without speaking actual words. He happens to be my fiance and I'm afraid my thighs will get bruised from this - he often lays with his feet on my lap when we watch films or TV and his feet will start jumping with every feeling he gets (which means pretty much constantly).


Sounds kind of like me when I am excited about something, or just need to talk about an idea or feeling. Especially an idea.


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## MisterPerfect (Nov 20, 2015)

INTJ: A lot like myself, he sometimes use hand gestures to illustrate an abstract idea. I've also found that the both of us make a lot of sound effects while talking or telling stories

This tends to be me. My friend pointed it out one time. Asked why I talk with my whole body. My mom said its a Mexican thing to talk with your hands. If not I often will draw what I mean in a diagram.


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## The Nameless Composer (Sep 20, 2014)

Ylith said:


> I read somewhere that high Te users tend to be hand talkers, but I'm not sure if that observation is based on any credible evidence.
> 
> I'm actually very animated in my speech, more so than most of my friends - I can't imagine explaining something interesting and not gesticulating. I've also noticed that my body language is pretty straightforward, numerous times I've caught myself in the typical "body and feet are turned towards the person in the room that interests you most" position, among other things.


I don't think so, really. Maybe any extrovert tends to do it more than their equivalent introvert (so ENFP vs INFP, ENTJ vs INTJ etc) because of a dominant extroverted function. Personally I feel Se would be the main factor in terms of bodily expressiveness, with Fe coming after. I think ENFJs and indeed ENFPs would be moreso than ENTJs.


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## The Nameless Composer (Sep 20, 2014)

Elaihr said:


> I'll make a list of how some people I know use their body language while speaking. Here goes!
> 
> *INFJ:* This is myself. I'm not very animated in my speech, well, verbally I am (I've been told I'm good at telling stories), but my body language often doesn't stretch much further than little nods or tilting my head a bit. I sometimes try to illustrate abstract ideas by drawing in the air - but it works much better if I get a pen or paper.
> 
> ...


Yeah I'd agree extroverted feelings are more that way inclined. Introverted thinkers probably the least.


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## komm (Mar 1, 2015)

INFX most.
I don't use much hand gestures because I see them FAKE. Not everytime,just in 98% of cases. People think that you can lie with words but you can't lie with body language. I think it is totally opposite. You can't lie with words but you can lie with body language.
In some respectable professions using too much body language isn't recommended and after I studied this subject(A LOT) I understood why.


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## Hottest_Commie_Ever (Nov 11, 2015)

I have an ENFP friend who uses a LOT of body language, especially when she's excited. I use a lot of it too, whenever. Also, an ENFJ who does all sorts of gestures (but not rude ones!) when talking to anyone.

ExFx types, then, in my experience?


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## cipherpixy (Jul 9, 2015)

The Nameless Composer said:


> I know there are many factors, like cultural background, other personality aspects, your mood, what you're talking about, but I wonder if any generalised trends exist with how much each type/function uses body language.
> 
> Like moving your hands a lot to explain things, making dramatic gestures to express or demonstrate something, shrugging, perhaps being more tactile, using other body language cues. Would Se users tend to do this more than others? Extroverts more than introverts? Fe more than Fi? Not really including facial expressiveness, but I feel it would correlate to.


Try Extraverted Feelers (Fe). Theoretically, types who have Fe function in their functional stacking are more likely to use hand gestures and other body languages while speaking. Variations and frequency in their usage will depend on whether Fe is Dominant(ESFJ, ENFJ), auxiliary(ISFJ,INFJ), tertiary(ENTP, ESTP) or inferior(INTP, ISTP) but they will use it nonetheless.


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## The Nameless Composer (Sep 20, 2014)

cipherpixy said:


> Try Extraverted Feelers (Fe). Theoretically, types who have Fe function in their functional stacking are more likely to use hand gestures and other body languages while speaking. Variations and frequency in their usage will depend on whether Fe is Dominant(ESFJ, ENFJ), auxiliary(ISFJ,INFJ), tertiary(ENTP, ESTP) or inferior(INTP, ISTP) but they will use it nonetheless.


Yeah I'd say Fe and Se would be the main functions behind it, maybe a combination of Fe driving Se especially. But may especially the strong Fe users..


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