Body Language Analysis No. 4083: President Trump, Puerto Rico, and Meeting San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

On Tuesday, President Trump visited Puerto Rico. His trip, of course, was in response to Hurricane Maria. The storm was the strongest to hit this US Territory since 1928 (which thankfully, had weakened to category 4 at the time of maximum impact). At full strength, it was the tenth strongest Hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin.

President Donald Trump and San Juan's Mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz - had rapidly developed an antagonistic relationship after she criticized the US government's response to the disaster - and he retorted with critical tweets including: "Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help."

What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis President Trump's and Mayor Yulín Cruz's brief interaction. Three different images are evaluated here - captured from varying angles.

The photo above best shows the President's and the Mayor's handshake. Note their respective foot and hip positions. The Mayor's are pointed directly toward the President - while the President's are vectored at a 60˚ - 70˚ angle. This conveys Mayor Yulín Cruz is showing respect for President Trump - but he is projecting no such feelings for her. When we respect another person, we point our feet and our hips toward them.

Mayor Yulín Cruz's feet are positioned slightly less than her shoulder width apart. This configuration shows significant alpha status - conveying her conviction and strength. The fact that only the President's right foot is fully planted - while his left foot up on his toes - shows a significantly more beta emotional tone. The President's stance is "off-balance" and weak - while the Mayor's is "standing firm" and confident.

Notice also the upright position of Mayor Yulín Cruz's entire body - she is leaning only slight forward "into" the handshake. In contrast, the President is leaning primarily laterally - with his center of gravity considerably forward - over his right foot. This dynamic projects a sloppy nonchalance on the part of President Trump.

Another faux pas in this moment is the barrier of the chair. Either President Trump or Mayor Yulín Cruz should have either moved the chair or stepped around it. Whoever did so would have elevated the respect for the other person. Leaving this obstacle in place is a nonverbal metaphor for the impediments in their relationship.

Another key nonverbal display here is the Mayor's left hand. It's positioned behind her back. This is both a distancing signal (e.g., I don't want to touch you more than I have to) - as well as a confidence (hyper-confidence) display.

This facial expression of President Trump's is indicative of profound Disgust (immediately above).

This last image, taken about 0.5 seconds after the first photo shows the President's face displaying significant Contempt.

Summary: During their brief face-to-face interaction, President Trump felt a high level of disgust and contempt - as well as a low level of respect for San Juan's Mayor, Carmen Yulín Cruz. In this moment, we can't see the Mayor's face - but her body language is projecting respect for the President.

Intriguingly, the although Mayor Yulín Cruz is in a tremendously less powerful position - she displays much more confidence and strength in this moment.


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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4082: Brother of Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas Shooter) 

Body Language Analysis No. 4080: Getting Under Donald Trump's Skin - San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Reacting to Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke

Body Language Analysis No. 4076: Roger Stone Speaks to the Press after House Intelligence Committee Testimony

Body Language Analysis No. 4074: Donald Trump Sends Robert Kraft a Message

Body Language Analysis No. 4056: Ed Sheeran and a Hesitancy to Disclose

Body Language Analysis No. 4048: Lady Di - Ambassador of Empathy

Body Language Analysis No. 3992: Angela Merkel's Eye Roll for Vladimir Putin's Mansplaining

Body Language Analysis No. 3989: Peter Sagan Regarding his Disqualification from the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish's Crash

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3875: Children Interrupt Dad During BBC News interview


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3818: Representative John Lewis: "Donald Trump Won’t Be A ‘Legitimate President' " - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

On Friday on Meet The Press, Chuck Todd interviewed Representative John Lewis (D - GA). A transcript of a portion of that conversation is as follows:

Todd: "You have, ah, forged relationships with many presidents. Do you plan on having a relationship with Donald Trump?"

Lewis: "You know I believe in forgiveness. I believe in trying to work with people. Ah, it's going to be hard, it's going to be difficult. I don't see this President Elect as a legitimate president."

