The James Dean Guide to Being a Body Language Bad*ss

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Clay

Laying Feet Up Horitzontal

James Dean is an iconic figure of legendary proportions. He was a paragon of coolness who occupied the middle ground between normalcy and anti-social rebellion. He took up lots of space (both physical and psychological) and his body language simultaneously conveyed extreme confidence and boyish vulnerability.

For those who’ve forgotten Jimmy’s coolness, see below for a reminder:

Anyway, you might not be a real bad*ss, but with Jimmy as our guide we’ll be showing you . . .

7 Rules for Being a Body Language Bad*ss

Rule #1: Lean on Stuff While Standing

Lean on Things Standing 2

Gravity is a fact of life, but a fact of life that Jimmy had little little time for. As a result, he expended little energy holding himself up and supporting his own weight. If Jimmy was near an object, you can put your money on him leaning on it sooner or later. (It seems nearly impossible to find a picture of James not propping himself up on one object or another). This doesn’t just apply to the “trunk” of his body, it also applies to his limbs: James often took all of this a step further by propping up one leg (see the middle picture, above) or using an object to support one or both arms (see gun picture, above).

Modifying the Lean

The basic lean can be modified in a number of ways. You can place a hand in your pocket (usually the back pocket), arch your back, or employ the sideways lean (see the gun picture above, left). And if there’s an object at the proper height, bad*ssness can be increased by hooking ones arm around it (you essentially want as many limbs as possible to be supported by objects).

Don’t Lean In

As important as what Jimmy did is what he didn’t do. Jimmy almost never leaned in while talking. He leans away. In an effort to be heard at a loud bar, for example, Jimmy probably wouldn’t lean towards his conversational partner in. He’d instead make himself heard by talking louder or he’d let the other person lean in.

Rule #2: Get as Horizontal as Possible While Sitting

Whether leaning forward or leaning backwards, the world was Dean’s lounge chair. The earth was his for the wallowing. Indeed, for body language bad*sses, the propping up of one’s self doesn’t end after they’ve sat down. To be sure, sitting down often opens up a whole new world of items available for the propping up of limbs, and they all should be used. It’s also important to remeber . . .

The #1 Body Language Bad*ss Rule

The rule is this: your coolness while sitting is positively correlated with being horizontal. Imagine that you’re a piece of plywood trying to consume as much surface area as possible. The closer to horizontal you become, the more confidence you project. In short, you want to get as horizontal as possible without actually lying down.

Lean on Things Sitting Part 2

More About Confident Sitting

Confident people often sit on unconventional objects. They also sit on conventional objects in unconventional ways. In the picture to the right, for example, James is sitting on a car door when easily could be sitting in a car seat. But as a body language bad*ss, Jimmy sits where Jimmy wants to sit.

More About the Propping up of Limbs

deancolo The “arm-hook” method of propping up ones limbs isn’t limited to standing or to standard body configurations. Indeed, even if it takes more energy to awkwardly prop up an arm, you’ll look better for it. For example, in the picture to the left, James simultaneously scores an arm hook and a bonus head rest (with the same object).

jd0196 Another possibility is the elbow/head rest. Like the aforementioned arm-hook, the elbow/head rest again provides the one-two punch by allowing you to simultaneously prop up your head and a limb.

Rule #3: Assume an Open Posture

Confidence and vulnerability often go hand in hand. When you’re positioned in a non-defensive and open manner, you communicate that you’re comfortable and confident in your space.

A Note on Body Orientation

Despite the openness frequently displayed by James Dean’s body language, he often didn’t orient his body towards people. Because Jimmy lived in his reality and marched to the beat of his own drummer, he was slow to use body language to acknowledge the presence of others’ existence. I don’t recommend this.

Rule #4: Take up Lots of Space

What rules #1, #2, and #3 have in common is that they indirectly advocate taking up lots of space. By propping up your head and limbs, leaning, and taking an open stance, you communicate that you’re comfortable, confident, and well-adjusted to your surroundings. You demonstrate that you are not ashamed to take up space and be in the world. You aren’t ashamed of your own existence.

Rule #5: Master the Confident Gaze/Fearless Stare/Scowl

suedejacket James was often found staring at distant objects, furrowing his brow, or just plain scowling. He hardly flinched, although his unaffected glare held just a hint of timidity. When Jimmy did make eye-contact with others, he was rarely the first to break the contact and look away. Jimmy’s eyes were bold and unafraid.

