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The 7-2-1 Card
Read in seven seconds. Interpret in two. Respond in one move. The whole method on one page, ready to print and keep.
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THE 7-2-1 CARD
Read in seven. Interpret in two. Respond in one.
The 7 · Read what the body shows
- Eyes: where attention lives. A genuine gaze drifts and returns; a fixed stare is performed.
- Hands: open means open, hidden means holding back, self-touch (neck, wrist) means stress.
- Posture: toward is interest, away is leaving. The feet point where the person wants to go.
- Voice: rising pitch is losing control, the volume drop is the real sentence, the pause is the truth.
- Face: the flash before the mask. Contempt, the one-sided lip, is the one to fear.
- Distance: closing in is comfort, backing off is evaluation.
The 2 · Interpret what it means here
- Baseline first: read the deviation, not the pose.
- Cluster: one signal is noise, three is a sentence, five is a confession.
- Context: the same crossed arm means cold, thinking, or "we are done", depending on the room and the person.
- Verdict: when words and body agree, believe them. When they clash, believe the body.
The 1 · Respond the move
- Congruent and open: proceed, they have nothing to hide.
- Warm eyes, hidden hands: the warmth is rehearsed, slow down.
- A stress cluster on one topic: name it gently or steer around it, do not push.
- Contempt aimed at you: the conversation is over, change the frame.
The Four Readers
- Derek scans and decides. Stillness is control. When he moves, it matters.
- Nina connects and broadcasts. Motion is her baseline. When she stops, something is wrong.
- Sam absorbs from the edges. Warmth is default. When Sam goes cold, something is off.
- Claire catalogues from a distance. Control is default. When control cracks, it is real.