Thursday, June 21, 2012

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1896:
IMF Managing Director - Christine Lagarde
Pseudo-Prayer & Pursed Lips































Pictured here is Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She replaced Dominique Strauss-Khan after his abrupt fall from grace and is ranked by Forbes as the ninth most powerful woman in the World. But she has a poor poker face.

The "Pseudo-prayer" can signal several meanings. Like all nonverbal communication - it is crucial to decode other co-existing body language with which it is clustered.

When you see a pseudo-prayer gesture, it's a good idea to look at the eyes and mouth for clues. Although from this angle it is a bit difficult to tell, Ms. Lagarde's eyelids are slightly closed - in this context (see below) this partial closure is significant of contempt-arrogance-distancing.

The IMF MD's mouth demonstrates a moderate amount of lip-pursing. A lip purse is an extremely valuable nonverbal tell. It's a highly reliable beacon that the person has considerable disagreement with what she/he is hearing, has an alternative plan/idea - and is (usually) keeping their opinion to themselves (at least for the time-being). There is a high likelihood that the lip-purser will institute their plan in a clandestine manner - or at least arrange the "game pieces" ahead of time - such that their actions will have increased probability of success. Only a "relative alpha" makes a lip-purse - they are a perceived (perhaps only self-perceived) superior within the group/context. In short, the lip purse is a body language signal of clandestine disagreement with an action plan. Watch out.

Thus Ms. Lagarde's pseudo-prayer is a variation that many of those in power and/or in leadership positions misuse. It's a cousin of the "conventional high steeple" and it's patronizing and condescending - particularly when there is an up-and-down chopping motion of the hand & forearms. It's a potent rapport destroyer.

See also:
Analysis # 1083: Brewer's MAPs Flag Foreboding

Analysis # 119: Pseudo Prayer in Thailand' Prime Minister

Analysis # 1138: Jennifer Hudson's Whitney Houston Tribute

Analysis # 1181: Helle Thorning-Schmidt & her False Praying Gesture


Analysis # 1698: Susan Rice, Bashar Ja'afari & Kofi Annan's Six Point Peace Plan for Syria

Analysis # 1055: The Subtle Lip Purse - Tom Brady

Analysis # 1715: Jay Carney's Lip Purse - Bin Laden is Dead and General Motors is Alive

Analysis # 9: Nancy Pelosi's Lip Purse

Analysis # 9 - Redux: Condoleezza Rice's Lip Purse

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