The simple act of placing the fingertips of either hand together
in front of you to form a steeple is a very effective gesture
that is rarely offensive and will establish you as someone [who
is] both evaluative and in control. --Susan Bixler (The
Professional Image, p. 238) Gesture. A position in which the
tactile pads of the fingertips of one hand gently touch their
counterparts on the other. Usage: The steeple cue, perhaps first
identified by Ray L. Birdwhistell (Blum 1988) reflects precise
thought patterns. It may be used while listening, speaking, or
thinking, to entertain a provocative or novel idea, or to
contemplate a creative solution to problems at hand. Business.
Steeple gestures may be used above a conference table to show
that one is listening thoughtfully to a colleague's ideas and
comments. Media. 1. In a classic black-and-white photo by Alfred
Eisenstaedt, physicist Robert Oppenheimer steepled his fingers
while conversing with Albert Einstein on December 29, 1947. 2.
In a Today Show interview w