Here are some interesting body language comments from others:
Body language reveals the naked truth
By Allan Markin - Penticton Western News - February 28, 2008
We communicate with each other in many ways. I find our body language the most interesting, perhaps because our physical messages often occur without our realizing it.
Body language can tell us what a person is really like. I’ve been watching Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaign for the Democratic nomination to become the next U.S. president, sure to happen unless the Democrats foul things up as they have done in the past. Remember the fiasco a few years ago when their super delegates chose Walter Mondale?
Now that Obama has taken the lead and is enjoying a surging campaign, Hillary’s body language has been showing signs of desperation. She still smiles sweetly, like somebody’s mom. Then, eyes aglow with disdain and fury, she launches into vituperative attacks on Obama, looking and sounding like a stern mother scolding a son who stayed out past curfew time and came home drunk.
Indeed, where once she looked directly at Obama when he was speaking, suggesting that she had real interest in what he was saying, now she turns away, as if to convey the message that he’s not worth listening to. This body language indicates arrogance, disrespect and feigned self-confidence — messages that will not bolster a faltering campaign.
Someone should tell her that such behaviour is not presidential. True leadership means being magnanimous and rising above small-minded petulance. Obama, to his credit, has been measured and calm in his responses. His body language continues to convey quiet confidence and poise. He looks presidential, even now when the heat on him has been turned up and the scandal-mongering that plagues American politics has emerged from the political slime.
Sometimes body language makes me angry. Recently I watched Elmer Mckay, former MP and cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney’s government, testifying before the Commons Ethics Committee regarding the Mulroney-Schreiber affair. Mr. Mackay should be ashamed of his juvenile behaviour.
He slouched arrogantly in his chair like an unrepentant high school student in the principal’s office. He smirked. He played with his glasses. He shrugged. He smiled sweetly. His nonchalant attitude was quite disrespectful of the committee and its chair. I hope the affair becomes a full public inquiry when individuals like Mackay will be under oath and their arrogance won’t be allowed to slight the serious business of this country.
On the lighter side of things, let’s take a quick trip to Russia so I can share some of my observations of body language on Moscow streets. Beautiful young Russian women sure can walk. It’s worth the price of air fare just to watch them slide along the sidewalk, silky and stylish, like they were walking down the catwalk at a high-fashion house in Paris.
I have finally figured out what draws me to the body language of Russian women. Unlike North American women, who seem to prefer keeping their torso still during their peregrinations, when Russian women walk they lead with their pelvis, as if to declare to the whole world that Russian women don’t all look like tractors.
Body Language and the Democratic Debate by Dr Nick Morgan 2/1/08
What can the non-verbal communications from Senators Obama and Clinton tell us about the debate last night?
Overall, they performed well. They are two consummate professionals who waited respectfully while the other was talking, said their own bits with minimal fuss, and generally played nice. They were trying hard to get along, and mostly they did. Their non-verbal cues suggest that Obama is a big-picture thinker, impatient with details, and Clinton is a manager who loves to get down in the weeds of policy. Of course, their verbal messages say that too.
But there were a few revealing moments. When Senator Obama responded to the question about a "dream team" of the two of them as President and Veep, Senator Clinton listened hard, turning directly toward him for the first and only time that evening. When he refused to rule out the idea of the joint ticket, saying it was premature and presumptuous, she visibly relaxed, then moved toward him very slightly as he continued to answer.
Conclusion: the Clinton camp HAS thought about asking Obama to be the V-P, and it's still on the table. Depending, of course, on how things go. You heard it here first.
When the debate was finished, Obama stood up and helped Clinton with her chair. Depending on your perspective, this was either a) a nice, gentlemanly thing to do; b) a calculated, sexist put-down; or c)an unscripted attempt to take charge.
The only moment during the debate when Clinton showed real passion was on the immigration issue. She decried a Republican bill to criminalize any attempt to help an illegal alien in passionate terms: "That would have criminalized Jesus Christ and the Good Samaritan."
Conclusion: She's really hot about helping those less fortunate, and working through the system. She's a true product of her church and the system.
ELECTION TELLS (British) Date and Author Unknown
Politicians are getting more and more aware of the impact of how they say things rather than what they say. And we all respond more powerfully and subconsciously to body language than we realise. So where does that leave us when we have to make a decision about who's going to run the country for the next five years? That's right - confused. Do their policies and their personalities match up? Are we blinded to what they're really saying by how they're saying it? The truth about people's relationships and their thoughts is always evident in those actions that they can't control or which they don't know they're producing. Here's a handy guide to the election tells of the 3 main party leaders to help you decide when the wool is being pulled over your eyes!
