Why do we put our head in our hands?
Question
When there is a near-miss when playing sport, why do we put our face in our heads?
Gary, Essex
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: Simon, Mill Hill
Qualification: Therapist
Answer: It is a sub-conscious way to cover your eyes, which people do when they see something they didn’t want to. It’s like when a child covers their mouth when they tell a lie.
** Double Definitive **
Name: Frank, Battersea
Qualification: University of Life
Answer: It’s mirror neurons. We learn things to empathise – smiling for example. In body language, when you do something wrong, you go red, so your peers can see you don’t want to do it. When footballers miss, he’ll want to hide that shame and because we want to empathise with that, we put our head in our hands. And it has to be an empathy like that because if you’re an Arsenal fan and Chelsea miss, you don’t put your head in your hands.
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