Spycatcher

I agree... Just becuase someone is nervous or displays nervous behavior does not mean they are lying.
It could be that they are uncomfortable with the subject, the questioner, or they could be under alot of stress (traffic, work, life) and they may not be in a good mood at the time of questioning.

Body language is cultural, as are its inferred meanings Neither are universal and most often, they are imposed and habitual more than natively expressive.

Micro expressions and reading them is what "body language" "experts" would be better off examining and sharing with the world.
I someone would also use this evidence to disentangle emotional intelligence from its socially imposed definitions as well.

Well, some body language is cultural the rest is not. Just watch children who are born blind talking to other congenitally blind children and you will see the same nonverbals we who can see display. For instance when we are given tasks we dont like we sometimes cover our eyes with our fingers, blind children will cover their eyes when they hear things they dont like and they cant see. Examples like this, including steepling with their hands a form of showing confidence, abound and these children have never seen.

I think you will find that any behavior which is limbically derived will be universal because either emotions or survival are involved and those dont have to be culturally taught as no one around the world bounds toward the edge of a cliff, we all inch over.

Mr. Navarro,

May I suggest you study children of alcoholics. I grew up with a father and two brothers who were alcoholics. To survive I would always key on the face. I became an expert on micro facial expressions out of necessity. I do not think this is unique to me. Those who are constantly put on guard and are fearful learn to focus intently on the face to learn the real truth. We learn early that not everyone has our best interest at heart. The more I knew about what was going on inside their head, including whether they were drunk, enabled me to maneuver rough waters. I think children who are constantly bombarded with conflicting non-verbal signals, such as those with alcoholics, will end up having a keen sense of what facial expressions really mean. We learn what many of the experts are now finding out, that the meaning comes in clusters. We become experts on the clustered signals, on the hidden words the face displays. I think the expertise with reading bodies is secondary, but we end up becoming an expert on those signals also. We know that body signals often conflict with what is in the micro facial expressions, particularly in those who are impaired with alcohol, or such other consumed chemicals. Regardless, we learn to put a precedence on the micro facial expressions because those end up being the vanguard of the truth that protects us.

Thank you and you are right, abused children, children of alcoholics, and children of borderlines do the same thing, they read the face for cues. You are absolutely correct, my article was intended to point out that micro expression is a misnomer and over centralized. I am sure you read all of the body language including walking gait, tension of neck, and whether the hands were relaxed or tense. Thank you again. j

Dear Mr. Navarro,
you surpise me again and I am so happy to say that your worck is beaitiful and your article is so true.