Submissive Body Language Signals

According to body language experts, smiling is considered a submissive gesture. It was noticed that during MMA matches the one who smiles to the other opponent was more likely to lose the match.

According to body language, a tilted head is a sign of submission. When a person talks while their head is straight, they will appear more dominant.

The less dominant a person feels, the smaller their body will seem to be. When a person becomes submissive, their body takes a smaller space, while the opposite happens when they feel dominant.

Lowering the head down can be a sign of submission or defeat. A dominant person will usually keep their head raised up as they interact with others.

Putting the body in a lower position is a sign of submission. This includes hunching down, bowing, kneeling or just curving the back.

When a person feels submissive, their eyes can get wider and so their faces might seem less dominant. Half closing the eyes can be a sign of dominance or even aggression.

A curved back can indicate many things in body language including feeling unhappy, lacking confidence or being submissive. Dominant people will usually keep their back straight.

A submissive person might feel anxious around the more dominant person. This could lead to freezing or doing some jerky movements. (See The body language of defeat)

A person’s shoulders might hunch when they feel submissive. This gesture might also indicate lower levels of self-confidence.

A submissive person is less likely to maintain proper eye contact with the more dominant person. A dominant person on the other hand will maintain more eye contact.

When a person feels submissive, they might cover their chest or body. This happens because of an unconscious desire to hide sensitive parts. (See What is personal space in body language?)

When a person feels weak or submissive, they might lean on an object such as a table or a chair. The dominant person will usually stand tall just like a military soldier.

During a handshake, the submissive person’s palms might be facing the ceiling, whereas the dominant person’s palms might be facing the ground.