Body Language Analysis No. 4352: Donald Trump, Mohammed bin Salman, and Journalist Jamal Khashoggi - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

On 2 October 2018, journalist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and he never walked out alive. He traveled there to obtain a document that would verify his divorce in order to marry his Turkish fiancée. The Turkish government has reported he was tortured and killed inside.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has publicly stated that the burden is on Saudi Arabia to prove that Khashoggi had indeed left the consulate alive as the Saudi's have claimed.

Donald Trump has many financial ties with Saudi Arabia. It was also the first country he visited as President. On Monday 15 October 2018, Donald Trump made a statement about Jamal Khashoggi's murder, saying maybe it was perpetrated by "Rouge Killers". Some have interpreted this as the President sending up a trial balloon for the Saudi's spin. 

The image above shows Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, in the Oval Office with President Trump during his visit on 14 March 2017.  From a body language perspective, one thing jumps out. Red lights flashing, sirens blaring. Anyone who has paid even casual attention to Donald Trump since he announced his candidacy, would notice his constant seated crotch display - wherein his legs are spread very wide. This is often colloquially referred to as Manspreading.

No one out-manspreads Donald Trump (well.... almost no one).

In this image, note how Mohammed bin Salman's manspreading (the angle of his legs, particularly his thighs) is considerably more pronounced than Trump's. This is of profound importance - for this is in the Oval Office. They're meeting on Donald Trump's home turf. And yet Mohammed bin Salman is displaying much more dominance and a considerably higher alpha emotional tone than the President.

It's important to point out that not only is Mohammed bin Salman's manspreading more extreme, but the President's is considerably less alpha than his typical seated display. To nuance this nonverbal even further, notice the angle of each man's feet - Trump's are pointed more straight ahead (beta), while Mohammed bin Salman's feet are pointed considerably more outwardly (higher alpha).

Since he's been President, Trump has not met in the Oval Office with any other leader, foreign or domestic while defaulting to this acquiescing configuration - only Mohammed bin Salman. Although retrospectively it may not surprise many people, astute observers may remember that shortly after the 2016 Presidential election, when Donald Trump met with President Obama in the Oval Office, he also assumed this beta role.

SUMMARY: Donald Trump feels a significant beta emotional tone when the presence of Mohammed bin Salman. The fact that he adopts this subordinate mindset while on his home soil, in the Oval Office, cannot be over-emphasized.

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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4351: Donald Trump Stops Anthony Kennedy in His Tracks

Body Language Analysis No. 4349: Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford - Part III

Body Language Analysis No. 4347: Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings - Part I

Body Language Analysis No. 4345: World Leaders Laugh at Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly

Body Language Analysis No. 4340: Ruby Rose gets Emotional regarding her new Role as Batwoman

Body Language Analysis No. 4339: Pre-Confession Interview of Murderer, Chris Watts

Body Language Analysis No. 4334: Ivanka Trump and the Pistol Steeple

Body Language Analysis No. 4326: Carter Page's near-constant Smile

Body Language Analysis No. 4295: Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos, and Red Flags

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Body Language Analysis No. 4163: Donald Trump and Xi Jinping - (Relatively) Beta and Alpha - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

In April 2017, President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping met at Mar-a-Lago.

In the image above, Trump is sitting - in what for him - is a very rare configuration. His right leg is crossing over his left knee/distal thigh in a "European Style". Although we can't see his right foot - from the angle of his leg, we know it's probably pointing at the Chinese President. In this context, such a foot angle projects respect and/or deference.

Note that President Xi has both feet flat on the floor. This body language transmits his greater levels of confidence and strength. The angle of his legs are also not excessively splayed. In addition, although his head/face are turned toward President Trump, President Xi's torso, hips, legs - and probably his feet - are pointed straight forward. This conveys relatively less respect of Xi toward Trump.

President Xi also is seated in his own chair - which gives him a significant advantage. The Chinese leader's personal space is protected - whereas President Trump is seated in a less protected - and more "public" space.

Contrast Trump's meeting with Xi vs. this second image from a 60 minutes interview (September 2015). Note how then-candidate Trump is sitting with legs very widely spread in an extreme example of a "Seated Crotch Display" (colloquially known as "Manspreading"). He's also leaning forward with his torso - and with his hands in a "Low Steeple" (Conventional Low Steeple). This is President Trump's primary default seated display - it's overly-dominant, aggressive, and not recommended.

Summary: President Trump's nonverbal behavior in the first image (with President Xi Jinping), although not beta in an absolute sense - is relatively beta when placed in dynamic context with Xi's alpha body language. Although he was on his home turf, Trump committed the tactical error of not planning ahead by not controlling the physical space of the meeting. In this moment, Xi is projecting more power and less respect toward Trump. Most notably, President Trump's deviation from his normal hyper-alpha seating position demonstrates Trump was considerably off his game with President Xi.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3251: (REPOSTING) Donald Trump's Response to the question, "Have you ever asked God for Forgiveness?"

