Baseline and Deviation Reading
Forget the tells. Establish normal, then watch for the break.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 88%
Dreeke deliberately refuses to teach specific tells, calling the generic approach easier and more reliable. When you first interact with anyone you automatically establish a baseline of their normal behaviour — and while they're sharing their own thoughts, opinions and challenges, you're watching that baseline in comfort. When you start sharing your own anecdotes, watch the face area for deviation from that baseline. Deviation is the signal. The reason this matters is chemical: as you share and get accepted non-judgmentally, your own brain floods you with dopamine and screams keep going, keep going. The baseline is your only external check on that impulse. On deviation, either apologise or bounce back with 'enough of me — I'm curious, what do you think about what I just said?'
Origin
Asked about specific tells like rapid blinking that Chase Hughes teaches, Dreeke deliberately went generic — 'I'm gonna be a lot more generic on this because it's a lot easier' — offering baseline-and-deviation as the accessible version for non-professionals.
Core principles
- 01You establish a baseline automatically the moment you first interact with someone.
- 02Deviation from their normal is the signal, not any specific tell.
- 03Your own dopamine is the enemy — sharing feels good and keeps you going past their interest.
- 04Share as much as they want, not as much as you want.
- 05A deviation is a cue to bounce back to them, not to double down.
How to run it
- 1
Let them talk first and take the baseline
While they share their thoughts, opinions and challenges, you're seeing a normal baseline of what their comfort looks like. This happens automatically on first interaction.
- 2
Share only when requested
Share your anecdotes and stories when it's a priority of theirs to know you better — not when you feel like it. Share as much as you think they want, not what you want.
Pro tip If someone asks you a question, that's the request. Answer it and calibrate.
- 3
Watch the face for deviation while you talk
Just look at the face area. Is everything maintained at the same baseline, or is there a deviation? Watch for minimal encouragers telling you to continue.
Watch out Your dopamine is flowing because you're being accepted non-judgmentally. Your brain will say keep going, keep going, keep going. It's lying to you.
- 4
Bounce back on deviation
On any sign of boredom or discomfort, either apologise for something you might have said inappropriately, or bounce: 'enough of me, I really apologise — I'm curious, what do you think about what I just said?'
Pro tip You can still discuss your own topic — you've just converted it into seeking their thoughts and opinions, which keeps the conversation going and demonstrates value.
In the wild
Asked whether rapid blinking means boredom and what other tells to look for, Dreeke declined to list tells and gave the baseline method instead, on the grounds that it's a lot easier to run.
→ A method any non-professional can execute in the first minute of any conversation, without a body-language catalogue.
Common mistakes
Trusting your own dopamine
When you share and are accepted, your brain rewards you and tells you to keep going. That signal is about you, not about them — the baseline is the only honest check.
Hunting for specific tells
Dreeke deliberately avoids the tell-by-tell approach. Chasing individual cues is harder and less reliable than noticing that someone has moved off their own normal.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone who struggles to calibrate how much to share, or who's been told to 'read the room' without a method.
Not ideal for
Text-only or asynchronous communication where no non-verbal baseline exists.
From the transcript
“when you first interact with any human being you've automatically established a baseline of what their normal behavior is and so what you want to…”
“your brain is now starting to say this is good for me because you're sharing and you're being accepted non-judgmentally ... so your brain is…”
“you share when they want you to share don't share when you want to share is the best way to put it”
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