ESPN's Britt McHenry has become infamous in the last few days. Her berating of a tow company clerk will win her few fans. Besides her dramatic and multiple verbal examples of narcissism, the viral video also provides multiple classic nonverbal teaching points. The camera is not directed at the best angle to illustrated most of these body language/facial expressions - however one tell in particular she repeats and this is isolated and discussed below.
0:48
When asking a sarcastic question, one of a rhetorical nature, or a manipulative (clandestine) question that one already knows (or believes they know) the answer to - the entire eyebrows along with the entire width of the forehead elevate (this premise does not always hold when it's only the inner eyebrows and central forehead). Thus when the entire width of the eyebrows elevate during a question - it indicates insincerity. In this first image (during 0:48 and also somewhat less dramatically below at 0:36), Ms. McHenry is obviously being (among other things) dramatically sarcastic.
0:36
Yet a high percentage of times this nonverbal tell is seen during conversation when sincerity is being feigned and manipulation is ongoing (very often successfully).
Take hope point: When the entire width of the eyebrows elevate during a question - it's a big red flag, for at the very least it indicates insincerity - and very often deception and manipulation. The person asking already knows (or thinks they know) the answer!
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3157: A Body Language Characteristic of Ed Miliband which makes Him Less-Likable
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2424: Giada De Laurentiis on Conan O'Brien Beautiful Teeth but Insincere Smiles and Some Body Language Signals of Waning Love
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3074: A Body Language Tell of Bad Actors and ....
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2275: Lance Armstrong's Insincerity - Body Language revealed in Oprah Winfrey Interview Part III
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3127: Hillary Clinton's Press Conference and a Body Language Down-regulator of Sincerity
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3129: Robert Durst, HBO's "The Jinx" and Body Language
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