Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2640: Disgust at Denver area School Shooting - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Karl Halverson Pierson severely wounded a classmate yesterday in a school shooting in Centennial, Colorado before killing himself. His apparent motive was revenge against a teacher/librarian at Arapahoe High School who had expelled him from the debate/speech team.

In the above video beginning at 0:55, a classmate of Pierson's, Chris Davis, describes the shooter, "He's really smart but weird; just has some weird ideas and weird thoughts about stuff." At several times during this brief statement, Mr. Davis expresses mild to moderate disgust level (about a 3 or 4 on a 1-to-10 scale).

From this camera angle and low resolution is not possible to tell completely whether or not there is a contempt component to this facial expression (image below). A common nonverbal signal for contempt is identical to unilateral (one-sided) disgust.

Can you identify all the signals of disgust? Can you spot subtle examples? How about contempt?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2639: Denver School Shooting and a Body Language of High Empathy

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 # 2313: Elisa Lam Video in Elevator at Cecil Hotel - What Her Body Language Tells Us

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2512:  Matthew Cordle's YouTube Confession  and the Death of Vincent Canzani  "I Killed a Man" - What His Body Language Tells Us ...  It's NOT what you think!

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2259:  Game Show Killer Rodney Alcala Gets Two More Sentences - His Body Language Warning Signs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2355:  Adam Lanza's College ID and the  Body Language of Eyes Chronically Wide Open 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2639: Denver School Shooting and a Body Language of High Empathy (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Yesterday another School shooting occurred just a day before the anniversary of the Newtown, Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and only eight miles from the 1999 Columbine H.S. massacre. Karl Halverson Pierson, a senior at Arapahoe High School near Denver, with the apparent motive of revenge against a former teacher/librarian and debate/speech coach - critically wounded one student before killing himself. No one else was harmed.

The above images were captured during the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Covering of one's mouth is a strong nonverbal indicator of the personality trait of high empathy. Such mouth covering is more obvious during dramatic and obviously tragic events; however it is seen daily in the context of considerably less significant matters. This MAP (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier) is NOT performed out of embarrassment or in an effort to cover emotion. Noticing this body language tendency is one method of gauging another person's "Empathy Quotient". And the quality of empathy is one of the most important characteristics predictive of human behavior. The ability to accurately and rapidly gauge another's empathy level is paramount.

Got Empathy?

Can you spot empathy? Are you sure?


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2231:  A Common Facial Expression of Mass Killers - Using Body Language as a Threat Assessment Tool

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2629: Sandy Hook Audio Tapes - A Body Language Sign of Disbelief

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2238:  Sandy Hook Elementary Teacher Lauren Rousseau's  Boyfriend's Body Language - Grief & Suppression of Negative Emotions & Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2232:  Vicki Soto, a Hero, Body Language  and a Mother's Love & Affection -  Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Interview

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2233:  Body Language, President Obama, 20 Children  and the Tongue-in-Cheek

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2579: Brandon Bryant Body Language of Disgust and Empathy - Confessions of a Drone Operator

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1499:  Bill Clinton's Empathy for Eric Fehrnstrom and  Mitt Romney ... What's Your Sincerity Quotient?

Leadership Secret # 221:  Spontaneous Mouth Covering & Empathy - Hillary Clinton & Osama Bin Laden

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