What the Shoulders Say About Us

Joe Navarro says the shoulders are an underused part of body language. He treats them as a visible clue to strength, hierarchy, joy, depression, and confidence, and says they often confirm or complicate what people say aloud.

Reading notes

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• shoulders are prominent and can reveal health, emotion, and communication cues
• wide muscular shoulders are linked to strength, virility, health, and vitality
• shoulders can signal dominance, hierarchy, leadership, and respect
• dancing uses shoulder movement to communicate sensuality and joy
• slumped, heavy shoulders can signal depression and lack of movement over time
• a quick shoulder shrug can reinforce a verbal answer like “I really don’t know”
• a slight shoulder rise can show uncertainty or lack of confidence rather than deception
• observing shoulders can help clinicians or interviewers ask better follow-up questions
• standing straight with shoulders back shapes how others see you