Todd: "You do not see him as a legitimate president."

Lewis: "I, I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Ah, I don't plan on attending the inauguration. It will be the first one that I miss, ah, since I've been in the Congress. You cannot be at home with something that you feel that you feel that is wrong."

Todd: "That's going to send a big message to a lot of people in this country - that you don't believe he's a legitimate president."

Lewis: "I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians and others that helped him get elected. That's not right. That's not fair. That's not - the open democratic process."

As Representative Lewis said, "I don't plan on attending the inauguration", he retracted his head and torso and his blinking duration became prolonged.

Later in this same exchange as John Lewis said, "I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians ...",  he once again retracted his head, neck and torso.

Summary: From a nonverbal perspective Representative Lewis' "pulling back" with his upper body is a form of distancing behavior signaling his disgust and a repulsed emotional tone.



See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2817: President Obama Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction to Joe Biden

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2815: Donald Trump's first Press Conference as President-Elect

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2812: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone & La La Land - Backstage Interview Golden Globes 2017

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3799: Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia - Full Lips and Lip Pursing

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3557: How Megyn Kelly really feels regarding Bill O'Reilly

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3696: Jimmy Kimmel's 2016 Emmys Opening Monologue - Sarah Paulson brought Marcia Clark

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3622: Theresa May's First Speech as Prime Minister

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3441: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Interview regarding Flint's Water Crisis - Is He Being Honest and Sincere?


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3701: Hillary Clinton, Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

When one agrees to make an appearance on Funny or Die's - Between Two Ferns, a particular brand of humor is certainly to be expected. And a person can make the argument that that's exactly what Hillary Clinton was going for with Zach Galifianakis. Many of her supporters will probably say the democratic candidate did a pretty fair job too.

When we slice it thinner though, we see that with an extremely high percentage of the time, whenever Mrs. Clinton sits down for an interview, she sits back, crosses her ankles, crosses or grasps her hands - and leans her head and neck backward.

In the above scenario, there is at least some attempt at humor - but in the situation below she was in an interview with Chris Coumo - who of course hails from a family of democrats and thus one would certainly think is for her a relatively friendly setting. Yet still she has a virtually identical body language cluster.

This is one of Mrs. Clinton's default nonverbal positions - and she needs to change it. She should always use a chair with arms - this gives engenders a much more relaxed and natural feel whether in an interview or sitting alone. Resting elbows and/or forearms on the arms of the chair (at least some of the time) coupled with a forward leaning of the torso, away from the back of the chair will up-regulate her energy, engagement and likability. Intriguingly - such a configuration will also lead to more fluid thought and speech.

The backward tilt of Mrs. Clinton's head and neck in particular evokes the age-old colloquial: "Looking Down Your Nose". This projects a patronizing and arrogant emotional tone and does not help Hillary win over the swing voters. Moreover it also sends messages of low engagement and low tolerance - e.g., "You're not important to me", "I don't really want to be here" - and even "I don't like you".

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3700: George Clooney comments regarding the News of Brad Pitt's and Angelina Jolie's Divorce

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3698: Hillary Clinton v. Donald Trump in Upcoming Presidential Debates, My Contribution to This Month's Article in "The Atlantic"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3695: Donald Trump, "Take Their Guns away", "Let's see What Happens to Her"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3688: Vladimir Putin, Phone calls, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3683: Milo Yiannopoulos believes trolling is his way of "Doing God's work" 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3672: Jessica Alba, Swass, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3578: Megan Fox, Body Language and Dismissive Emotions

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3478: Donald Trump Jr Does Not Like his Father's Statement, "I Love the Poorly Educated"


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3625: Donald Trump Introduces Mike Pence as his "1st Choice" VP Pick (Not!) - Body Language Signs (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Although he made the announcement via Twitter yesterday, earlier today in New York City, Donald Trump officially introduced Mike Pence as his running mate. It's been widely reported that Trump wanted to back out of this choice at the 11th hour.