Tony BlairTony is the consummate politician, difficult to fluster and smooth talking. But there are some interesting leaks and tells that he makes which reveal what he's really thinking.The mug shot - Tony likes to be seen holding a mug. It makes him look workmanlike, a man of the people.Finger puppet - When Tony is making a point emphatically he will often press his thumb onto his forefinger while talking. This is reflection of him symbolically taking control of an issue he's discussing. However, when he is anxious he will play with his little finger.Smile - In this election, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown can be seen frequently smiling and looking at each other while they are speaking. However, you can see from the way that Gordon bites his lip when Tony is challenged that he is secretly amused, trying to control a smile. You can also see when Gordon is speaking that Tony often has his mouth open, a sign that he would rather be doing the talking. Are they as united as they seem?
There are a bunch of House of Commons video clips of Blair at this site:
http://keeptonyblairforpm.wordpress.com/video-pmqs-prime-ministers-questions-house-of-commons/
Facial symmetry
Facial symmetry is attractive to us and when the face is animated we look for matching of the each side of the face that is what is going on the right side to match what is going on the left side and matching of the top and bottom of the face. The top of the face from the middle of the eyes up is under less conscious control so if we are looking at someone and the top of the face is doing one thing and the bottom another we may know they are laying or we may just feel uncomfortable.
You’re More Expressive Half
When most people smile or frown, the left half of their face (which is controlled by the right brain) is more emotionally expressive. If you were to cover up half of your face and look in the mirror, you would notice distinct emotional differences in expression. Research studies of people looking at photographs of faces show that when people expose more of their right cheek (the public face) they show less emotion. Exposing more of the left side of the face shows more emotion. When people speak or think emotionally, the eyes tend to dart to the left, and the left arm becomes more active. If someone says, "Let’s talk about it now," the right brain analyzes the paralanguage to determine whether talking about it now will be a fun or perhaps painful experience. And the left emotional side of the face shows it.
You’re More Expressive Half
When most people smile or frown, the left half of their face (which is controlled by the right brain) is more emotionally expressive. If you were to cover up half of your face and look in the mirror, you would notice distinct emotional differences in expression. Research studies of people looking at photographs of faces show that when people expose more of their right cheek (the public face) they show less emotion. Exposing more of the left side of the face shows more emotion. When people speak or think emotionally, the eyes tend to dart to the left, and the left arm becomes more active. If someone says, "Let’s talk about it now," the right brain analyzes the paralanguage to determine whether talking about it now will be a fun or perhaps painful experience. And the left emotional side of the face shows it.
Rudy Guiliani's Body Language
Rudy Giuliani on FOX news Hanity and Comes smiles and laughs more than the rest of candidates. He does this often after self deprecating statements. The smiles are sincere and laughter relaxed so this would seem to indicate that is comfortable with himself. Of all the presidential candidates I have analyzed his gestures are the most sincere. Watch him and notice that the gestures often come before the words. You may have read in my blog before the sincere feelings come first from the heart and then are shown in are body language and paralanguage and then with say the words that reflect them. The order is feel then show then say. When speaking and standing without a podium he clasps his hands together as he collects his thoughts and then opens them dramatically as the feeling bursts out then the words follow.
His mouth: He uses a mixture of smiling laughing and aggressive weapon like finger pointing when he doesn’t like what he has been asked or what an interviewer says. He is not able to pretend or hold in his emotions.
In two interviews he does a tongue thrust, (where the tongue comes out briefly from the mouth), showing his negative feelings as he talked about Washington administration. It was so interesting to see so many Democratic and Republican candidates showing their disrespect for the current administration with their nonverbal cues.
His mouth goes up on the left side of his face showing he is more emotional than rational in his feelings.
When someone expresses freely around the upper eye and forhead and those expressions “match” the lower part of the face hat we “read” them as being more honest. ( A good reason to be careful of getting botox injections)
Gulliani not only shows a lot of expressiveness in the upper eye and forehead the expressions are a match the rest of his face. Humm. Didn’t know till I read all these candidates that he was the most honest.
His mouth: He uses a mixture of smiling laughing and aggressive weapon like finger pointing when he doesn’t like what he has been asked or what an interviewer says. He is not able to pretend or hold in his emotions.
In two interviews he does a tongue thrust, (where the tongue comes out briefly from the mouth), showing his negative feelings as he talked about Washington administration. It was so interesting to see so many Democratic and Republican candidates showing their disrespect for the current administration with their nonverbal cues.
His mouth goes up on the left side of his face showing he is more emotional than rational in his feelings.
When someone expresses freely around the upper eye and forhead and those expressions “match” the lower part of the face hat we “read” them as being more honest. ( A good reason to be careful of getting botox injections)
Gulliani not only shows a lot of expressiveness in the upper eye and forehead the expressions are a match the rest of his face. Humm. Didn’t know till I read all these candidates that he was the most honest.