Disclaimer: In the wrong parts of town, you may get yourself shot if you go around scowling and not breaking eye-contact. I don’t want to be responsible for that, so don’t do it. If someone someone holding a bat, knife, or gun maintains eye contact for more than 2 seconds, then immediately look away.

Do not get into a series of staring contests; instead remember to hold your gaze longer than an unconfident person would hold their gaze. Be willing to meet someone’s eyes, and if you want to continue the gaze while minimizing harm to your person, then start talking. (Starting a conversation is just about the only acceptable means for safely continuing a staring contest). This will allow you project a strong vibe without risking your life. Got it?

Rule #6: Talk Slowly

As the first minute of this video demonstrates, James Dean spoke with deep tonality, and to the speed of his own drummer.

In addition to taking up space, Jimmy also consumed a lot of time (while talking). He assumed that because his words were important, you’d make the time to listen. He spoke deeper and slower than needy, nervous men.

Rule #7: Smile Strategically (No Sycophantic Smiling)

A smile is often used to gain approval or validation, ease uncomfortable moments, or show acceptance. Jimmy rarely used his smile in these ways. He didn’t smile when expected. He smiled on his terms. He reacted to people less than they reacted to him.

How Did James Use His Smile?

James Dean used to smile to give approval, not to get it. If you answered a question in a manner that pleased him, then he’d smile. If you said something that amused him, he’d smile. Jimmy smiled to reward you for doing something he liked. He did not smile to be rewarded. He made people pay for his coy, self-satisfied smirkish grin and he generally did not smile to appear friendly.

In Summary . . .

Lean on Stuff While Standing
Get as Horizontal as Possible While Sitting
Assume an Open Posture
(Take up lots of space)
Master the Confident Gaze/Fearless Stare/Scowl
Talk Slowly
Smile Strategically (No Sycophantic Smiling)

Final Note: This guide is less about social psychology and more about observing the facets of James Dean’s body language. There are several paths to “correct” (and incorrect) body language, and James Dean’s particular favor of non-verbal expression is by no means infallible or the only way to go. Pick and chose what you’d like to integrate. Maybe a version of James Dean “light” might work for you.

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Posted on 15 Apr, 2008

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51 Comments so far »

Jared Goralnick said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 9:42 am

But if I spend all my time online, what good will these poses offer?
Nick Cernis said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 10:03 am

Personal fave: “Get as Horizontal as Possible While Sitting.” I get told off for this all the time. Posture? Pah!

Thanks for the laugh, Clay.
Dave Navarro said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 10:06 am

My favorite: “Master the Confident Gaze.”

That will get you EVERYWHERE.
Mark Krusen said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 10:10 am

My feet are all wet now. Let me towel them off before I comment.:)As I look through the list of things I would have to do to be considered a bad a– #7 seems like to me it would be the hardest for me to do. You see, when I get going I talk 100 mph. Justa ask my wife.
Clay Collins said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 11:21 am

@Jared: Darn! I left out the part about cyber body language :-)

@Mark: [Chuckle]. I’m glad it made your laugh.
Amanda Linehan said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 11:30 am

So, what’s your favorite James Dean movie? I’ve seen Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden, haven’t seen Giant. I’d go with East of Eden as the one I liked the most.
Clay Collins said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 11:41 am

@Amanda: I actually like giant the best, but I’m into the alt-western thing anyway. Really didn’t like RWOAC and can’t remember much of east of eden, which is sad.
Vered - MomGrind said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 12:24 pm

You’re a funny man. :)

I am curious to know if these would work for women as well. Society’s expectations of women tend to be a little different. I can definitely see how the gaze, slow talking and strategic smiling would work for a woman. But leaning against stuff, assuming an open posture and taking a lot of space are very male.
Jeska said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 12:54 pm

This was a very fun and interesting blog! I enjoyed it… and to answer Vered-MomGrind’s question… My opinion is that this stuff would probably work the same for a woman in certain situations. Body language is very effective in portraying confidence, coolness, and stature. An open posture, sitting on unconventional things, modifying the lean, this can all be done by a woman. I also find that sitting as horizontally as possible helps to make you feel more relaxed. It also takes strain off of your vertebrae (from a massage therapist’s perspective). Girls don’t have to be as girly anymore to be accepted, also. Cute!
MonkMojo said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 1:07 pm

Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli (also known as The Fonz) schooled Dean on cool.

Great post Clay.
Marelisa said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

Talking slowly is definitely one of the best things you can do to convey self-confidence. Some people recommend that you tape yourself as you speak and play it back to yourself; most people will notice that they talk a lot faster than they think they do.