What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of this introduction.

In the video above, Trump begins, "I'd would like to introduce a man who I truly [left shoulder shrug] believe will be outstanding in every way ..."

During 0:03 - 0:04, note how Trump's left shoulder shrugs in a very quick and in dramatic fashion. 

A shoulder shrug is a nonverbal signal of: "What does it matter?", "I don't care", "I don't know"  or "What could I do/What choice did I have?"

A shrug may also involve the entire arm, the thumbs, mouth, knees and even the feet.

Trump finishes his sentence (continued immediately from above), "... and will be - the next - Vice President of the United States - Governor Mike Pence, thank you. Thank you everybody. Thank you."

He then displays a combination shrug and his torso turns AWAY from Pence (0:13 - 0:14) This is also very sudden, relatively dramatic and is unnatural in appearance.

This "Torso Turning Away" from the person who he's introducing (and with whom he is supposed to believe is the most qualified to run the country should something happen to him) - is a profound example of disparity between spoken language and nonverbal language. This dynamic shows disrespect for Pence - as well as a lack of confidence in either his VP decision and/or Pence himself.

Whenever the two are incongruous - it's the nonverbal signals which tell the true thoughts and emotions - not the spoken word.

After Trump shakes Pence's hand and pats him/holds Pence's right shoulder (we can't see good detail here), Trump then pat's Pence's left shoulder twice - but not fully. Trump's right hand shows us that he doesn't want to fully touch Pence - look closely. When we pick up a dirty rag, typically we only use our thumb and forefinger - the rest of the fingers "play keep-away". This is a distancing phenomenon/insulating behavior. It also has overtones of disgust. In the video above this is of lower resolution, yet it can still be seen.

In the context of an introduction such as this, it's normal for Pence to look directly at Trump's eyes (or whomever is introducing him). Yet after their hands' hands touch, Trump's eye contact lasts for only for about 1.5 seconds. Thus Trumps spends very little bonding time in this introduction. This is a very symbolic moment and more time should be spent here. This is the public's moment to see them bond - and thus experiencing the bonding vicariously.

Whenever two people meet and shake hands - even if they've met 1000 times, this is an occasion when direct eye contact should occur for 3-4 seconds (whereas in other parts of the ensuing conversation this may feel like a bit like staring, but this is not so during the handshake). To not do so projects a lack of respect (although there can be other reasons - what are some of these?). Because he's formally introducing the potential next vice-president (and even a potential president considering Trump, if elected, would be the oldest first term US president in history), the audience and public should see more warmth and brotherhood in this moment - but simply it's not there.

Unbelievably, Trump then just walks away and leaves Pence alone. The significance of this literal, metaphorical and nonverbal abandonment cannot be over stated - it's a faux pas among faux pas. 

Note that Pence's smile in this moment is sincere, but Trump's facial expression is anything but sincere - not even a remotely. Moreover there is a component of disgust on Trump's face. It's also worth mentioning that Governor Pence has some type of braces on his upper teeth. Many adults wearing braces are very self-conscious and thus find it difficult to smile sincerely.

During another portion of the speech (won't allow embedding however link is here and captured in the image immediately above at the 10:45 mark) of the same event, Trump continues, "Now I think, if you look at, one of the big reason's I chose Mike - and one of the reasons is party unity, I have to be honest. So many people [strong inhalation, disgust display], have said, 'Party Unity', cause I'm and outsider ..."

Incredibly, the song that was playing over the PA just prior to Trump coming on stage was The Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want".

In addition, the primary reason for this speech was introducing Mike Pence, yet Trump spent the vast majority of time discussing other issues.

