Hands, not eyes, are the windows to the soul, at least that’s the opinion of a French ‘hand consultant’ who claims to be able to determine a person’s temperament just by inspecting their palms.

Juan de Bony, whose eccentric expertise is called biotypologie, has studied more than 10,000 hands, including those of celebrities like Karl Lagerfeld and Charlotte Rampling and says he can tell a person’s strengths and weaknesses just from their clammy, or not so clammy hands.

A wide palm suggests you will be protective of your partner. Cold, moist hands mean you are badly suited for positions of responsibility and long fingernails mean you are practical.

A person whose fingerprint pattern forms a loop is likely to be flexible. A spiral indicates­  perfectionism and determination, while warm, moist hands mean you are a strong salesperson.

Although his work hasn’t been scientifically proven by studies or research, he’s got enough of a reputation that he now holds seminars for businesses like Chanel and hotel group Accor. Staff are asked to study their hands, in order to help them understand what type of personality and work traits they give them.

‘People will go to see the human resources manager and say: ‘Look, I’m not made to be a manager, so stop trying to give me managerial posts. It’s not that I’m trying to be awkward when I turn them down. It’s just my nature,’ de Bony said in an interview with The Australian.

So, the next time your boss asks for that spreadsheet/presentation/why did you take three hours for lunch on Thursday? Just blame it on your hand type…