003
PALM DOWN
●●●
One or both palms turned downward during speech, often with a flat-handed pressing or pushing motion.
MEANS
Authority, certainty, or an attempt to control. The person is asserting, not asking.
CONTEXT
Common in leaders, instructors, and people delivering bad news they have already decided on. A palm-down gesture combined with a downward press signals “this is final.” When it appears after a question, the answer that follows is not open for discussion.
NOT
A casual resting hand on a surface. The signal is in the motion, not the position.
