 Hey, Psych2Goers and welcome back to another video. Thank you all so much for the love and support you've given us. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology more accessible to everyone. So let's begin. Don't we all hope to understand one another better? How can you get a good idea of what kind of person your new friend or acquaintance is? If psychology has taught us anything, it's that people are complicated. There is no quick and easy way to assess a person's true character and motivations. But there are a few tips and tricks that can help you gain better insight into someone's character. The people around us can give a lot of information about themselves without even knowing it. They express it in the little things that they do. All you have to do is observe carefully. So here are seven small things that can tell you a lot about a person. 1. Their Body Language From posture to facial expressions to hand gestures, researchers believe that our body language and nonverbal cues make up to over 65% of all communication. Interpreting someone's body language can be a powerful tool in helping you to understand their personality, attitudes, and feelings. For example, facial cues like smiling convey happiness. Burrowed brows denote confusion and biting at your lip means you're worried, anxious, or distressed. Clenched fists indicate anger or frustration. Crossed arms are a sign of defensiveness. And fidgeting can mean boredom, impatience, or deep thought. Learning how to better read someone else's body language can go a long way in helping you understand what someone is thinking, even if they don't say a word to you. 2. Their Social Media Accounts A person's profile and the way they present themselves online can reveal a lot about their personality, traits, and interests, including the way in which they want to be seen. Their social media presence shows how connected they want to be. While their privacy setting shows how much they're comfortable sharing with people. The pictures they post or share tell you a lot about what they like, whether it's going out with friends, eating good food, or watching movies. And the things they tweet about can give you a lot of insight into their likes, dislikes, and opinions as well. 3. The Way They Dress Another great way you can learn a lot about a person without ever even talking to them is by observing the way they dress. For example, those who dress casually are often laid back and easygoing people. Who value comfort over style and don't care much for impressing others. Whereas those who like to wear colorful clothes and fun patterns are usually creative and artistic types who want to express themselves through their fashion sense. Floral prints and dresses convey femininity and grace, while active wear and sporty clothes reveal confidence and dependability. And formal attire exudes sophistication and assertiveness. 4. Their Taste in Music For many of us, our musical taste is an integral part of our personal identity. We're drawn to certain genres and artists that speak to us on an emotional level. We connect with music that helps us better understand ourselves. Getting to look at someone's personal playlist can inform you about their inner world. Those who mostly listen to jazz, soul, and R&B tend to be sensitive, poetic, passionate, and deep. While people who like acoustic and folk music are usually thoughtful, calm, and warm, and those who enjoy pop and dance music are often upbeat, fun, outgoing, and cheerful. 5. How They Treat Strangers American author Dave Berry once said, A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person. The way in which you treat people of lower social status than you or people who have nothing to offer you is a telling aspect of your character. When someone is rude or disrespectful to a stranger, like a barista or a server, it shows that they're superficial and overprivileged. It can signify that they're only charming or kind when they have something to gain from the other person. First featured in the book, Unwritten Rules of Management. This is known as the waiter rule, and it's something you can use to gauge how caring, considerate, and empathetic a person truly is. 6. How They Make Eye Contact Appropriate eye contact is a good way for someone to signal that they're paying attention to you and that they're interested in what you're saying. But those who often break eye contact may be nervous, uncomfortable, or distracted. Shy people also have trouble looking someone in the eye for too long, especially if they find the other person attractive or intimidating. Dilated pupils indicate desire. Rapid or excessive blinking conveys distress. Narrowed eyes show that the other person may be threatened or suspicious of you. 7. The Shopping Cart Theory Finally, we have the shopping cart theory. As the name suggests, the shopping cart theory puts in position that whether or not we choose to return the shopping cart once you're done with it is the ultimate litmus test for your capacity for self-governance. Returning the shopping cart is easy and convenient, but not altogether necessary. It's recognized as the proper thing to do. And yet, there are no dire consequences waiting for us if we don't perform this task. There's nothing to gain from returning your shopping cart, so the only reason someone would do so is because they know it's simply the right thing to do. To return the cart is to do so out of nothing more than decency, kindness, and common courtesy. From their thoughts and feelings to their true character, it's important that we know how to assess people so we can make better decisions about them. These little psychology hacks can come in handy in the dating pool, making friends, job hiring, and can help you make a good first impression. Did you learn something new about how to read and understand others in this video? Let us know in the comments below. Don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification icon for more content. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in our next video.