make	deductions,	including	a	person's	house	or	their	wallet. Before	you	begin	reading	someone's	body	language,	establish	what	is	called a	“baseline	behavior”. 	Look	for	patterns,	such	as	common	gestures	when	you know	this	person	is	nervous,	and	you	will	be	able	to	see	this	nervousness	in	the future. 	The	better	you	know	someone,	the	easier	it	is	to	read	their	body	language. There	is	a	way	to	categorize	personality	traits	called	the	Big	Five,	to	which	I will	occasionally	refer. 	It	measures	these	five	traits: 	 				 Openness	(to	experience;	also	known	as	inquisitiveness) :	curiosity, appreciation	for	art	and	culture,	thirst	for	adventure,	willingness	to	try new	things,	creativity,	inventiveness 				 Conscientiousness	(also	known	as	orderliness) :	organization,	self-discipline,	dependability,	efficiency,	desire	for	achievement 				 Extraversion :	outgoing,	energetic,	assertive,	talkative 				 Agreeableness	(also	known	as	accommodation) :	compassionate, warm,	cooperative,	friendly,	trusting 				 Neuroticism :	sensitive,	nervous,	anxious,	temperamental,	vulnerable, emotionally	unstable 	 When	making	deductions,	make	it	a	goal	of	yours	to	try	and	identify	where a	person	lies	in	relation	to	these	five	traits,	because	they	are	excellent	indicators of	personality. It	is	also	important	to	note	that	with	any	skill	set,	the	successful	reading body	language	is	acquired	through	practice. 	One	of	the	most	important	exercises you	can	do	to	improve	your	understanding	of	nonverbal	communication	is	to	go out	and	people-watch. 	The	more	you	observe	people	and	their	behavior,	 the easier	they	become	to	read. In	addition	being	able	to	make	deductions	about	them,	you	will	also	be	able to	more	successfully	communicate	 with	them	since	you	will	understand	what they	desire	and	what	they	are	thinking. 	You	will	be	able	to	use	this	to	your advantage. 	For	example,	if	someone	is	showing	signs	that	they	dislike	you	or	are highly	angered,	it	might	be	wise	to	either	steer	away	from	them	or	fix	the situation. Realize	that	culture	and	location	is	a	big	influence	on	body	language	and behavior. 	Consider	the	differences	in	the	pace	of	life	between	New	York	City