In summary, Donald Trump displays significant disgust either directly for Pence or about his own choice in Governor Mike Pence as his VP pick. He transmits multiple examples of nonverbal distancing behavior and lack of respect for Pence. Most importantly, Trump's disgust display when he speaks of other people preaching "party unity" implies that he felt significant pressure from outside his team to pick a running mate who was not his first choice.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3624: Terrorist Attack in Nice, France - Body Language of the Perpetrator

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3623: Donald Trump's VP Pick - Mike Pence & Chris Christie

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3503: John Kasich interview regarding Republican Convention

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3309: Delta State University Shooting (Mississippi) Suspect Shannon Lamb - Body Language Red Flags

Negotiation Secret No. 83: Barack Obama - The Subtle Turn-Away

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3539: Conspicuous by it's Absence - Donald Trump's Missing Expression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2688: Bill Belichick at Post-Game Press Conference, His Words are in Disparity with His Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2312: Bruce Willis' Body Language - Contempt vs. Suppressed Smile vs. Pseudo Smile vs. Sincere Smile


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3431: El Chapo, Sean Penn, an Interview and a Handshake - Body Language Tells (PHOTOS)

Photo credit: Sean Penn and Rolling Stone Magazine

In October of 2015, in a meeting brokered by Mexican soap-opera star, Kate del Castillo, Sean Penn rendezvoused with "El Chapo" somewhere in the jungles of Mexico. The American actor penned an 11,000 word article of this interview which was published last night in Rolling Stone.

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán - is of course, the kingpin of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Recently, he was a fugitive after his second prison break in July, 2015 - and may have been the most wanted man in the World. Mr. Guzmán was recaptured by Mexican marines after a gun fight on 8 January 2016 in Los Mochis, a city in Guzmán's home state of Sinaloa.

The image above image was taken at Penn's request for "verification purposes".

Here is an excerpt from the Rolling Stone article:

"I ask to take a photograph together so that I could verify to my editors at Rolling Stone that the planned meeting had taken place. 'Adelante,' he says. We all rise from the table as a group and follow Chapo into one of the bungalows. Once inside, we see the first sign of heavy arms. An M16 lies on a couch opposite the neutral white wall against which we would take the photograph. I explain that, for authentication purposes, it would be best if we are shaking hands, looking into the camera, but not smiling. He obliges. The picture is taken on Alfredo's cellphone. It would be sent to me at a later date."

When a close-up of their handshake is evaluated, we can see that Sean Penn's hand is cupped - such that there is not a full palmar contact (no palm-to-palm touching).

When a hand is cupped in the midst of a handshake, there are three primary underlying considerations:

1. Posing for a handshake
2. An extra firm, squeezing handshake (although certainly not with all firm handshakes)
3. Distancing Phenomenon (see below)

It's of course openly stated that this was a posed handshake (earlier in the same article, Penn mentions their initial handshake-'compandre' hug greeting ("He opens Kate's door and greets her like a daughter returning from college. It seems important to him to express the warm affection in person that, until now, he'd only had occasion to communicate from afar. After greeting her, he turns to me with a hospitable smile, putting out his outstretched hand. I take it. He pulls me into a 'compadre' hug, looks me in the eyes and speaks a lengthy greeting in Spanish too fast for my ears."). There is no photograph (or at least no published one) of this earlier mentioned handshake. 

Looking at Penn's forearm, we can see his grip at this moment is considerable.

The third possible cause for cupping the hand during a handshake is really a related group of emotions. When there is little or no palmar touching - it's a signal of the psyche pulling away from the other person - a significant degree of emotional discomfort is present. Even though this touching occurs within the context of a handshake, there is less touching occurring here compared with that of a warm handshake - and this should never be ignored. Taken in isolation, this particular Distancing Phenomenon indicates Dislike, Disrespect, Distrust, Deception and/or Insincerity/Disengagement (of course these emotions overlap).

The next time you notice yourself shaking someone's hand in this cupped fashion (assuming you're not squeezing too hard and you're not posing for a photo) - ask yourself, "Why?" You'll find the cause among those listed above. If you notice someone who shakes YOUR hand in this manner - especially if it's a repeated behavior, take heed. You've been warned.

