The Body Language Of Guilt

The body language of guilt is not easy to spot for several reasons. The first is that guilt is not a basic emotion. Only the basic emotions are clearly reflected in the micro expressions of the face and body posture. Guilt, on the other hand, is a more complex formation that involves the participation of reflection and can involve several emotions at the same time.

On the other hand, a guilty person does not always acknowledge their guilt. It is possible that, for example, someone who steals feels he has the right to do so, because according to him, the other does not need that object or was acquired unfairly. Therefore, he won’t feel guilty and obviously won’t reflect guilt in his body language.

Likewise, in basic emotions there are movements and postures that are impossible to voluntarily control, at least for a few seconds. Instead, there is a strong rationality component to guilt; therefore, it is also possible to exercise deliberate control over the movements that reveal this feeling. In conclusion, the body language of guilt is harder to detect, although not impossible. These are some of the features that characterize it.

The essential gesture in the body language of guilt

A person who feels guilty but doesn’t want to take responsibility for what he did wrong often lives in a state of alert. She knows she’s hiding the damage she’s done and the resulting regret. Therefore, in these cases, the person has relatively extensive control over their body language.

However, according to anthropologist Desmond Morris, there is an unconscious and involuntary movement that would be part of the body language of guilt. It involves the blink of an eye. As much as the person intends to have everything under control, when asked or mentioned an aspect related to this feeling of guilt, an intermittent and quick blink will appear.

The increase in blink frequency is considerable and noticeable, but those who feel guilty don’t immediately notice. This gesture indicates that the person feels vulnerable and has an intense desire to regain control of the situation. It is common for it to be accompanied by head movements in different directions.

Body language of guilt: the look and the expression

Another aspect to consider in guilt body language is the look. It is very common that, when a person knows that he has acted against his convictions and values, he finds it difficult to face the other. The most common is that he looks elsewhere, always with his eyes downcast. The chin doesn’t tilt down, but the look does.

This, however, is relative. It doesn’t always happen that way because some people know this gesture would give them away. Sometimes there is also a strong conviction that the person did wrong, but that it was necessary or convenient. So she doesn’t feel guilty, even though she knows she’s done damage.

In this second case, it is common for the person to show excessive control over the expression on their face. What she wants is, precisely, not to reveal anything, so she keeps her muscles tense and tries to gesture as little as possible. Do not take your eyes off the other and try to maintain control over the situation.

Covering the face and difficulty speaking

This doesn’t apply in all cases, but another of the usual body language gestures of guilt is the tendency to cover your mouth or face. Sometimes, the person puts a hand to the lips or some part of the face. He doesn’t want to give in and, without realizing it, tries to cover himself.

Likewise, some significant difficulties in speech may appear. The guilty person clears their voice too often or stutters a little. The tension and stress of maintaining her role makes her mouth dry, which is why she often drinks water. You may also have difficulty creating coherent sentences.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that not everyone experiences guilt in the same way. Some feel tormented, while others try to resolve it so that it doesn’t bother them. There is also the influence of individual and cultural factors. Therefore, the reading of these gestures must be relativized.