Body Language Analysis No. 4161: Vladimir Putin's Not-So-Poker Face 

Body Language Analysis No. 4159: Nikki Haley, Jerusalem, and the United Nations 

Body Language Analysis No. 4157: Donald Trump, Signing the Tax Bill, and Double-Arm Gripping 

Body Language Analysis No. 4141: Vladimir Putin and Michael Flynn in Moscow (Part II) 

Body Language Analysis No. 4128: Roy Moore's youngest accuser, Leigh Corfman - Interview on "Today" 

Body Language Analysis No. 4107: Paul Manafort, Robert Mueller, Russian Oligarchs, and Donald Trump 
Body Language Analysis No. 4063: The Murder of Laci and Connor Peterson - Scott Peterson

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3326: Donald Trump on 60 Minutes - September 2015


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Body Language Analysis No. 3965: Manspreading, Madrid, and a Business Faux Pas - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

Recently the city of Madrid has taken measures to limit "Manspreading" on public transportation. Manpreading is the colloquial term for the "Seated Crotch Display" wherein a person (almost always a man) sits with his legs spread wide - thus exposing his crotch. The feet are most frequently positioned sole-downward and the elbows are often protruding laterally in a "maximum space mode".

On a bus, subway, plane, or in other public areas - manspreading is done at the expense - often dramatically - of those seated adjacently.

In crowded public situations, we typically suspend our personal space (intimate space) norms which would never apply to other scenarios. For example, we may touch shoulders, elbows, and upper arms of those sitting next to us on a crowded airplane, because we have no choice and the idea of shared space takes over. But not everyone observes this in equal fashion.

Many men will often default into a manspreading configuration. And while it's certainly no excuse, some men will go a lifetime without realizing what they're doing makes those seated next to them emotionally (and physically) very uncomfortable. 

Why do men do this? There are several reasons. In a public setting, the seated crotch display is a mode of asserting dominance - very much akin to young male gorillas beating on their chests. Manspreading in these crowed settings is a type of alpha/hyper-alpha, and often narcissistic behavior.

Men who are in straight, platonic relationships will often sit around a table in this manner. And provided they're relatively equal in the pecking order, men will also do this in a friendly professional/work setting.

Men who manspread frequently very likely have low empathy quotients. 

Although most commonly exhibited by straight men, people of all sexual orientations will also sit in a seated crotch display fashion when sexually attracted to another person. In such cases they usually "crotch point" (and foot point) toward the desired individual.

A tremendous problem is created, however, when men use the seated crotch display in professional settings when women are present - or when a subordinate male sits in this manner in the presence of his superior (regardless of their gender). It's particularly common and extremely offensive in the case of male-female business settings. Many men won't ever realize just how often this, and similar actions, will evoke strong negative conditioned responses in women. This occurs to the point of creating other secondary problems, which on the surface don't seem to be related, yet will precipitate the killing of potential sales and negotiations. In such interactions, manspreading is very frequently accompanied by other alpha, hyper-alpha, and narcissistic verbal language, paralanguage, and body language behavior.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
1-702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3964: What Donald Trump Really Thinks about James Comey 

Body Language Analysis 3962: James Comey's Testimony

Body Language Analysis No. 3960: James Comey, Critical Evaluation, and The Side-Eye

Body Language Analysis No. 3958: Vladimir Putin interview with Megyn Kelly

Body Language Analysis No. 3956: Keri Russell's Tongue

Body Language Analysis No. 3951: Angela Merkel, Donald Trump, the G7 Summit, and The Paris Agreement

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3911: Simone Biles gets Pranked on "Ellen"

Romance, Flirting & Dating Body Language Secret No. 1893:  Nonverbal Communication of the Facial Platter

Romance, Marriage and Dating Body Language Secret No. 424:  'Til Death Do Us Part....Fossilized Love

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3351: A Body Language Signal of Sincere Affection


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3919: Donald Trump's Hands vs. Xi Jinping's Hands - Beta & Alpha - Body Language & Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

This image was captured several weeks ago during Xi Jinping's and his wife's (Peng Liyuan) visit with Donald and Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

It's particularly interesting to contrast the two leaders' nonverbal signals.

At first glance, President Trump's hands may appear to be in a "Low Conventional Steeple" - yet this is not the case. While Trump very often (much too frequently) does indeed display conventional steeples, his hand's will sometimes morph into this pseudo-steeple/pseudo-prayer configuration. This indicates the President is experiencing Anxiety and is in a significantly Beta Emotional State. As his anxiety increases his hands will move much closer together.

Xi Jinping's hands are each positioned, palms-down on his knees. They are also bearing some of his upper body weight as his torso is leaning/angled forward. This configuration very much says, "We're done with this discussion", "Let's go", "The meeting is completed", "I want to be finished", etc., and similar emotional variations on this theme.

Trump's Torso is further back - which is unusual for the President. On the vast majority of occasions, he his leaning further forward than anyone else in the room - but not on this occasion. This also is significant, at least in this moment, to his relative beta status vs. Xi Jinping's relative alpha authority.

