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we discuss this lets look at comparable displays in other animals
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Submissive and Dominant Displays in Animals
Dominant and submissive displays occur in almost all animal species from insects to fish to the
great apes Threatening intimidation displays are meant to impress making the animal bigger
or emphasizing its physical dominance They involve bristling hair ruffling feathers raising skin
folds baring teeth displaying horns emitting loud sounds making quick and powerful
movements and adopting exaggerated postures
When a western silverback gorilla wants to intimidate a rival he will start throwing objects
pounding his chest kicking his legs and running sideways when approached The fur of
dominant chimps stands on end to make them appear larger and they walk with exaggerated
weight They gallop run in circles hit things perform somersaults and produce a wide range of
loud barking and hooting vocalizations
Dominant lizards perform pushups bobbing their heads up and down displaying their
muscles and athletic prowess for others to see This display shows off the bright coloring on
their throats and sides and indicates that they are in prime physical condition Many male
lizards raise themselves on their legs and arch their backs to signify territorial dominance And
remember lizards are not utterly distinct from people Three hundred million years ago before
mammals our ancestors were reptiles crawling the earth We have inherited many of our most
primal instincts and social signalsas well as the structure of the oldest and most reflexive
parts of our brainsfrom these miniature dragons This inheritance is the reason that the
dominance displays of modern reptiles seem so familiar
illustration A Common lizard B Tyrannosaurus rex C Iguana
Submissive displays on the other hand usually make the animal look smaller and
weaker They involve bowing cowering stooping shaking and exerting efforts to minimize the
appearance of physical assets Some animals have bizarre ritualistic signals as with some lizard
species that display submission by raising a front leg and waving it in a slow circular motion
Like a loyal subject genuflecting in the presence of royalty chimpanzees with poor fighting
records cower immediately during a confrontation They shrink down and whimper They may
vomit their legs shake and their posture collapses
For the most part these displays are hardwired For example young male rhesus monkeys
that have never been exposed to adult males will give subordination displays instinctively when
they first encounter them They involuntarily bow the head and adopt a bentover posture We
dont realize it or think about it but our subordination displays are similarly instinctive
Chapter Optimal Quality of Life Training
Submissive Displays in Apes Dominant Displays in Apes
Withdrawal flight crouching screaming
gaze aversion ceasing activity freezing
grimacing or grinning peeking trembling
pulling the limbs close to the body moving
out of the way of dominant members and
startling in response to their actions
Openmouthed threat nostril flare direct
stare thumping the ground lunging tense
mouth strutting mounting chasing
yawning genital display chestbeating
sprawling gnashing teeth barkingroaring
destroying vegetation breaking up fights
dragging branches drumming on trees
Table Common Hierarchical Displays Used by Chimps
Bonobos Gorillas Orangutans and Gibbons
Too often being fair fun and friendly toward others involves suboptimal displays This is
because the neural circuits responsible for submissive behavior were repurposed by natural
selection to help us get along Just as adult pair bonding in mammals evolved from the same
brain machinery that was initially responsible for creating the motherinfant bond so many of
our affiliative instincts evolved from submissive displays
Involuntary Submissive Displays are the Source of Our Stress
Ordinarily we dont use optimal postures because we are afraid they will be threatening to
others This is why for instance we rarely stand completely straight or lift our hands above our
heads This is unfortunate because when authentic and combined with positive affect
dominant displays can be calming and reassuring to people around us Any good leader uses
them to this effect But because most of us never learn to use dominant displays in positive
ways we grow up associating them with bad experiences For instance classmates might have
seen us walking with our heads up taken offense and tried to intimidate us into adopting a
compliant headdown posture Experiences like these are the reason that performing optimal
displays makes you breathe shallowly and become tense
The table below lists submissive suboptimal displays and their dominant optimal
counterparts These are just a handful of those considered in this book but they are a good
start While reading the table below make a mental determination of which displays you use
most and to what extent Think about how you employ these displays in different scenarios
such as when you are by yourself at home when you are with friends and when you are
in public
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Submissive Display Dominant Display
Breathing short quick shallow uneven
and through the mouth
Breathing long slow deep smooth and
through the nose
Muscles tense and strained
Muscles calm and relaxed
Eyes looking down
Eyes looking up
Darting gaze
Eyes capable of holding a prolonged gaze
Minimized eye contact
Steady eye contact
Eyes blinking
Eyes unblinking
Eyes squinting
Eyes wide open
Raised eyebrows
Relaxed eyebrows
Face tense and wincing
Face completely relaxed
Jaw and chin tense
Jaw and chin completely relaxed
Trembling movement
Smooth steady movement
Flinching and startling
Zero flinch or startle

