How You Hold Your Chopsticks Says a Lot About You

Chopsticks do more than just hold your food.  They mirror how you are feeling and what you are thinking.  And YOU can know what someone is thinking and feeling if you know that the way they hold their chopsticks says a lot about them.  Some of us can read it naturally and others are notoriously oblivious.  Fortunately, with a lttle extra attentiveness, you can learn to read the hidden meanings behind the way a person holds their chopsticks , and with enough practice it can become second nature.

This article is a mere snippet, think of it as an appetizer to whet your appetite, of the soon to be published book by The Chinese Quest on the subject.  We will let you know when you can pre-order your copy as soon as we receive publication confirmation.

Chopstick Tells

Pay attention to how physically close someone holds their chopsticks to you.  The closer they wave their chopsticks in your face, the warmer they are thinking of you.  If you move your hands slightly closer to theirs, and they move theirs even closer to yours, they probably really like you or are very comfortable around you.  By the way, it is considered extremely impolite, to bite at the morsel of food at the end of their chopsticks regardless of how close it comes to your mouth.  Unless of course they offer you a piece first.

Watch the angle that they hold their chopsticks.  Overly tilted chopsticks are either a potential sign of sympathy (or a sign of carpal tunnel syndrome), or if a person smiles while tilting their chopsticks, they are being playful and maybe even flirting (this is not a good time to point out that they have a piece of broccoli stuck between their teeth).

Hand position.  If their hands are held on a plane lower than the tips of their chopsticks,  this indicates that the person might be hiding something.  If their hands are at an angle, it means that they are confused or challenging you.  Think about how a dog slightly tilts their head when trying to understand you.

Mirroring.  If someone mimics the way that you hold your chopsticks, this is a very genuine sign that they are trying to establish rapport with you.  Try change the angle you hold your chopsticks here and there.  If you find that they change theirs similarly, they are mirroring!

Crossed chopsticks.  People who cross their chopsticks are closing themselves to social influence.  It may also indicate that the person is reserved, self-conscious or uncomfortable with their appearance.

Lowering their chopsticks and/or looking down.  A clear indication that they dropped food in their laps.  Try not to guffaw or make a scene.

For more tells, please check out our soon to be published book.  For more information, please contact us.

Do you have any curious dining experiences you would like to share with us?

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!  Chop!”)