Or maybe it's just cold

Every motivational speaker who has ever discussed body language will have to rewrite all those speeches.
We've all heard the stories from workshop speakers - anyone sitting with crossed legs is afraid to commit to a relationship with other audience members; a woman who keeps feeling her hair is afraid of expressing an opinion in public; a man who whispers while the boss is talking has issues regarding his own competence.
And the one most often used in board situations or job reviews - someone sitting with arms tightly folded across the chest - is a proven indication that the person's mind is closed off as tight as a deadbolt lock to any opinions that conflict with his or her own.
Some of the motivated motivational speakers I've listened to tend to pick someone out of their audience to prove their point - the older fellow who by his crossed arms is saying he's heard it all before and nothing the speaker says will be new or relevant, or the woman whose crossed arms suggest she would rather be anywhere else but listening to a stranger talking in generalities.
Often the speaker invokes a laugh and those targeted are usually careful to keep their arms out of sight for the rest of the speech, until they can finally escape the room and gather at the coffee service counter.
But findings by some American university students indicate all this previous information about crossed arms is likely bunk, in fact, worthless in respect to accuracy.
Crossed arms, according to their studies of random subjects and in random circumstances, mean that the mind is open to new thoughts. Further, the person who sits with crossed arms will be more inclined to persevere at tasks whereas someone who flops his arms along the thighs is less likely to keep striving for an answer to a certain puzzle.
Before arriving at these conclusions, the students carried out several experiments, the results of which all concurred with the belief that crossed arms portray someone intent on solving a problem or being unwilling to give up.
In retrospect, perhaps the students and speakers aren't that far apart in their thinking - one could be accused of persistence with one's mind made up not to quit, or conversely, be considered stubborn for not giving up.
What does all of this mean to me?
Both sides are missing my personal point.
When I sit with my arms crossed it means the convention hotel is scrimping on the heat again and my arms are crossed to retain my body heat.

Joyce Walter can be reached at 691-1259.