Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2059: Musharraf has Contempt towards Pakistan's Intelligence Agency

During this excerpt from his interview with Piers Morgan, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was questioned about whether the Pakistani Government had knowledge of Osama Bin Laden's whereabouts. Allegedly, for five years, Bin Laden spent the majority of his time in a compound within Pakistan's borders. Former President Musharraf brings up the subject of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) which is the primary intelligence agency for the Pakistan. At the 1:47 mark, the Musharraf's body language betrays him as he displays microexpression of contempt on the left side of his face. His contempt is directed at his own intelligence agency or someone/a group of people within that agency.

See also:

Analysis # 1510: Handshakes, Statesmanship and Dominance - Manmohan Singh & Asif Ali Zardari

Analysis # 112: Pakistan Trumps Iran

Analysis # 1715: Jay Carney's Lip Purse Bin Laden is Dead & General Motors is Alive

Analysis # 1407: Auboni Champion-Morin Reunited with Kidnapped Son After 8 Years - Microexpression of Contempt for Kidnapper

Analysis # 1531: Hillary Clinton Describing the Osama Bin Laden Navy SEAL Raid at the U.S. Naval Academy, 10 April 2012

Analysis  # 221: Spontaneous Mouth Covering & Empathy

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Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1510: Handshakes, Statesmanship and Dominance - Manmohan Singh & Asif Ali Zardari

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met yesterday in New Dehli, India. Although the significance of the meeting was down-played, and probably well advised in an effort not to raise false hopes - this is a positive signal of a possible warming between the two countries. 

President Zardari, on the left side of this image, is in the best position for a leader to be photographed. Try to place yourself similarly for any photo ops. The reason for this is simple - yet nonverbally powerful. With a traditional handshake, Zardari's hand will be closer to the camera and the audience - thus he will appear more dominant. Additionally, his right hand is on top of Prime Minister Singh's (with his palm roughly parallel to the floor as opposed to the traditional perpendicular and configuration) - further raising his "dominance Quotient". Singh, of course, tries to compensate for his own less dominant body and hand positions by placing his left hand on top of his Pakistani counterpart - in a body language maneuver of one-upmanship.  Zardari further counters Singh by placing his left hand on top of Singh's. If his objective was to to appear more dominant (as with all heads-of-state whom are photographed on such occasions), a significantly superior nonverbal counter-move for the Pakistani leader would have been for him to place his left hand on Singh's right shoulder. 

However, if your goal is to bond and develop rapport - as it of course should be most often - the "photo op handshake rules of dominance" very often do not apply. It is a tricky thing for a leader to try to appear to his/her people and the World as more dominant - and yet also to build rapport and solve big problems. There ARE solutions to this conundrum though ....

See also:

Secret # 1131: Romney's Handshake, Santorum's Bicep's and Dominance

Secret # 379: Dominant Handshake Tendencies
 

Secret # 1032: Romney, Rapport and Handshakes
Secret # 483: Handshake on the 18th - Not So Fast

Secret # 731: Beautiful Prime Minister - Bad Handshake

Secret # 1051: The President Trumps the Speaker

Secret # 441: Bill Clinton's Rapport and his Temporary Universe 

Secret # 112: Pakistan Trumps Iran

Secret # 17: The Only Time for the Politicians' Double-Hander

Secret # 703: Bad Handshake? Let me count the Ways!

Secret # 299: At Arm's Length 

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Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1162: Ahmadinejad, Napoleon, al-Assad and Dominance

In this photo, Bashar al-Assad has just received an award from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Usually when this Body Language emblem is performed, the person being honored is held by the wrist or lower hand - so that they are positioned slightly higher - thus displaying a nonverbal "Visual Metaphor" to demonstrate triumph and accomplishment (Think of the Statue of Liberty). Yet here, despite being over a foot shorter than al-Assad, Ahmadinejad keeps the upper hand in a clear dominance display. The Syrian leader, is in need of the Iran's good graces - though al-Assad looks less a bit less than enthusiastic. It is extremely intriguing to compare Syria's political dependency on Iran - to Iran's desire for Pakistan's favor, clout and (nuclear) technology (see Secret # 112: Pakistan Trumps Iran).

See also: Secret # 882: Bashar al-Assad's Chronic Insincerity

See also: Secret # 1041: Russia's Dominance Over Syria


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Leadership Secret # 112: Pakistan Trumps Iran

Here Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zandari holds hands with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, Iran where there is a summit on fighting Terrorism.  While public displays of affection between people of opposite sex is taboo in many parts of the Middle East, even between married couples - people of the same gender holding hands is considered normal display of friendship without romantic implications.

Interestingly, the dominance rule of hand-holding still applies as it does with romantic couples.  Asif Ali Zandari's hand is in front - thus he is the dominant or "Alpha" and Ahmadinejad's is in back - acquiescing to the less-dominant, beta role.  This tells us that Pakistan has something(s) that Iran wants.

Another interesting "tell" is Zandari's left hand is on the right side of his chest. When one's hand is over their heart - which is, of course, on the left side of the chest - there is a much higher correlation with True sincerity. There is a significantly increased likelihood that Zandari is less than completely sincere at the moment of this photo. He may indeed be a sincere person in general, but at the moment of this photograph he was most probably "forcing" or "acting" sincere. 

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