Alice May Williams and Jasmine Johnson were working on their graduate degrees when they observed common gestures that spread from their professors to students. They categorized them with animated examples and clever names. For example, consider “The Dialectic,” which the duo defines as “an unconscious twitch that says ‘take me seriously.’” Want to get in on the action? You’re in luck: the grad students created a manual to show everyone how the academics do it. The gestures include “The Shelf Sweep,” which is a more “advanced” two-handed gesture used during those rare moments when explaining hierarchies. 7 Hand Gestures That Make You Look Like a Real Intellectual | Wired
Featured photo credit: acaben via farm2.staticflickr.com
