Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3254: How to Destroy Your Cell Phone With Sen. Lindsey Graham – Touché Donald Trump - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)





Kudos to Lindsey Graham. On Tuesday Donald Trump gave out Graham's personal cell phone number before an audience at a campaign event in South Carolina (Graham's home state). Of course there was no way Senator Graham could continue using that phone number.

Graham's lemon-to-lemonade moment came today when he destroyed multiple flip phones with a meat cleaver, a blender, a golf club, open flames, smashing it with a cinder block, dropping it off a building, with a toaster oven, throwing it - and as shown in this image - hitting it with a practice (wooden) Samurai Katana Sword (training bokken). The clever retort was choreographed well and even set to classical music. When he threw the phone, Graham said, "This is for all the veterans."


It was a comic and tactical response to what most consider Trump's unforgivable act of disclosing private and personal information publicly, indiscriminately and with malice.

From a nonverbal communication perspective, one teachable moment came as the Senator prepared to swing a training bokken (captured here). While the "Inward Lip Roll" (ILR) is seen when the psyche is attempting to prevent both inward crescendos as well as outward displays of strong emotions (e.g. most commonly when trying to suppress anger - yet it's also seen in an attempt to subdue sadness, stifling humor, etc.) - in addition the inward lip roll is very often displayed in the 1-2 seconds prior to a short burst of physical activity (more commonly when there is an arm/hand component).


Such an inward lip roll is seen very commonly just prior to opening a door (intriguing this correlation occurs with a higher frequency if the door is in a more public setting, if it's a new/relatively uncommonly visited building - or with situations when there is higher stress).

If the physical act requires a moderate to high effort - the ILR nearly always occurs prior and NOT during the swinging of the katana, golf club, baseball bat, etc. - or fist (rather at these moments it transitions to a clenching of the teeth/jaw along with a jaw jut). Thus an ILR may give you a split second warning so as to distance yourself from an act of aggression.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3253: John Kasich Formally Announces His Candidacy for President - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3083: Marshawn Lynch Interview, "I'm just here so I won't get fined" - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3111: Dakota Johnson rips into her Mom, Melanie Griffith at Oscars

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3058: Stuart Scott's ESPY Award Speech - a Common Yet Very Under-appreciated Signal of Sadness/Grief Suppression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2289:  Sen. Lindsey Graham grills Chuck Hagel -  Body Language at Senate Confirmation Hearings 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3250: Donald Trump regarding John McCain: "He's no hero" - Body Language Tells us what he really thinks


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