By now you know that it’s important to view body language in a certain context; that is, you can’t pick out one gesture and use it to pin an underlying motive on someone. And since many nonverbal cues indicate different messages depending on the circumstances, it’s unwise to paint everyone’s behavior with the same brush. However, try as you might, it’s often difficult to recognize, let alone decipher, a confusing verbal/nonverbal combination in real life. This chapter will cover some major areas of misunderstanding in the hope of heading them off at the pass.