What does finger pointing mean? I just got a call from Salon.com. The journalist was interested in knowing what Obama's finger pointing meant. Obama is a masterful speaker and often plans open handed finger pointing in his speeches to emphasize his strong feeling about a particular issue. It is most interesting to me when he uses it in response to a tough question, as then it shows his desire to "shoot" the questioner.
Here is an excerpt from my book on the topic.
Here is an excerpt from my book success signals. I would love a link to the article.
Pointing
One of the first things most of us learned about body language is it’s not polite to point. Why? Pointing is a potent gesture of power, a symbolic weapon. When you make a fist and thrust your finger out you’re symbolically shooting someone. It’s threatening.
When Bill Clinton turned to the nation, pointing his finger and said, “I never had sex with that woman,” he was lying. This is often the case, especially during testimony in front of congressional committees. So, does pointing a finger mean you are lying? Absolutely not. The average Joe would never do that. In fact, when I teach law enforcement, I say pointing can be a sign that someone’s telling the truth because they are passionately defending themselves. I see pointing used by powerful men who are used to getting their way and who have lied successfully in the past. They use it when they are cornered to defend themselves by counterattack. Speakers use a different version of pointing to show conviction of thought.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel
