Hands often speak before words do. In a meeting, a job interview or at Sunday dinner, they give away the tension, the hesitation or the eagerness of the person you’re talking to. You just need to know where to look.
This article covers 4 protective and withdrawal gestures that synergology, a body-language reading method developed by Philippe Turchet, teaches you to spot. In part two, we look at gestures of openness and what a handshake reveals.
Key takeaways
- Gestures go hand in hand with thinking: according to a 2013 Annual Review of Psychology paper, they often reveal what a person hasn’t said yet.
- For synergology, interlaced fingers while speaking signal a need for protection.
- A hidden index finger can mean a person would rather not step in.
- A single gesture proves nothing: always read a cluster of signals, in context.
Why watch the hands in non-verbal communication?
Because gestures often say more than words. In a 2013 research review, psychologists Susan Goldin-Meadow and Martha Alibali show that gestures frequently reveal ideas a person hasn’t yet put into words (Goldin-Meadow and Alibali, Annual Review of Psychology, 2013).
For a teacher, a manager or a recruiter, that’s valuable information. Hands move constantly, they’re visible and they react fast. They’re often the first place an emotion shows up.
Keep one thing in mind, though: observing isn’t judging. A gesture only makes sense in context, never on its own.
How does synergology read the hands?
Synergology, founded by Philippe Turchet in the 1990s, focuses on the micro-movements we make without thinking. It catalogues more than fifteen hand positions, each linked to a state of mind.
These readings are interpretation grids taught in training, not scientific laws. They help you ask better questions, not draw conclusions for the other person. Here are 4 positions our trainers see all the time, in the classroom and in the workplace.
Which hand gestures signal protection or withdrawal?
These four gestures have one thing in common: the person is protecting themselves, holding back or keeping something to themselves. Here they are, with the reading synergology offers.
Interlaced fingers: “I’m listening, but I’m protecting myself”
People often link crossed arms or legs to closing off, which isn't always accurate. Interlaced fingers, however, are read in synergology as a protective gesture, especially when the person is speaking. Think about your hands in the dentist's chair: they're protecting you!
The disappearing index finger: “I don’t want to be here”
In synergology, the index finger stands for the “I”. It's the finger that steps in: you raise it to ask a question or hail a taxi. Conversely, when a person doesn't want to step in, or feels uneasy about what they're saying, the index finger tends to hide.
The hidden right hand: “I’m keeping my strategy”
For synergology, the right hand is linked to a person's rational, strategic side. When it's hidden, in a pocket, under the table or behind the other hand, the method sees someone who'd rather not reveal their plan.
The hidden left hand: “I don’t want to put myself forward”
In this reading, the left hand is linked to the emotional side. When it disappears, the person would be protecting their emotions and avoiding the spotlight. Worth noticing in a quiet colleague during a meeting.
Right hand, left hand: what does science say?
The idea of a “logical” left brain and an “emotional” right brain is everywhere, but research paints a more nuanced picture. In 2013, a University of Utah team analysed brain activity in 1,011 people and found no evidence that some individuals use one hemisphere more than the other (Nielsen et al., PLOS ONE, 2013).
Some functions really are lateralised, like language, which is mostly processed on the left. That doesn’t tell you anything about personality, though. That’s why we present the right-hand and left-hand reading as an observation grid specific to synergology, useful for opening a conversation, not as a neurological truth.
How can you practise reading hands every day?
Start small. The best way to improve is to observe without concluding, then check by asking a question.
- Set a baseline: how does the person move when they’re relaxed?
- Spot the changes: a gesture that suddenly appears matters more than a habit.
- Look for clusters: one gesture is never enough.
- Consider the context: is it cold? Is the person tired?
- Check out loud: “You seem hesitant, what do you think?”
Want to test your instincts? Take our free non-verbal communication quiz, from beginner to expert level.
Frequently asked questions about hand language
What do hands reveal in non-verbal communication?
Hands often reveal a person’s state of mind before their words do. Research shows that gestures frequently give away ideas that haven’t been put into words yet (Goldin-Meadow and Alibali, 2013). Synergology reads them as signs of protection, withdrawal or openness, to be interpreted in context.
Do crossed fingers mean someone is lying?
No. For synergology, interlaced fingers signal a need for protection, not a lie. A stressed, intimidated or simply focused person may cross their fingers. Always look at several signals and the context before drawing a conclusion.
Is the left brain really rational and the right brain emotional?
Not in the popular sense. A 2013 study of 1,011 people found no one who was “left-brained” or “right-brained” (Nielsen et al., PLOS ONE). Some functions, like language, are lateralised, but personality isn’t.
How can I learn to read hand language?
By observing a lot and checking your hypotheses through conversation. Synergology training gives you a structured observation grid, with videos and hands-on exercises. You can also test your level with our free non-verbal communication quiz.
Go further: explore our personal training and company training, or read on: the handshake and gestures of openness.