Another unusual feature in this image is seen when comparing the relative angle of Donald Trump's upper legs (thighs) to than of Xi Jinping's. Trump makes it a practice to very often sit with a very wide "Seated Crotch Display" (more colloquially known as "Manspreading"). Yet here Trump deviates from his usual SOP - and his legs are held more closely together. This is also highly indicative of a relatively protective, beta Trump thought-emotion moment vs. that of the more alpha Xi Jinping. Mr. Trump also sat in this same manner relative to President Obama when they visited in the Oval Office just after the 2016 election.


Summary: In this moment Trump's body language is expressing a relatively low confidence, beta and acquiescing emotional mindset - While Xi Jinping is the more alpha and wants to "move on" to the next issue.

In any kind of negotiation, such nonverbal display dynamics are profoundly valuable - as these let you glimpse inside the hearts and minds of your opposition.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3918: The Image of Kim Jong-un He Most Prefers the World to See - and What It Tells Us

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3916: Marine Le Pen's Anger and The French Election

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3914: Mike Pence's Recent Statement regarding Trump, "He's a Man of His Word"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3911: Simone Biles gets Pranked on "Ellen"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3775: Women Try 'Manspreading' For A Week

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3778: Steve Harvey Recounts His Miss Universe Mistake

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3769: Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3670: Paul LePage's Voicemail Rant


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3775: Women Try 'Manspreading' For A Week - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

The term "Manspreading" is a relatively recently coined colloquial for what, in more technical nonverbal terminology, is referred to as the "Seated Crotch Display". Manspreading usually describes, but is not limited to, relatively crowded public setting such as a subway, bus or airplane.

The seated crotch display is seen much more commonly in males for several reasons. The Shape of the human pelvis tends to favor a mildly larger angle of the thighs in men vs. women - although this is in no way explains the more extreme manspreading angles very commonly exampled by men. External genitalia is another reason for larger seated thigh angles with men - but again, only a mildly larger amount of thigh separation is necessary to accommodate this difference in anatomy.

When for example, several heterosexual men - who happen to be co-workers are seated around a table (if, say they're at lunch and exists good rapport and even friendship) - the vast majority of time, men will sit exhibiting a considerably wide-angle crotch display. This is very similar to a sub-troop of young, friendly chimpanzees or gorillas beating their chests while displaying dominance yet in the midst of playing. In this context, a seated crotch display is essentially a default normal setting in most men.

Intriguingly, during a business meeting, men will typically sit in a manspreading fashion in a (subconscious) effort to assert dominance - yet they'll be completely oblivious to the fact they're behaving offensively to their women co-workers.

Men (much more commonly than women) will also subconsciously sit in a seated crotch display when they are sexually attracted to someone in the immediate vicinity - or when they are feeling sexual while on camera, on stage, etc. Thus in these contexts, a seated crotch display serves as a subconscious signal of sexual readiness and for a potential partner to reciprocate advances - e.g., "I'm giving you a green light, please proceed in kind."

Women will tend to sit with their legs closer together because they have been strongly socialized and taught very specifically to do so - with at least one objective being the avoidance or at least minimization of any unwanted advances from men. Also, because the vast majority of human cultures are highly patriarchal - most societies consider the act of a seated crotch display in a girl or woman to be very "unladylike". Unfortunately, as one of the participants in this video said (beginning at 2:22), "Women are expected to be small, quiet and almost invisible - whereas men can be these boisterous slobs and it's all good." Such misogynistic beliefs certainly contribute to the gender disparity of this particular body language display.

High vs. low confidence levels (and Alpha vs. Beta personalities) also contribute to manspreading (or not). When we feel less confident we all tend to sit with our thighs a smaller angle and when we're feeling more confident this angle tends to increase. This dynamic is more obvious with men because of the extremes in leg position during times of confidence is high. Of course, there are many other nonverbal displays signaling relative confidence levels - this is but one.

Autism Spectrum Disorders occur at a significantly higher rate in men - thus a portion of those who manspread have this as a reason for their diminished sensitivity to the importance of others' personal (intimate) space.

A significant share of those who sit in a manspreading fashion can be classified as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder. They have relatively low (or perhaps nonexistent) empathy quotients - and therefore not only just don't care about the people sitting next to them, but they want to deliberately invade another person's personal and intimate spaces.

Summary: While Manspreading (aka Seated Crotch Display) is a behavior with many contributing factors - we would all be well-advised to dial up our empathy when seated in crowded areas.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3774: Luke Bryan Hits/Slaps a Fan For Flipping Him Off

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3772: Mitt Romney Meets with Donald Trump

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3770: Fidel Castro, Ed Sullivan and Mirroring

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3750: Bill's Reaction to Hillary Clinton's Concession Speech

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3734: SNL's spoof on the 3rd Presidential Debate - and 3 Insincerity Flags

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3691: Natalie Portman's Emotional Tell

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3676: Colin Kaepernick Says He Be Sitting Down During the National Anthem

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3326: Donald Trump on 60 Minutes



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