Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2563: President Obama's Subtle Anger - Body Language of Government Shutdown & the Debt Ceiling (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Recognizing subtly expressed anger is a very valuable body language skill. President Obama is particularly adept at suppressing his negative emotions. His speech yesterday however exampled a great example of mild anger nonverbal signs.

Note: The original video has, since the original post, been removed from its online source. The images below however, were captured from this video. 

At 1:49 in the above video (still image at right) the Presidents eyes can be seen to open significantly over baseline. This is short-lived and only lasts about a second.

In addition we begin to see a foreshortening of his mouth and the initial stages of lip thinning - particularly his upper lip.

Moreover his "mustache area" shows significant tension along with dilation of his nostrils.

A second later at 1:50, his eyelids are beginning to return to baseline and further thinning of the President's lips is seen and his nasal flaring persists. 

All of these findings are highly consistent with a nonverbal cluster of anger.








See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2525:  President Obama's Anger in Response to Republicans'  Threat to Shut Down Government & Possibly Default on Debt  In Efforts to Appeal Obamacare

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2540: Rep. Darrell Issa 'Snaps' at Reporter - Was His Anger Real or Fake? Body Language and the Forward Lip Purse

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1859:  The Prince is Angry at the Queen's Jubilee

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1863:  Sharapova's Lips of Anger

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

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1211:  Tiger's Eyes -  Subtle Signal, Severe Anger

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1697:  George Zimmerman in Shackles -  How does this Alter His Body Language,  Testimony and Our Perception?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2278: Diane O'Meara (the "face" of Lennay Kekua) on the Mantei Te'o "Girlfriend Hoax" Part 2

The interview earlier this morning on the "Today" show, Diane O'Meara, the face of Manti Te'o's allegedly faked girlfriend, Lennay Kekua (fraudulently orchestrated by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo) provided additional material to assess Ms. O'Meara's truthfulness. This video corroborates yesterday's body language analysis of Ms. O'Meara - she is not lying and her overall sincerity index is high. 

The following are some nonverbal highlights:

0:31 Sincere, but suppressed smile

During 0:45 - 0:54, Ms. O'Meara is very sincere and truthful reply when she denied ever knowing, talking to or meeting Manti Te'o.

0:55 Lip Compression - this subtype of lip compression is a generalized anxiety signal. Ms. O'Meara displayed this several times throughout the interview.

1:06 Disgust begins (subtle)
1:08 Disgust (subtle) continues with an extended blink

1:12 Incredulity (mild). Note the slight rise of left eye brow, this is more easily seen in the video.













1:32 - 1:33 Self Righteous Head Wiggle. Please see video as this is a dynamic process with significant motion. See also: Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2277: Diane O'Meara, Lennay Kekua,  Ronaiah Tuiasosopo & Manti Te'o - O'Meara's Body Language

1:20 - 1:23, Rationalization Rapport Empathy Expression (R2E2). She is trying to engender belief, rapport and understanding in her relatively friendly audience.









See also:

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1143: Santorum Video Analysis  R2E2 and other Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2193: Keira Knightley interview re: "Anna Karenina" - Body Language of "R2E2" Facial Expression

Nonverbal Communication Analysis #2097: Mitt Romney's "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate" defense - Body Language of Rationalization, Rapport and Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2148: Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan and the "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" in the Vice Presidential Debate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1923:  Hillary Clinton's Body Language re: Syrian Government -  The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1552: The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle & The Buffett Rule

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2277: Diane O'Meara, Lennay Kekua,  Ronaiah Tuiasosopo & Manti Te'o - O'Meara's Body Language - Part I 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2286:  Ronaiah Tuiasosopo's Body Language on Dr. Phil's Interview -  The Voice and Mind of "Lennay Kekua" - Part I

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2287:  Ronaiah Tuiasosopo on Dr. Phil Interview -  Part II - A Body Language Signal that's a Red Flag

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2280: Manti Te'o's interview with Katie Couric Manti isn't telling us the whole truth -  Te'o's Body Language of Duping Delight

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2253: Governor Chris Christie's Rant, his Body Language and a Highly Reliable Sign of Anger - and....

Today New Jersey Governor Chris Christie placed the blame for the - at least 66 day delay in disaster relief for victims of Hurricane-Super Storm Sandy squarely on the shoulders of the U.S. House of Representatives majority party - the republicans - and the Speaker of the House, John Boehner. In his rant he said, "There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: The House majority and their speaker John Boehner ..." 

Christie also said, "I think, unfortunately, folks are putting politics ahead of their responsibilities," he said. "It's absolutely disgraceful... It's why the American people hate Congress." as well as using adjectives such as "unprecedented" and "outrageous". 

At the 2:16 mark in the video above (and imaged below), Governor Christie displayed a classic and highly reliable signal of anger - lip compression. This particular thinning of his lips (not to be confused with the "Inward Lip Roll") occurs very briefly - almost as short-lived as a microexpression.

