Negotiation Body Language Secret # 373: Papademos, Greece and Eyelids

Pictured above is Lucas Papademos, the New Prime Minister of Greece. Notice his eyelids are both partially closed, but his left is closed a bit more. This is a fantastic tell of a negative judgement and/or a skeptical opinion. You can almost hear him rendering a negative statement here - and yet it's incredible how often people will speak positivity about a person and/or issue and use this expression. Duplicitous! Now of course, the Prime Minister may very well had making a negative declaration in this moment - and if he was, this facial body language is completely expected. However...if you see another use this facial nonverbal tell - but they speak glowingly - believe their body language, not their words. Watch out!

There often is co-existing mid-face tightening seen with this asymmetrical eyelid closure as well, particularly in the "mustache area". Lucas demonstrates that splendidly here. Also be on the lookout for nasal dilation. Mr. Papademos' left nostril is brilliantly flared here, indicating coexisting contempt. I wonder to whom he was speaking?

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 371: Looking Down Your Nose

The old saying, "Don't look down your nose....", like many Body Language related sounding phrases, has very accurate roots in the real world of human behavior and psychology. This is Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. At the moment of this image, she's exemplifying this pose beautifully. If she were sitting next to me as I write this, I have absolutely no doubt that it was not her intention to appear arrogant or condescending - but these are the messages she is sending. It is another signal for contempt - which very often is overlooked. It is often quite evanescent.

The head is characteristically tilted backwards with simultaneous jutting of the jaw. Although it's not present here, this head tilt, nose up, chin out pose is often accompanied by nostril flaring. Ms. Gillard also shows us the often coexisting lower lip extended in a pseudo-pout pose. 

We all occasionally adopt this body language facial expression, because at some moments we truly feel superior. And while the majority of the time, arrogance may not be indicative of someone's over-all personality, for an instant or two these signals will betray their emotional tone. Very often their words will not match this tell. So be wary when you see it, because the nonverbal signals are always correct.

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 367: Insincere Smile - Van Rompuy needs some Acting Classes

Greek Prime Minister George Papadreou is arguably got one of the toughest jobs in the World right now. Everyone is watching to see what's next in the Greek Debt Crisis. Here Papadreou is seen shaking hands in a posed photo shoot with Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council. If you search for images of Van Rompuy, in the majority of photos where he looks like he is trying to smile, he is only smiling out of the left side of his mouth. This is an incredibly common Body Language signal in general - and so very characteristic of Herman - it's almost as if he has a medical problem where he cannot smile with his right side - but this is not so. His attempt at smiling is insincere at best. The conscious brain is attempting to smile, but the unconscious brain doesn't feel joy, ergo it won't let a full smile appear. Interestingly, when there is an asymmetric smile - with most people, the majority of time - it is the left side of the mouth that "smiles" while the right side remains neutral or even frowns (Pease). There is also more than a bit of nonverbal contempt displayed by Van Rompuy here as well. He hasn't got an easy job either.

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