TORSO TIPS
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Preening When we are physically and mentally well, we take care of our appearance, preening and grooming ourselves accordingly. Humans are not unique in this regard, as birds and mammals engage in like behaviors. When we are physically or mentally ill, on the other hand, the posture of the torso and shoulders, as well as our overall appearance, may signal our poor health (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, 304–307, 350–352). Many unfortunate homeless people are afflicted with schizophrenia and rarely do they attend to their attire. Their clothes are soiled and grimy, and many of these individuals will even fight attempts by others to get them to bathe or wear clean clothing. The mentally depressed person will stoop as he walks or stands, the weight of the world seemingly bringing him down. The phenomenon of poor grooming during illness and sadness has been noted around the world by anthropologists, social workers, and health-care providers. When the brain is saddened or we are ill, preening and presentation are among the first things to go (Darwin 1872, chap. 3, passim). For example, patients recovering from surgery may walk down the hospital hallway with hair disheveled and in gowns with their backsides exposed, not caring about personal appearance. When you are really ill, you may lie around the house looking more unkempt than you ever would be normally. When a person is really sick or really traumatized, the brain has other priorities, and preening is simply not one of them. Therefore, within context, we can use an overall lack of personal hygiene and/or grooming to make assumptions about a person’s state of mind or state of health. Torso Splays Splaying out on a couch or a chair is normally a sign of comfort. However, when there are serious issues to be discussed, splaying out is a territorial or dominance display (see figure 35). Teenagers, in particular, often will sit splayed out on a chair or bench, as a nonverbal way of