John Edwards Body Language
Overall John Edwards is an animated enthusiastic candidate and this combined with his attractiveness make him on the surface a charismatic and appealing candidate.
Nonverbally he quite literally talks out of the side of his mouth. Specifically he smiles and expresses more on the right side of his mouth. This side of the face is controlled by the more logical rational left hemisphere. This pulled up right side of the face is more permanent than Obamas. It shows Edwards is more comfortable being logical and more comfortable when he goes to planned talking points. Talking out of the side of the mouth is a nonverbal aspect I see in other politicians. When someone when we see the twist on the right side it makes it appear that the person is lying and when we see this as a habitual cue or a permanent facial aspect it appears that the person makes a habit of lying. Of course things like strokes can effect facial expression and may effect vice president Cheneys mouth twist.
John Edward eyes open wide and the eyebrows shoot up and his voice gets more animated when he goes to his planned talking points. He also does this unusual movement, he moves upward when he says his preplanned talking points. Specifically, His shoulders come up, his neck stretches up and his head all go up as he gets to a planned talking point.
Nonverbally he quite literally talks out of the side of his mouth. Specifically he smiles and expresses more on the right side of his mouth. This side of the face is controlled by the more logical rational left hemisphere. This pulled up right side of the face is more permanent than Obamas. It shows Edwards is more comfortable being logical and more comfortable when he goes to planned talking points. Talking out of the side of the mouth is a nonverbal aspect I see in other politicians. When someone when we see the twist on the right side it makes it appear that the person is lying and when we see this as a habitual cue or a permanent facial aspect it appears that the person makes a habit of lying. Of course things like strokes can effect facial expression and may effect vice president Cheneys mouth twist.
John Edward eyes open wide and the eyebrows shoot up and his voice gets more animated when he goes to his planned talking points. He also does this unusual movement, he moves upward when he says his preplanned talking points. Specifically, His shoulders come up, his neck stretches up and his head all go up as he gets to a planned talking point.
Presidential Debates
As a body language expert for the last 25 years I was asked by Fox and Friends to analyze the republican candidates last night during the debates. I discussed their nonverbal cues live as a guest on Fox and Friends this morning at 7:15.
There was so much more to say, but specifically I wanted to say that viewers should be aware that “Charisma” factors and other nonverbal elements sometimes override our ability to really hear a candidate’s verbal message.
We tend to look for cues of Credibility, Likeability, Attractiveness and Level of Dominance (Power). I misspoke this morning and said Romney was high on Attractiveness and Credibility, rather than Attractiveness and Likeability. Most critics said that Romney won the debates last night. Well he was the tallest candidate, giving him nonverbal power. (The taller of the last two candidates in the presidential race typically wins.) And he was by far the most attractive candidate. Even his deep resonant voice is pleasing. And he smiles a lot and last night successfully used his smile to not look irritated when Chris Mathews gave him a hard time. Yet he has a habitual nonverbal cue that makes him look like a liar or a least a waffeler on the issues. When I taught interviews and interrogation techniques to law enforcement officers one the key signs that someone is lying is making an affirmative statement while shaking your head no. Again this is a reliable cue of deceit. When the verbal and the nonverbal message disagree we read the nonverbal cue as the honest cue as it is under less conscious control and not as easily manipulated.
There was so much more to say, but specifically I wanted to say that viewers should be aware that “Charisma” factors and other nonverbal elements sometimes override our ability to really hear a candidate’s verbal message.
We tend to look for cues of Credibility, Likeability, Attractiveness and Level of Dominance (Power). I misspoke this morning and said Romney was high on Attractiveness and Credibility, rather than Attractiveness and Likeability. Most critics said that Romney won the debates last night. Well he was the tallest candidate, giving him nonverbal power. (The taller of the last two candidates in the presidential race typically wins.) And he was by far the most attractive candidate. Even his deep resonant voice is pleasing. And he smiles a lot and last night successfully used his smile to not look irritated when Chris Mathews gave him a hard time. Yet he has a habitual nonverbal cue that makes him look like a liar or a least a waffeler on the issues. When I taught interviews and interrogation techniques to law enforcement officers one the key signs that someone is lying is making an affirmative statement while shaking your head no. Again this is a reliable cue of deceit. When the verbal and the nonverbal message disagree we read the nonverbal cue as the honest cue as it is under less conscious control and not as easily manipulated.
Romney does it all the time. I have watched hours and hours of his speeches before last night and couldn’t believe it. Last night Romney said, “The American People are the greatest people in the world.” while he shook his head no. Then followed he followed this statement with something like, “The hearts of the American people are the greatest…”, while shaking his head no. And then said, “American is the greatest nation on earth.” while shaking his head no. Typically, someone who does this habitually lies or often waffles on his statements. It will be interesting to see this and other candidate’s nonverbal cues as they continue to speak.
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