Friday, April 1, 2016

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3516: Hillary Clinton, Finger Pointing, Fossil Fuels, Bernie Sanders and Lying - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)






Yesterday in Syracuse, New York, Hillary Clinton became angry at Eva Resnick-Day, affiliated with Greenpeace as well as "350 Action" - after the activist asked her if her campaign will reject money from fossil fuel companies.

Specifically, Secretary Clinton's response was, "I do not have, I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies. I'm so sick. I'm so sick of the Sanders' campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it."

According to Greenpeace, Clinton has taken about $300,000 from people who work for Oil and Gas companies, not the companies themselves.



The finger point display, particularly when coupled with a hand chop is universally (across all cultures and social strata) and extremely negatively received. Indeed, it's one of the more potent rapport destroying nonverbal signals one can make. Thus a candidate who uses this body language, while trying to appear strong and confident, will lose voters - even among those who had previously favored them.

Moreover, the use of such a nonverbal, however justified, will serve to act as a negative feed-back loop on the person using it - reinforcing and elevating their anger (Note Hillary's eyebrows pulled together and lowered, vertical furrows in her forehead, eyelid closure, tension of lower eyelids, mid-face tension, teeth baring, jaw-jut and nostril flaring). Of course, Mrs. Clinton is human and, like the rest of us, entitled to get angry - however if she wants to be elected she should do so with considerable caution.



For these reasons, the index finger (forefinger) point, particularly when using it in conjunction with a hand-chop, should be used very rarely.





Upon more detailed examination, note the contradiction: "I do not have, I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies..."


Mrs. Clinton displays multiple "Finger Point Hand Chops" initially with her right (dominant) hand (four times visibly) and then switches to her left (non-dominant) hand (six times). If Mrs. Clinton had felt the full conviction of her statements, she would have kept using the gesture with her dominant hand rather than switching. In addition, the fact that these actions with her left hand were more forceful and more numerous than her right hand further suggests her less-than-full belief of her own statement. This cluster of nonverbal behavior is strongly suggestive of deception by Secretary Clinton.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3515: Jimmy Kimmel asks Ted Cruz, "Who Do Like Better, Obama or Trump?"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3486: Donald Trump and Chris Christie on Super Tuesday - Display the Same Telling Nonverbal Signal to Same Statement re: Trump's Wall

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3152: Hillary Clinton First Campaign Ad - "Getting Started" 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3511: Ted Cruz Statement Regarding Allegations of Extramarital Affairs - Body Language and Statement Analysis 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3262: Donald Trump, Breast Pumping and Donald's "That's Disgusting"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2672: Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong Un and the Finger-Point Hand-Chop, Body Language from North Korea

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2745: Vladimir Putin Deception regarding Crimea

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3078: Tom Brady, Deflategate, Deception and Body Language

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