Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3321: John Boehner Announces Resignation During Press Conference - A Classic Body Language Tell (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

To the surprise of many, today John Boehner announced his resignation as Speaker of the House as well as from his seat for the 8th Congressional District of Ohio. This will take effect on 31 October 2015.

Speaker Boehner is known to tear-up easier than most. Today while recounting a personal encounter with Pope Francis (less than 24 hours earlier) provided another such occasion.

There are several nonverbal behaviors often seen in an effort to squelch one's tears and prevent a crescendo into a full cry. One of these is exhibited here by Speaker Boehner.

Note his lower lip protruding. Moreover this is unilateral and occurs several times. It may also have a jaw component along with this lip movement (a lateral displacement of the jaw on the same side).

Of course, no one is sincere all the time, yet it's of profound importance is that only those individuals with relatively higher sincerity quotients display this nonverbal signal.

What other nonverbal signs indicate higher sincerity levels?

This website serves as an objective reference source for the science and art of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc. are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3320: Pope Francis speaks before the U.S. Congress - Body Language of Boehner and Biden

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3068: John Boehner Kissing Nancy Pelosi 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2559: John Boehner's Body Language - Microexpression of Contempt vs. Facial Tic  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3099: Jon Stewart Announces he's Leaving "The Daily Show" - A Classic Body Language Cluster

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2285:  Emotional Processing during Crying - Body Language of Survivor of Brazilian Nightclub Fire

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 1706: Amanda Knox Interview after Guilty Verdict - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2929: Jessica Alba, Sin City 2, Action Figures and the Jaw Confessional 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2416: Brit Marling, the Every Woman & "The East" Body Language of Mild to Moderate Disgust and ...

The beautiful and talented Brit Marling stars in the new movie, "The East". She also co-wrote and co-produced the film.

Several times during the 0:36 - 0:45 (example imaged below) segment, Ms. Marling gives us a great body language-facial expression of mild-moderate disgust (about a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1-10). Note her mild nostril dilation (aka nasal flaring) coupled with her mid-face tension. In particular the area between her upper lip and nose (aka the "mustache area") vertically elongates and grows tense. This causes the philtrum to lose definition. Superimposed over her speech, a subtle and evanescent down turning of the corners of her mouth can be seen as well as a slight protrusion of her lower lip. Notably Brit's eyelid closure and lowering of her eyebrows are also consistent with disgust.

What other nonverbals does Ms. Marling display? What other emotions is she feeling?

See also:

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 # 2045:  Disgust in New Delhi

Negotiation Secret # 72 & 73: Disgust & Incredulity

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2390:  Charles Ramsey Interview & Cleveland Kidnappings -  Sarcastic Disbelief, Disgust and Exclamation

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2051:  Mitt Romney regarding Campaign Finance Rules -  Near-Microexpression of Disgust

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2191:  Anne Hathaway's Impersonation of Katie Holmes on SNL -  "Norming" Katie and Variations on a Theme

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2318: John Boehner at Rosa Parks Statue Unveiling A Body Language Signal of Squelching Tears

Today in the U.S. Capitol Building's Statuary Hall, John Boehner spoke at the unveiling of the statue of Rosa Parks. A portion of his speech is shown in the above video. At several times the Speaker of the House grew emotional. At multiple times the Congressman Ohio also displayed a classic nonverbal which often is seen prior to tearful episodes - the "Lateral Lip Displacement" (one of which is captured in the image below). This characteristic body language-facial expression is a signal of an effort to squelch the emotional display. The lips, most commonly the lower lip, will contract to one side (here Mr. Boehner's left) and protrude. This can also be seen with a "wrinkling" of the front side of the chin.

This Lateral Lip Displacement (with or without protrusion) may occur without tears, a reddened face (not blushing), facial or head touching (manipulators, adaptors, or pacifiers) or other more obvious signals associated with revealed. When the tempering down of emotions is successful, and tears do not fall, many will be left wondering what the expressions they just saw had meant.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2285:  Emotional Processing during Crying - Body Language of Survivor of Brazilian Nightclub Fire

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2229:  President Obama and a Body Language Signal of  Holding Back Grief, Tears & other Negative Emotions

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2210:  Body Language Signaling of an Attempt to Control Emotional Escalation & Display - The Inward Lip Roll

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2177: "I'm Tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt Romney" -  We're all Abigael Evans - Dialing up her Alpha 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2296:  Penelope Soto Apologizes & Avoids 30 Days in Jail -  Body Language Accompanying Sincere Tears & Apology

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2276:  Michelle Obama's Eye Roll .... What was she thinking? and  What Did Boehner's & Barack's Body Language Say?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2254: John Boehner's Speech Today - One Major Body Language Improvement The U.S. Speaker of the House Should Make

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis #1856: Egypt's Former President's Fall from Power - Hosni Mubarak After Sentencing

This recent image of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was taken just after his sentencing. Earlier today he received a life sentence for his role in the killing of pro-democracy protesters during the Egyptian Revolution in the spring of 2011. Approximately 840 protesters were killed and over 6000 were injured. This photo was taken while Mubarak was in a helicopter as it dropped him off at a prison hospital. It is reported that the former Egyptian leader refused to leave the aircraft for over 30 minutes.

Although this is not an optimal photo and his eyes are covered in sunglasses, Hosni Mubarak is displaying enough to reveal a classic facial expression of Disgust. With his lower lip protruding and his upper lip raised together, tightening of the "mustache area" with bilateral nostril flaring clinches this body language tell. Mubarak's forehead is also relaxed with a lowering of his eyebrows and dynamic contraction wrinkles on the bridge of his nose. If we had a full view of his face we would also expect to see some contraction-furrows on his chin and a temporarily increase of crow's feet on the lateral sides of each eye.

Hosni Mubarak does not believe he is guilty and consistent with this emotional mindset; he's displaying classic nonverbal signals of disgust. We can read his mind.

See also:

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

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

Analysis # 1773: Junior Seau's Body Language During His Last Interview

Analysis # 1816: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Contempt & Mary Richardson Kennedy's Social Smile

Analysis # 72 & 73 : Christine Lagarde's Disgust & Incredulity

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