This season of The Bachelor has pulled at our heartstrings in more ways than one, with a new fan-favorite headlining the show — Matt James. Aside from his good looks and charm, this North Carolina native offers a sweetness and a softer side than many have seen on the show previously. Viewers have witnessed his cautious and caring behavior, but The List took a deeper look and spoke with body language and relationship expert Nicole Moore about what the current Bachelor reveals without his words.
“Matt James has stolen the hearts of the women on the current season of The Bachelor, but is he ready to give his heart away?” Moore asked. “So far, his body language reveals that, despite his best intentions, he’s cautious, holding back and afraid of getting hurt and hurting others.”
“You might think that someone who signs up to be the Bachelor is ready for love, but that isn’t always the case.,” she said. “Matt James’ body language reveals that he’s still emotionally cautious, leaning back and evaluating women instead of jumping in with his whole heart.” Especially when it comes to sticky situations in which the contestants show their emotions, James struggles to fully reciprocate the level of depth.
A man with a guarded heart, Matt James may not be as ready for love as many think.
Matt James is cautious and on his guard about being hurt
Perhaps a necessary component of becoming the Bachelor, leading with his head rather than his heart has gotten Matt James to where he is on the show today. Particularly since this season has come packed with drama — from the Victoria debacle to Anna’s rumor-starting ways — James has had to rely on his emotional intelligence for many situations.
For instance, “When speaking with MJ about her drama with Jessenia, Matt James sits far away from MJ on the couch. His right shoulder is facing outward and he’s leaned slightly back,” Moore noted. “This body language indicates that he’s leaning back and evaluating MJ and doesn’t trust her in that moment. Instead of leaning forward to be with her, he’s leaning back out of self-protection.”
Perhaps most telling, “At one point, Matt looks at MJ and can see that she’s crying but he doesn’t reach forward to comfort her. He sits back watching her emotion first and then after she’s cried some more, he takes her hand.”
“His body language clearly indicates that if he feels threatened or like someone might not have his best interest at heart, he’s going to default into self-preservation mode and pull back some of his heart and care for the other person,” Moore contended.
Matt James tries to analyze emotions with intellect and logic, instead of his heart
The latest Bachelor’s analytical mind has been on full display for the viewers to see during season 25. Between balancing the emotions of two dozen women and attempting to find his forever-partner, the 29-year-old clearly uses his head as his first ally.
“Following on James’ tendency to pull back and analyze when there’s stronger emotions involved, you can see on his one-on-one date with Piper that Matt goes into his head as soon as strong emotions come out,” Moore explained. “On the date, Piper started tearing up about lack of love from her family and Matt James once again, didn’t move his body any closer to the person feeling the emotion. His body language on his face demonstrated concern via his forehead, which crinkled and furrowed around his brow. He also touched Piper’s knee.”
Moore claims that James also struggles when it comes to disappointing people: “On the one-on-one date with Katie, when she says, ‘I’m here for you through it all,’ Matt smiles and he’s genuinely touched by what Katie said. But later when she says, ‘I’m very hopeful that my love story is your story and I’m here until the end if you want me to be’, there’s a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in Matt’s energy.” It appears that disappointing Katie makes him uncomfortable as he grapples with his own emotions.
Fans will have to wait and see if the “After the Final Rose” special offers James the chance to debut his healthy relationship with one of the women.
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