@Vered: I think that one of the reasons there’s such a huge problem with eating disorders among women is that women try to make themselves smaller and take up less and less space. I’m all for taking up as much space as you want, regardless of what other people think.
Louise Pool said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

Clay, you have surpassed yourself with this! You keep getting better and better…

Vered, these all work for women as well. I am a great leaner and taker up of space :-). But one does run the risk of being labeled an arrogant bitch, if one is not “sweet”. Perhaps this is because these things would be perceived as male, as you point out. But if it works for Angelina Jolie, it works for me …
@Stephen | Productivity in Context said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 2:46 pm

>>Louise, women should be careful, however, with assuming too open of a posture. It invites leering, ogling, and an air of availability.

Unless that’s what you’re going for, of course.
Wendi Kelly said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 4:33 pm

BWAHAHAHA!!!

Are you sure you didn’t interview my 14 year old son for this?
I see this stuff every day!

To funny Clay.
Of course, we know what happened to him in the end…
not so funny…

It really does make for a good reminder on body language and how we portray ourselves to others.

I love it.
Liara Covert said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 5:53 pm

Its meaningful to reflect on who we admire and why. Through examining our own thougths and feelings on this subject, we gradually get closer to knowing who we really are (and who we are not). Rather than try to be someone else, it is desirable to embrace and accept all that we are.
Pat R said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 7:50 pm

Boy, I had forgotten how good Dean was. Enjoyed reminiscing and watching the video clips.

As far as trying to copy what he did for coolness, don’t think it would work if you weren’t authentic with who you are.
Clay Collins said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 7:54 pm

@Monk: You’re completely right. The Fonz did school dean, despite the bad pompadour :-).

@Pat R: You’re completely right. Much of this post was tongue-in-cheek. I hope that came across.
Pat R said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 8:29 pm

I get that - I was mostly enjoying the video clips.
Evelyn Lim said,

Wrote on April 15, 2008 @ 10:35 pm

Oh my, Clay, what a lesson on looking Cool!!

Evelyn
Jay said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 9:27 am

Solid tips on emulating one seriously badass guy. Too bad my chirpractor would likely disagree with most of them!
gttim said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 9:36 am

David DeAngelo teaches this stuff and does mention James Dean. You are now bookmarked!
Clay Collins said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 10:22 am

GTTIM: You mean Eban Pagan?
gttim said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 10:29 am

That would be him.
Bearotic.com said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 10:59 am

I think this could be a guide to modeling too. :)
dave trouble said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 12:40 pm

I think this only works if you are devastatingly handsome and sexy as hell. Otherwise you come off looking like an arrogant asshole for no apparent reason, and why bother with one of those?
Nicole said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 2:19 pm

James Dean is just unreal. Watch Giant. He is amazing. Everything there is to know about cool is in the flick. Even the Rock had it going on.
BeyondRandom said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 2:43 pm

Hmmmmm…I’m gonna have to try these! lol
Great post
Jason B said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 2:45 pm

Good stuff. Of course, what made Dean so cool was that he did it his way. If you like talking fast and sitting straight as a peg, then why do Dean’s thing? Also there is the fact that he was a depressive alcoholic, which may or may not have made him cooler, depending on your ideal.
Chris Edgar said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 3:36 pm

I enjoyed this post. I think one important thing to realize when it comes to body language is that it can arise naturally out of your emotional state, even if you aren’t specifically paying attention to how your body is moving. I know that my own posture became much more relaxed when I worked on releasing a lot of the pent-up emotion I was carrying in my body, even though I didn’t specifically set out to adopt certain behaviors. When you change yourself on the inside, you don’t have to pay so much attention to how you appear to others to make a good impression.
T Bone said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 3:42 pm

Sounds like a real douchebag to me. Still I’d let him tea bag me.
Louise Pool said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 3:58 pm

- Chris. I basically agree that it should arise naturally, but as a very shy teenager I worked at appearing cool, calm and collected by adopting all the postures and mannerisms Clay describes. It didn’t feel natural at all at the time, but the more I practiced the more relaxed and confident I actually became. After a while, it wasn’t just second nature, but “first nature”. It works both ways, I think - by relaxing the body, the mind/soul can become relaxed as well. (Btw, my teenage years are long gone and I’m a cool calm and collected forty-something.)
www.ntopics.com said,

Wrote on April 16, 2008 @ 6:37 pm

The James Dean Guide to Being a Body Language Bad*ss | The Growing Life | Alternative Productivity, Anti-Hacks for Living…

TheGrowingLife.com — Lessons from Jimmy on how to be a body language bad*ss (even if you’re not a real bad*ss)….
Kelly@SHE-POWER said,

Wrote on April 17, 2008 @ 12:58 am

I loved Giant and I still think Jimmy Dean epitomizes coolness like no other. Although now that I think of it, Steve McQueen also had a lot of these brooding, intense qualities but in a much manlier form.

