Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2773: Chief Justice John Roberts, Election Donations and Suppressed Smiles - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In a 5 to 4 decision, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today to strike down the $123,200 aggregate limit an individual may donate in any two year campaign cycle. While individuals are still limited to a maximum of $5,200 per candidate within an election cycle, they may now donate to as many candidates as they wish.

In the images included here, Chief Justice John Roberts is shown in - what for him is a typical smile. It is his body language "norm". Note that he has a relaxed forehead, partially closed eyelids, dynamic, concave-up furrows in each lower eyelid with upward vectored cheeks.

From a nonverbal perspective, it is important to examine the Chief Justice's mouth - for it shows no teeth at all. Moreover his mouth shows what is a virtually horizontal (straight) thin-lipped configuration.  Justice Roberts virtually always defaults to this expression when trying to smile. Thus although it is indeed partially suppressed - this is a sincere, Duchenne smile of joy-happiness. Depending on the context, this expression can represent a variation of "Duping Delight".

Because of Justice Roberts somewhat atypical mouth configurations, most are inaccurate when assessing his body language.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2772: Mary Barra, General Motors' CEO, Testifies Before Congress - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2546: Miss America Nina Davuluri, A Beautiful Woman - but What of Her Smile?  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2482:  Alex Rodriguez's Sincerity  Body Language of a One-Sided Smile

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1488:  Chief Justice John Roberts'  Bitter-Regret Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2630: Nelson Mandela - Body Language of a Sincere Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2769: Smiling Out of Context in a Mass Shooter - T.J. Lane's Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2474:  Mayor Bob Filner's False Smile -  Insincerity, Body Language and San Diego

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2771: Australian PM Tony Abbott regarding Malaysian Airlines MH370 Search - Body Language Misinterpretations and Regret

_________________________________________________________________________________

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1488: Chief Justice John Roberts' Bitter-Regret Smile

Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, examples here an extremely common body language tell - and a very valuable one in the negotiation process (particularly for a Judge, he has a horrible poker face). Whatever verbal message that is conveyed when/just before/after a person displays such a "Bitter Smile" (Ekman) - it is an absolute that their true emotions are being held back - very often in flavor, and always in amplitude. 

Whenever the verbal and nonverbal messages are in disparity, the nonverbal is representative of what is truly being felt and thought. This particular bitter-regret "smile" guarantees some disparity. 

Believe it or not, we all make this bitter smile much more often than we think. The vast majority of the times, people think they are making a slight, polite smile (a "social smile") - when in actuality our mouths are concave down! (and our eyes are very far from "smiling eyes" - see Secret # 353: Brad Pitt's Smiling Eyes - Sincere and Insincere Smiles). This is yet another profound example of just how much our "emotional-proprioception" is desensitized during moments of negative emotions. In other words, virtually everyone is extremely unaware of just how much anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, vulnerability, etc. are displayed on their faces and bodies. This is very true aspect of human behavior, regardless of whether it's in retrospection or in  real-time.
 

Chief Justice Roberts is rumored to have a genius level I.Q. But remember, I.Q. is an abbreviation for "Intelligence Quotient" - intellectual intelligence, not emotional intelligence or emotional awareness. Ironic to some, those with a lot of formal education, on-average, have considerably less emotional awareness than those with only a high school education. We tend to ride more on our J.D., M.D., Ph.D, MBA, etc. and less on developing and maintaining our interpersonal skills. This is a pit-fall for which many (even most) attorneys, physicians, politicians and C-level executives suffer - they are largely in polite denial. Indeed, the average physician is superior at diagnosis, surgery and running a small business when they're 37, 47 or 57 - but their interpersonal skills very often were better when they were 27. The emperor is naked. 

___________________________________________________________________________________