In chapter 1 of What Every Body is Saying, Joe Navarro explains how his interest in nonverbal communication began as a practical survival skill when he immigrated to the United States from Cuba as a child and couldn’t initially rely on spoken language.
How Navarro Learned to “Read” People
Navarro describes adapting to a new culture by paying close attention to the silent signals classmates and teachers gave off. He learned that facial and eye behaviors could quickly communicate welcome, hostility, or uncertainty—often more immediately than words. That early reliance on body language stayed with him and later became central to his work as an FBI agent.
What Nonverbal Communication Includes
He defines nonverbal communication as a broad system of information-sharing that goes far beyond gestures. It includes facial expressions, posture, movement, touch, personal appearance, and even aspects of the voice such as tone and volume (separate from the spoken words). He argues that nonverbal cues make up a large portion of everyday communication and can sometimes carry the entire message in intimate situations.
Why Nonverbals Can Be More Revealing Than Words
A core point in the chapter is that people often manage their words deliberately, but their bodies may reveal emotions or intentions they don’t fully control. Navarro illustrates this with investigative examples where suspects’ physical behaviors conflicted with what they claimed verbally—small mismatches that helped point investigators toward the truth.
How This Skill Can Improve Everyday Life
Navarro emphasizes that nonverbal literacy isn’t only for interrogations or crime-solving. Being able to read others (and manage the signals you send) can improve relationships, workplace outcomes, and personal safety. He highlights how the same tells that matter in high-stakes settings also show up in ordinary environments—making the skill widely useful.
The “Partnership” Idea
He frames the book as a collaboration: he provides the knowledge and framework, but the reader must bring practice and commitment. Learning nonverbals is presented as a trainable ability, not a rare talent—something that becomes more automatic with repetition, like mastering a complex everyday skill.
The Ten Commandments for Reading Nonverbals
Navarro introduces a set of guiding principles for observing and interpreting behavior more accurately:
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Train yourself to truly observe rather than passively look, building “situational awareness.”
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Interpret behavior in context, since stress or discomfort can be normal in one setting and meaningful in another.
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Learn universal signals that tend to mean similar things across people (for example, common facial tension patterns).
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Notice individual-specific habits that are unique to a person and repeat in similar emotional states.
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Establish a baseline for what someone looks like when they’re relaxed so changes stand out.
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Rely on clusters of cues, not a single signal, to improve accuracy.
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Watch for sudden changes that may reveal shifts in emotion, interest, or intent.
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Be alert to misleading signals, since people can perform or mask behaviors.
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Use comfort vs. discomfort as a compass, a simple way to categorize what you’re seeing.
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Observe discreetly, so your attention doesn’t disrupt behavior or escalate tension.
What Comes Next
The chapter closes by noting that the human body can produce countless signals, so the book will focus on the most useful ones and give a practical model for decoding them. Navarro also points to the brain—especially its role in driving automatic responses—as essential to understanding why body language can be such a powerful window into thoughts and intentions. Finally, he references a major legal precedent to reinforce the idea that observable behavior can legitimately indicate intent when interpreted carefully and in context.