Photo credit: Sean Penn and Rolling Stone Magazine
 
See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3430: Jack Sock, Lleyton Hewitt and Sportsmanship

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3017: Narendra Modi, Tony Abbott and Hugs at the G20

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2207: Body Language, Sincerity and Mahmoud Abbas United Nations grants Palestine "Non-member Observer State"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2863: Gary Oldman's Apology on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" - Sincere or Insincere?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2951: Miss America 2015 - Sincerity, Surprise and Botox

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3394: People react to being called beautiful - Body Language of a Sincere Smile  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3214: Chris Pratt, Jurassic World, Bad Acting and a Body Language Red Flag  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2357: Why is this Image so Sexy? Body Language of "Hide & Seek"

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3059: Kiss Cam - Benny the Bull to the Rescue - Distancing Behavior and Tongue-in-Cheek (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Last night the Mascot "Benny the Bull" of the Chicago Bulls came to the rescue of a Boston Celtics fan whose partner was busy on his cell phone and refused to acknowledge the camera, crowd and his girlfriend/wife and needless to say no kissing ensued. She certainly could use a little bit more finesse in her negotiation tactics - and many men would have behaved similarly. Of course we don't know the back story here or relative importance of the phone call.

After being hit and scolded, the man on his mobile phone switches hands and turns away from his partner. In retrospect and with the benefit of a video, most all can see the obviousness of this distancing and disrespectful behavior - the proverbial "Cold Shoulder".

Although it's at the limits of this low resolution image, three seconds later after she turns forward and rotates her head a bit to her left (away from her partner more directly at the camera), she appears to display a "Tongue-in-Cheek" nonverbal with her tongue pushing to her left cheek (also better viewed within the dynamic context of the video). The tongue-in-cheek maneuver may indicate several different emotions depending on the other nonverbals which accompanies it. In this cluster-context it indicates "I just caught you" or "I just won" (Do you know the other meanings?).

Note the man sitting immediately in back of her puts his hand on his mouth/face as he is trying to emotionally process what is going on in front of him (one of many signals of a high empathy quotient).

See also:

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. 2796: Olivia Wilde, Butter, Jon Stewart and the Tongue in Cheek

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2434:  Brad Pitt's Tongue-in-Cheek regarding  Reasons for Choosing to Work on "World War Z"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2352:  Mila Kunis' Tongue in Cheek  Graham Norton Part II

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2748: Tatia Pilieva's Brilliant Video "First Kiss" - Body Language of Romance and Affection

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2987: Tristan Thompson Kisses Sideline Reporter Allie Clifton

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2678: French President François Hollande, Valerie Trierweiler and Julie Gayet - Of Affairs, Affection and Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2649: How a Kiss can Change the World - Body Language of Affection

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3036: Angelina Jolie runs into Amy Pascal after email Hack - Body Language Tells (PHOTOS)

An email hack of Sony Pictures - possibly by North Korea and/or the group "Guardians of Peace" for what may be a retaliation for the content/plot of film, "The Interview" - a fictitious comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco about two reporters recruited by the CIA to kill North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un - led to many leaked emails which, of course, were very embarrassing. In one email, producer Scott Rudin referred to Angelina Jolie as, "a minimally talented spoiled brat" in his discussions with Amy Pascal - Sony Pictures co-chairman.

The above image (wider view below) captures a very awkward accidental meeting between Angelina Jolie and Amy Pascal after an industry breakfast Wednesday morning. In this moment we several very noteworthy nonverbal signals.

Note Jolie's widely open eyelids. With higher levels of anger (rage) human eyes are open very widely. With lesser anger (mild to moderate amounts), the eyes are partially closed with considerably tightened eyelids.

