Mike DomitrzPresident, Author, and Speaker on Respect, The Center for Respect, Inc. · Author & Speaker on Respect for Schools, Corporations, & the Military since 1990 (has reached

“The look” is a myth.

30 May 2025 · 1 min

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In this short monologue, the speaker argues that the concept of a universal "look"—a consistent body‑language cue that reveals a person's thoughts or intentions—is a myth. Because every individual displays a completely different look, relying on body language leads to unreliable and potentially dangerous assumptions. The speaker emphasizes that misreading body language is not merely a miscommunication; it stems from never giving the other person a chance to actually communicate, highlighting the problem of making assumptions based on perceived cues.

Everybody in this room has a completely different look. And if everybody in this room has a completely different look, there's no such thing as the look. It's a myth. And if it's a myth, that means body language suddenly becomes highly unreliable, potentially even dangerous. Same person, same body language, unreliable. That's how dangerous and messed up body language is. And it's not a miscommunication, by the way. People go, well, that's just a miscommunication. No, it's not a miscommunication. You never gave them a chance to communicate. That's the problem with assumption.