Fabulous post and congrats on how well it’s done on Digg.

:) Kelly
JEMi | Tips for Life, Love, You said,

Wrote on April 17, 2008 @ 10:02 pm

haha I’m smitten just reading the description on what the bad*ss ought to be doing

well done dude lol
Will said,

Wrote on April 19, 2008 @ 2:06 pm

“93% of communication is non-verbal.” I don’t know who said that, and I’m not sure if it’s quite that much… but make no mistake that everybody communicates A LOT non-verbally, and being aware of it is a great skill to have.

As for this particular list, a lot of it is very true, but I don’t recommend scowling or staring at people all the time though, because you will get your ass kicked eventually.
Sonia Mascaro said,

Wrote on April 19, 2008 @ 3:07 pm

Great post! Love it!
Hunter Nuttall said,

Wrote on April 24, 2008 @ 10:24 pm

Wow Clay, this is great! Sorry I was on hiatus when it came out, but I guess a late Digg is better than no Digg.
Desika Nadadur | I Am My Own Master said,

Wrote on April 27, 2008 @ 2:51 pm

Clay,

Did James Dean suffer from Spinal health problems? He had terrible posture.

My opinion is that if we change how “we feel” about “ourselves,” that will automatically show up in our body language. But, if we just pretend, only that pretension becomes evident. BTW, I am not saying James Dean is pretending; he probably felt what is expressing.

Well, it is my opinion, anyway.

Thanks,
Desika
tsims said,

Wrote on April 29, 2008 @ 8:11 am

Great post!

I also like the move he does with his hat in the top video:

Step 1: wear cowboy hat tilted forward, minding your own business
Step 2: offer acknowledgement of another by pushing the had back and giving them a quick confident gaze

* be sure to perform the above steps while maintaining Rules #1 & 2
Tyler @ Building Camelot said,

Wrote on April 29, 2008 @ 3:31 pm

I feel cooler already! Thanks for a great post and I love all the pictures - good job!
gold digger said,

Wrote on April 29, 2008 @ 5:01 pm

great post! congrats on being editors choice on the first manival!
Gary said,

Wrote on April 30, 2008 @ 4:14 pm

Beg to differ on the leaning/draping issue. Slouching and not being able to hold yourself upright makes you a lazy*ss. I don’t remember ever seeing John Wayne holding up a wall. The same for Sean Connery, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Steve McQueen, or any Ranger, Marine or SEAL.
Alex | Livingwish said,

Wrote on May 1, 2008 @ 10:09 am

haha, this is an awesome post. Some of those poses made me laugh for like 20 minutes…Sitting horizontal as possible made the whole article in my opinion. hehe

Im back actually. Had a few things to take care of, and will be a loyal reader once again :)
Hot Quiz said,

Wrote on May 5, 2008 @ 8:39 am

JD was bad to the bone, no doubt, but I believe the horizontal positioning may not be in style as to date
brett said,

Wrote on May 7, 2008 @ 12:45 am

this guy is not badass
jimmy dean said,

Wrote on May 9, 2008 @ 6:04 pm

[…] […]
Rich said,

Wrote on May 15, 2008 @ 3:57 am

Cool
kadavy said,

Wrote on May 15, 2008 @ 1:03 pm

I agree with @Hot Quiz. This type of behavior may have been cool and rebellious back in the day, but it’s been so copied over the years that having good posture and being polite is rebellious enough to perhaps be considered “bad ass.”
Mikey said,

Wrote on May 18, 2008 @ 5:52 am

Holy crap
Sarah said,

Wrote on May 20, 2008 @ 5:20 pm

hahahaha
clay, it’s highly amusing to see this actually written out in blog-form. very funny.

however, i feel it is my womanly duty to say that i sure hope there aren’t any guys out there taking this seriously!! i completely disagree with achieving bad-assedness through horizontal posturing.
personally, for me, (and i think other women out there will agree), there’s nothing sexier than a man who is just natural, listens, and, ahem, LEANS TOWARD me while i am talking. ;)

but…i dunno, maybe that’s just me.
koda said,

Wrote on July 4, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

sarah… it is just you. girls don’t fall for that crap. if guys are too easy, girls don’t bite the bait