Angelina Jolie is also leaning considerably backwards in this moment, not feeling very warm and fuzzy to a person who thinks so little of her.

Pascal's lips are trying to minimize an outward display of greater emotion as well as an inward crescendo of her emotions - by configuring in what is known as an "Inward Lip Roll" (ILR). Inward lip rolls are seen more often with negative emotions, but they may also occur in the suppression of laughter and joy in socially out-of-context scenarios.

Although this is a still frame and not a video, it is very notable also that Pascal's thumbs are not touching Angelina's arms/shoulders. This distancing phenomenon is another signal that Amy Pascal does not really want to speak with or see, let alone embrace Jolie.

What two emotions are being felt by the woman in the background?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3035: John Wall, Miyah Telemaque-Nelson - and Grief, Empathy & Emotional Pain

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2397:  Angelina Jolie on Motherhood & Her Own Mom  Body Language Tells ....

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2489:  Angelina Jolie and "Maleficent" -  Body Language Signals of Sincerity and Disengagement

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3032: Reaction to Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision to Not Indict Daniel Pantaleo

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2959: The Hunger Games Mockingjay - What makes Donald Sutherland (as President Coriolanus Snow) look so Evil? Body Language Trailer Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1858:  What the Eyes Do - Transitioning from Mild to Severe Anger

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2839: Jonah Hill's Apology on Jimmy Fallon - Sincere or Insincere? - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2673: New Jersey Bridge Closing - Fort Lee, NJ Mayor Mark Sokolich - What His Body Language Says about His Feelings towards Governor Chris Christie

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2850: Hillary Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor and Costco - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Sonia Sotomayor (yes, the Supreme Court Justice) was shopping at Costco today and dropped by to say hello to Hillary Clinton who was there for a scheduled book signing. Mrs. Clinton is on a nation-wide tour promoting her new book, "Hard Choices" - which most speculate is itself a pre-campaign for the 2016 U.S. Presidency.

Mrs. Clinton has not formally announced her bid for the White House. However this brief interaction serves as good body language lesson addressing one of the weaknesses the former Secretary of State's has in building rapport with the electorate.

Note: Since the original writing of this post, the source video has since been deleted from YouTube.

While it Sonia Sotomayor's appearance certainly seems to surprise the former First Lady (Video of event above with photos below), the hug she gave was across a table approximately 30 inches (0.76 meters) wide. Mrs. Clinton was criticized in 2008 for being too business-like as well as for not being warm, approachable and a less-than-friendly version of the "every-woman". In fact, when she teared up at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (7 January 2008 - Video Below) - it was a key moment in her campaign - as she enjoyed a significant boost in the polls. People felt much more connected with her during such a sincere moment of emotion. Here, Mrs. Clinton should have stepped out and around front of the table - walking to Sotomayor and gave her a sincere hug. This would have built significant rapport with Sotomayor - and (more importantly) vicariously with every single person who watched it - now and in the future. Hugs and handshakes should never be given over a table - unless of course you want to destroy rapport.

A few seconds later (after the hug) Clinton and Sotomayor display a forward leaning, hands wide, on-the-table nonverbal. While some of this is residual from the low quality hug, this body language is more significantly a dominant and alpha configuration by two of the most powerful women in the country.

While it is common knowledge that a candidate's "likability" is the primary component to winning over the middle third of the electorate - most politicians don't realize (nor do their campaign managers) that the largest component of a candidate's "likability" is their body language. Elections are won and lost based on nonverbals. Ignore them and lose.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2849: Netherlands Victorious Over Spain, Vicente Del Bosque, Negative Self-Evaluation and Regret - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2783: Hillary Clinton asked again about 2016 - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2564: Hillary Clinton Stumping for Terry McAuliffe ... but Did She Hint at Running in 2016?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2473:  Anthony Weiner & Huma Abedin Part III  When Shoulder-to-Shoulder is broken

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2392:  Zoë Saldaña on Jimmy Kimmel -  Rapport Builders, Alpha Behavior & Dominance Displays

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2669: Sara Bareilles and the Body Language of the Rationalization Rapport Empathy Expression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2523:  Hillary Clinton, Body Language and the 2016 Presidency -  Rapport Builder vs. Rapport Destroyer




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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2580: Angela Merkel's Fingers, Emotions and Mobile Phone (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

If you know what to look for, you don't need the likes of the NSA to detect the emotional content of what others are thinking-feeling while on their cell phones.

