What do they really think? Ask their feet.

One of my favorite tips for body language comes from Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence agent and author of What Every Body is Saying.  Navarro explains that while we as modern human beings have trained ourselves to control our body language--such as maintaining eye contact with someone despite having long ago lost interest in the topic--there is one region of the body that never gets the memo: our legs and feet.

Our feet often betray "intention cues," that is, behaviors that preview where we want to go next.  For example:

We are talking to a good friend and suddenly we notice one of the feet is pointed down the street. No need to ask, they have to go, they are running late for an appointment. Want to know if two people talking in the hallway like you or want you to join them?  If their feet don’t move to welcome you and they only rotate at the hips, just keep on walking by. When a relationship is turning sour, there will be less and less foot contact. They may hold hands in public but their feet simply avoid each other. These are example of limbic reactions, reflected in the feet and legs, to situations, feelings, and intentions.

Don't take my (or Navarro's) word for it.  Next time you're in a hurry for a meeting to end, look down and notice your legs angled toward whatever route takes you out of the room.  Or when standing with coworkers at a happy hour and an unwelcome guest joins in, notice your feet pointing back toward your preferred companions; even though you feign interest with good eye contact and face your torse to the unwelcome guest, your feet do the real talking.

Once you realize the truth of this subtle oversight, you'll find it a terrific tool for reading people in tricky situations.

Read more about intention cues in Navarro's article on Psychology Today, or do yourself a favor and read the full book, available on Amazon.