Q&A for How to Read People

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How do you read a person?

Dan Klein
Improvisation Coach
Dan Klein is an improvisation expert and coach who teaches at the Stanford University Department of Theater and Performance Studies as well as at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Dan has been teaching improvisation, creativity, and storytelling to students and organizations around the world for over 20 years. Dan received his BA from Stanford University in 1991.

Dan Klein

Improvisation Coach

Expert Answer

One major psychological study found that 7% of our communication comes from words, 38% comes from tone of voice, and 55% comes from body language.

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Question

Are there certain questions we can ask someone we've just met that can help us identify a person's baseline?

Community Answer

It's difficult to establish a solid baseline with someone you've just met because people often magnify their good habits and eliminate negative ones in order to make a good impression. Nevertheless, there are certainly questions that one can ask in order to establish a more concrete baseline for someone. One question is: "What are you most passionate about?". People tend to get excited when they talk about their passion. Observe their gestures, tone of voice, posture, facial expressions, and other cues in order to gather information about what that person is like.

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Question

How can I read someone's physical appearance?

Community Answer

Physical appearance is as dodgy and risky as judging a wine by the label! Pay attention to details and see what you can infer from them.

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How do you tell if someone is lying through texts?

Community Answer

I don't think you can really tell. Maybe if the person takes a long time to reply and the wording seems strange or evasive, they may be lying, but that's pretty flimsy.

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How do I figure out a quiet person?

Community Answer

With a quiet person, it's probably best to be direct and ask them what you want to know, or ask their friends or someone who knows them well what you want to know. You could also still use the body language cues mentioned in the article.

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How do I read their minds?

Community Answer

You just have to assess the way they speak and their body language. That's what's best to read minds. But I don't believe you can read peoples' minds unless you have been a part of their lives for years. Yet, I won't assure you that you can actually read minds. It's kind of impossible.

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Question

Is it possible to tell things about someone's current life by their shoes?

Community Answer

No, not really.

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How do I tell if someone is enjoying themselves?

Community Answer

If a person is genuinely enjoying themselves, you will be able to see it in their eyes. A person can pretend by laughing and smiling, but if their eyes don't have that sparkle of happiness, they are faking it.

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Question

How do I see if two people are in love by their body language?

Community Answer

Just pay attention to their body language and how they interact with each other.

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What if the person is always nervous, how can I tell they're lying?

Community Answer

Watch for eye contact. If they look away from you, they are probably lying.

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