In these two images taken a few seconds apart and from different angles, Angela Merkel speaks on her mobile - and tells us more than she believes.

Note how the German Chancellor's pinky (aka fifth, smallest digit) finger is extended away from and not in contact with her phone. Moreover Merkel's middle finger - while touching her mobile - is gripping more loosely.

This configuration a reliable nonverbal indicator that she feels in need of distancing herself from the person and/or the subject manner with whom/what she is speaking. In addition her fingers are splayed slightly more apart than is her (or most others') normal baseline when holding a phone. She feels that the person or subject matter is in some way "dirty" and she wants to minimize contact with it/them.

A useful and parallel body language metaphor is brought to mind when visualizing picking up a soiled rag - we extend some our fingers apart from it, lessening our contact with what is undesirable.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2572: Angela Merkel's, Mobile Phones and Eavesdropping - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2571: Angela Merkel, the NSA and Cell Phones - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2533: Angela Merkel's Low Steeple "Trademark" - A Major Body Language Mistake

Negotiation secret # 301: Angela Merkel's Expressions of Fear

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 741: Pencil in Mouth - Angela Merkel  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2539: Calvin Johnson, the Index Finger and Alpha Behavior - A Body Language Tell of Mobile Phones

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2547: Amanda Knox's ex-Boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, Piers Morgan Interview, Body Language Tells and Avoiding the Othello Error 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2255: Depardieu’s Adieu, Vladimir’s Invite and Richard Quest's Body Language of Distancing, Dirty and Disgust

Yesterday Vladimir Putin made good on his promise to grant citizenship to the French Actor Gerard Depardieu. The Russian President, who calls Depardieu a friend, had initially made the offer two weeks ago after the actor bought a home in Belgium and made inquiries as to acquiring citizenship there. This was in response to French President François Hollande’s proposal to increase the income tax rate on those making over one million euros a year to seventy-five percent (the current rate is forty-one percent).  

In the above video, Jim Bitterman and Richard Quest report and editorialize on Depardieu's and Putin's motives. Both their body language and facial expressions display a strong disgust and disapproval towards the Russian leader's behavior. A particularly telling highlight is seen during the 1:49 - 1:51 segment just after Quest says, "....they're going to wonder, want to know if Putin's up to!", he wipes both palms and fingers on his upper abdomen. This is a strong nonverbal metaphor for wiping the "dirt" off of your hands. It signals that Quest has a strong desire to distance himself from Putin's actions. The fact that Quest exhibits a full "palmar touch" indicates honest belief - consistent with his verbal states and a thus a high "Sincerity Quotient".

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2081: Vladimir Putin - to Diss a Kiss  Russian Rebuff 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1918: Vladimir Putin - Pointing with Pen Surrogates - Sharp vs. Blunt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1889: Vladimir Putin & Barack Obama at the G-20

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 703:  Putin Pulling his Puppet

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1209:  Even Putin has Anxiety - False Tie Adjust

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1251: Vladimir Putin vs. Taylor Lautner - Brothers in Swagger -  Who's got your Vote?

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1496: Tiger Woods' Disgust & Biofeedback

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1841: Disgust in Response to Rep. Barney Frank's "Hoodie" Joke

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2045: Disgust in New Delhi

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1896: IMF Managing Director - Christine LagardePseudo-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 # 1555: Ann Romney Hits it Back Over the Net to Hilary Rosen

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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