Emotions don't always exist in isolation. Not surprisingly, there is another nonverbal signal (indicating another thought-emotion) exemplified in the image below. It's also quite subtle. Can you spot it? What emotion does it betray?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2172: Governor Chris Christie's Body Language of Contempt -  Microexpressions and Subtle Displays

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2100: Ann Romney's and Gov. Chris Christie's Body Language at  GOP Convention - My Guest Commentary on NPR - KPCC Southern California Public Radio  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2174: President Obama, Hurricane Sandy, Body Language and Thumbs Backwards Arms Akimbo

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2222: Corey Booker's Body Language Indicates that  He does NOT want to Run for Governor of New Jersey

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1859: Prince William's Body Language shows Anger at the Queen's Jubilee

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1060: Bill Belichick's Body Language of Anger

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2138: President Obama's Anger-Frustration During Debate -  An Under-Appreciated Body Language Signal 

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1465: Santorum's Anger Eyes - White and Wide  Confrontation with Jeff Zeleny of  The New York Times 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2168: John Sununu's Comments on Colin Powell's Endorsement of Barack Obama - Anger, Anxiety and Contempt

John Sununu was interviewed by Piers Morgan on CNN on Thursday 25 October 2012. One question he was asked was how he felt about Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama. His response, now well-known, was that the former Secretary of State was motivated by racial bias. 

     Sununu:  " .... and frankly when you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to wonder whether 
                    that's an endorsement based on issues or whether he's got a slightly different reason
                    for preferring President Obama."
     Morgan:  "What reason would that be?" 
     Sununu:  "Well I think that when you have somebody of your own race that you're proud of
                    being President of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him."

Sununu's Body Language is noteworthy. At the 0:45 mark, just as Piers asks the question, Sununu displays a tongue protrusion. This is indicative of anxiety and here also is suggestive of disgust. Shortly thereafter, at 0:47 mark, the former George H.W. Bush White House Chief of Staff displays a great example of lip compression - a nonverbal which is highly specific for the emotion of anger. His eyelids open very wide for a split-second here as well, indicating an intense anger level - that of rage. Sununu also shows subtle signals of contempt at this same time (left side of mouth, nose & mid-face).

During the first forty-four seconds of this clip, Sununu blinked an average of once every 2.2 seconds. When the subject of Powell's endorsement was raised (the final forty-two seconds) his rate of blinking increases to once every 1.4 seconds. Both blink frequencies are elevated significantly over normal, and particularly with the further increase demonstrates a strong and well known nonverbal tell of anxiety.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2167: Colin Powell Endorses President Obama - His Body Language Display of Anxiety, Contempt & the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle 

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 813: Ask Osama Bin Laden Appeasement

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2164: Mitt Romney's Disgust Display regarding President Obama's Relationship with Putin and Russia - ".... I'll give you more flexibility after the election ...."

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2146: Biden vs. Ryan Vice Presidential Debates - Both Candidates Displayed Body Language of Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2148: Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan and the "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" in the Vice Presidential Debate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2155: Body Language Tells at the Second Presidential Debate - Mitt Romney at Attention & President Obama's Disapproval-Subtle Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2045: Disgust in New Delhi

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1496: Tiger Woods' Disgust, Body Language & Biofeedback

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2161: Body Language of the Third Presidential Debate - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney - What Did They Do With Their Hands When They Weren't Talking?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2152: Second Presidential Debate - Barack Obama's Duping Delight - Benghazi, Libya Attack was an "Act of Terror" - Alpha, Beta, Confidence & Acquiescence

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 398: Rick Santorum's Anger and compensatory MAPs

In this image of the Republican Presidential Candidate hopeful at a January 5, 2012 Northfield, New Hampshire town hall meeting - Rick Santorum demonstrates two significant nonverbal mistakes that an experienced speaker should never commit. The former Senator from Pennsylvania is compressing and tightening his lips in a highly characteristic horizontally straight line. This configuration is very consistent with the emotion of anger. The mild (Santorum's left) to moderate (right) partial closing of his eyelids is also congruent with mild to moderate anger and incredulity.

Mr. Santorum is also self-touching. Self-touching fits into a class of nonverbal behaviors known as Manipulators, Adaptors or Pacifiers (MAPs). With rare exceptions, speakers of any profession are ill-advised to self-touch any body part - particularly their face or the other hand. Like many other MAPs, the "Hand Wringing" seen demonstrated here by the former senator - is a body language tell indicative of anxiety. Santorum has enjoyed a recent surge in the poles with a very near win in the Iowa Caucuses. The New Hampshire Primary tomorrow will, of course, provide many more opportunities for Santorum and the other five remaining republican candidates to show us their nonverbal anxiety.

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