we discuss this lets look at comparable displays in other animals

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

Submissive and Dominant Displays in Animals

Dominant and submissive displays occur in almost all animal species from insects to fish to the

great apes Threatening intimidation displays are meant to impress making the animal bigger

or emphasizing its physical dominance They involve bristling hair ruffling feathers raising skin

folds baring teeth displaying horns emitting loud sounds making quick and powerful

movements and adopting exaggerated postures

When a western silverback gorilla wants to intimidate a rival he will start throwing objects

pounding his chest kicking his legs and running sideways when approached The fur of

dominant chimps stands on end to make them appear larger and they walk with exaggerated

weight They gallop run in circles hit things perform somersaults and produce a wide range of

loud barking and hooting vocalizations

Dominant lizards perform pushups bobbing their heads up and down displaying their

muscles and athletic prowess for others to see This display shows off the bright coloring on

their throats and sides and indicates that they are in prime physical condition Many male

lizards raise themselves on their legs and arch their backs to signify territorial dominance And

remember lizards are not utterly distinct from people Three hundred million years ago before

mammals our ancestors were reptiles crawling the earth We have inherited many of our most

primal instincts and social signalsas well as the structure of the oldest and most reflexive

parts of our brainsfrom these miniature dragons This inheritance is the reason that the

dominance displays of modern reptiles seem so familiar

illustration A Common lizard B Tyrannosaurus rex C Iguana

Submissive displays on the other hand usually make the animal look smaller and

weaker They involve bowing cowering stooping shaking and exerting efforts to minimize the

appearance of physical assets Some animals have bizarre ritualistic signals as with some lizard

species that display submission by raising a front leg and waving it in a slow circular motion

Like a loyal subject genuflecting in the presence of royalty chimpanzees with poor fighting

records cower immediately during a confrontation They shrink down and whimper They may

vomit their legs shake and their posture collapses

For the most part these displays are hardwired For example young male rhesus monkeys

that have never been exposed to adult males will give subordination displays instinctively when

they first encounter them They involuntarily bow the head and adopt a bentover posture We

dont realize it or think about it but our subordination displays are similarly instinctive

Chapter Optimal Quality of Life Training

Submissive Displays in Apes Dominant Displays in Apes

Withdrawal flight crouching screaming

gaze aversion ceasing activity freezing

grimacing or grinning peeking trembling

pulling the limbs close to the body moving

out of the way of dominant members and

startling in response to their actions

Openmouthed threat nostril flare direct

stare thumping the ground lunging tense

mouth strutting mounting chasing

yawning genital display chestbeating

sprawling gnashing teeth barkingroaring

destroying vegetation breaking up fights

dragging branches drumming on trees

Table Common Hierarchical Displays Used by Chimps

Bonobos Gorillas Orangutans and Gibbons

Too often being fair fun and friendly toward others involves suboptimal displays This is

because the neural circuits responsible for submissive behavior were repurposed by natural

selection to help us get along Just as adult pair bonding in mammals evolved from the same

brain machinery that was initially responsible for creating the motherinfant bond so many of

our affiliative instincts evolved from submissive displays

Involuntary Submissive Displays are the Source of Our Stress

Ordinarily we dont use optimal postures because we are afraid they will be threatening to

others This is why for instance we rarely stand completely straight or lift our hands above our

heads This is unfortunate because when authentic and combined with positive affect

dominant displays can be calming and reassuring to people around us Any good leader uses

them to this effect But because most of us never learn to use dominant displays in positive

ways we grow up associating them with bad experiences For instance classmates might have

seen us walking with our heads up taken offense and tried to intimidate us into adopting a

compliant headdown posture Experiences like these are the reason that performing optimal

displays makes you breathe shallowly and become tense

The table below lists submissive suboptimal displays and their dominant optimal

counterparts These are just a handful of those considered in this book but they are a good

start While reading the table below make a mental determination of which displays you use

most and to what extent Think about how you employ these displays in different scenarios

such as when you are by yourself at home when you are with friends and when you are

in public

PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body

Submissive Display Dominant Display

Breathing short quick shallow uneven

and through the mouth

Breathing long slow deep smooth and

through the nose

Muscles tense and strained

Muscles calm and relaxed

Eyes looking down

Eyes looking up

Darting gaze

Eyes capable of holding a prolonged gaze

Minimized eye contact

Steady eye contact

Eyes blinking

Eyes unblinking

Eyes squinting

Eyes wide open

Raised eyebrows

Relaxed eyebrows

Face tense and wincing

Face completely relaxed

Jaw and chin tense

Jaw and chin completely relaxed

Trembling movement

Smooth steady movement

Flinching and startling

Zero flinch or startle