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The World Cup has left us endless gestures like those on the court and in the stands.
A player draws the bow, fails and the reaction is usually the same: hands to the head, look up at the sky and the face of frustration.
But this gesture is so universal that we sometimes practice group almost orchestrated, in the stands and also at home.
The picture below is a good example
This body language so common in sports is also reflected in other events of daily life, for example, seeing how delicate something is falling or witnessing a situation of danger when someone crosses the street.
What leads (almost) everyone to do the same? The answer to several branches of science
Psychology
According to Professor Jessica Tracy of the University of British Columbia, the gesture has a clear meaning.
"It's Shame" ] He explained to the American newspaper the New York Times that he was also interested in the subject.
"The contracted body, the arms around the head that make you almost look smaller, are clbadic signs of shame," says Tracy.
But why hands to the head and not to another part of the body?
The explanation is offered by Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at Harvard.
Instinctively, when human beings feel threatened or something surprises us, we raise our hands to protect ourselves . And it's something we learn from babies, he explains.
We protect our heads in a shock or shock situation automatically because it is the most functional part of our body, says Keltner.
Zoology
Desmor Morris zoologist also cataloged This gesture is one of the most common to express failure. But not only the failure of oneself.
The reason why those who attend the failure also take the hand to the head is related to empathy towards the other he says in his studies on body language.
Morris also points out that this gesture is a means of seeking solace by physical contact when there is no one around us who can offer us this contact.
He is also common among primates, he says.
Variants
Although it is a universal gesture, there are also small variations, says historian David Goldblat
. Go back and look at the sky looking for some explanations on the bad result of our exploit.
Others cover their eyes, ears or mouth. Or they cover their entire faces with their shirts, as many players do.
This is an even clearer sign of embarrbadment
And a signal that we all understand.
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