The Meaning of the Crossing of Arms

Self-comfort and protection of vital organs.

Another common and fundamental insecurity posture is crossing the arms. While it may have other meanings, its main root is self-protection.

It is a gesture we instinctively adopt when we feel stressed, intimidated, insecure or at odds.

The gesture works in two ways: first, it provides comfort, it is a kind of "self-hug"; the contact of the hands with the arms reassures us.

Second, it creates a physical barrier to protect our vital organs (heart and lungs) from a perceived threat.

We often cross our arms more in public places surrounded by strangers than when we are alone, demonstrating its defensive nature.

Resistance, anger and frustration (with clenched fists).

Crossing arms can be intensified to show stronger negativity.

If the person not only crosses his arms, but also clenches his fists, it is a clear sign of resistance, hostility or repressed anger. The person is literally holding back.

Similarly, if the person clutches his or her own arms tightly with the hands, this also denotes increased animosity, tension and resistance to the speaker's words.

Superiority (thumbs up).

There is an interesting variation of arm crossing that communicates a mixed message.

It occurs when the person crosses his or her arms, but keeps both thumbs pointing upward.

This posture is still defensive or negative (because of the crossed arms), but the exposed thumbs add an element of confidence, superiority or even arrogance.

It is a posture that could be interpreted as "I disagree with you, but I feel superior in this situation."

Alternative contexts (Cold, concentration).

It is crucial to reiterate the rule of context. Crossing your arms is not always a negative signal. There are other logical reasons for doing so.

The most obvious is that the person is simply cold. In that case, the gesture has no psychological connotation.

Also, some people may cross their arms when they are deeply focused on a complex subject or internalizing information.

In that scenario, it is not a barrier against the interlocutor, but a way of momentarily isolating oneself to process. Therefore, a gesture should never be interpreted in isolation.

Summary

Crossing the arms is a common and fundamental posture of insecurity. Its main root is self-protection. We adopt it when we feel stressed, intimidated or at odds.

This gesture works in two ways: it provides comfort, being a kind of "self-hug", and it creates a physical barrier to protect us. and it creates a physical barrier to protect our vital organs from perceived threats.

It is crucial to reiterate the rule of context. Crossing the arms is not always a negative signal; the person may simply be cold or deeply focused.