Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3074: A Body Language Tell of Bad Actors and .... (PHOTOS)

What's one body language signal that all bad actors, bad sales people, most T.V. news anchors, most T.V. news reporters, virtually all politicians - and ALL INSINCERE PEOPLE chronically display?

Here's one hint and common denominator: they're really ALL ACTORS ... they're just not GOOD actors (Eric Bana provides us with many examples - one of which is shown above). All the individuals in this entire group are trying to press issues for which they don't truly believe. Have you figured it out yet? It's the forehead. Overuse of the forehead muscles is a very reliable indicator of INSINCERITY. Ignore it at your own peril.

Of course we all need to contract our forehead muscles in order to express ourselves - it's very human and it's very necessary. And indeed the opposite extreme - the use of Botox across the entire forehead is dramatically dehumanizing, robotic and will certainly lead to communication and relationship problems (e.g., Taylor Swift's entire upper face has been Botoxed for 4 or 5 years). Yet, a FREQUENT DISPLAY of a CONTRACTED FOREHEAD is a VERY HIGHLY RELIABLE NONVERBAL SIGNAL OF INSINCERITY. Do you know the others?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3073: Russell Westbrook - "Execution Interview" - Body Language Tells 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2403:  Central Forehead Contraction - The Grief Muscle,  Eyes Wide Open, False Mastication &  Oklahoma Tornado Survivors

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret No, 1213:  The Chronically Contracted Forehead

Nonverbal Communication Secret No. 1439:  Central Forehead Contraction & Inward Lip Roll  Devon Davis & April Davis

Nonverbal Communication Quiz-Analysis No. 2936: Tony Stewart's addresses Kevin Ward's Death - Sincere vs. Insincere

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3010: McStay Family Murders - Body Language Signs of a Sociopath

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2863: Gary Oldman's Apology on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" - Sincere or Insincere?

"Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2503:  Fort Hood Shooter and his Tell-Tale Body Language  Common to many Mass-Killers - Nidal Malik Hasan gets the Death Penalty

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2259:  Game Show Killer Rodney Alcala Gets Two More Sentences - His Body Language Warning Signs

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2982: Politicians Should Never Do This If They Want To Be Elected - Hillary Clinton's Body Language Faux Pas (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

If you want to build rapport with an audience or the voting public, don't do what Hillary Clinton does throughout much of this video clip. She is being poorly coached regarding her body language. While it is true that a conventional steeple does project power along with assertiveness and an alpha persona - it should be used extremely sparingly, only for a second or two and at very specific and important moments of a speech, interview or debate.

As with most alpha signals, those who use them tend to over-use them - which is exactly what Mrs. Clinton is doing during this speech. The logic that "more is better" absolutely does not apply here. So what in very small doses is an alpha nonverbal, when used just a bit more becomes a rapport destroyer. Too much conventional steeple projects arrogance, condescending and patronizing emotional tones. It destroys likability. And likability is THE primary influencing factor when it comes to winning over the swing-voter. The largest component of likability is the nonverbal portion followed by vocal qualities (aka paralanguage) with the actual words being spoken counting for a distant third.

When we like someone, we strongly tend to minimize our disagreements. And when someone is disliked, we artificially hyper-inflate those same points of contention. Likability is of course a commonly polled metric in the political world - yet essentially no one breaks it down to its components or has any systematic way of improving upon it. Thus politicians who rely on their autopilot will often crash and burn.

Mrs. Clinton's prolonged eyelid closure further amplifies her negative emotional projection. This nonverbal cluster is extremely disengaging and distancing.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2981: Wendy Davis, the Governor of Texas, Book Covers and Projecting the Wrong Emotions

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2304: It Came from Outer Space - Russian Meteor Event over Chelyabinsk - Don't Confuse this Reflex with Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2782: Hillary Clinton dodges a shoe - Body Language ... and Not

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2919: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - Friends? - will they Hug it Out?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2949: Hillary Clinton at Maya Angelou's Tribute - a Body Language Signal of ....  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2847: Eric Cantor, Concession Speeches and Low Affection 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2414:  Sen. John McCain after his Trip to Syria -  Body Language of Regret and Contempt  

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2942: Vladimir Putin's & Recognizing Duplicity in Body Language (PHOTO)

Vladimir Putin is shown here waving to the crowd during a recent trip to Ulan Bator (Улаанбаатар or Ulaanbaatar), Mongolia. Given what is transpiring in Ukraine, his timing was interesting - for his trip was largely ceremonial  where he laid a wreath at the grave of Georgy Zhukov (Гео́ргий Жу́ков) a legendary Soviet War hero.

As with all politicians, here the Russian President is attempting to project outwardly one emotion – while he is really feeling another one. In the real world this happens many times a day - politics or otherwise. In addition, it is also possible that two different emotions are being sincerely experienced simultaneously or nearly so (emotional dissonance). Sussing out the difference and – in the case of the second scenario – discerning which emotion is more dominant - is crucial beyond words.

Vladimir's primary emotion here is disgust. We cannot say what exactly about which he is disgusted - for that we need more context - yet disgust is the bulk of his emotional tone in this moment. His mouth expression indicates an attempt at a social smile - with a very low sincerity quotient. What do you think was Mr. Putin's dominant emotion two or three seconds earlier? What signs here lead you to this conclusion?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2941: Barack Obama at NATO Summit - Split Finger Fastball & the Dominant Spider

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2937: Vladimir Putin - “If I want to, I can take Kiev in two weeks” and Critical Evaluation

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1889:  Vladimir Putin & Barack Obama at the G-20

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2511:  Barack Obama & Vladimir Putin  Handshake at 2013 G20 Meeting

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2939: Barack Obama in Tallinn, Estonia - Body Language Tells

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2904: Roger Goodell's Defending the NFL's Punishment for Ray Rice - Bad Crisis Management & Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In this video, Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner makes a statement and answers some questions from reporters defending his very mild punishment handed down to Ray Rice. Mr. Rice stands accused of assaulting his fiancee (and now wife), Janay Palmer.

Although he has apologized and for his actions, Ray Rice, a running back for the Baltimore Ravens, has yet to be convinced.

In this video, you will note the virtually constant contraction of Goodell’s central forehead (thus called a “Central Forehead Contraction” or CFC). The central forehead contraction, when co-existing with a congruent mouth expression, is seen when there is physical pain or emotional pain – either for oneself by direct experience or for another person, group of people (or animal[s]) - secondarily via empathy.

The overuse of the CFC is seen routinely in those who are insincere (e.g., such as bad actors, most newscasters, pundits, many politicians, etc.) and who are trying to convince others of their “sincerity”. They are trying too hard – but they are acting (and very poorly).

If a person is apologizing - during those moments of remorse and empathy for those who have been wronged – the central forehead does indeed contract (this can even be seen in all but the most heavily Botox-treated foreheads – if one knows what to look for). Again – the simultaneous mouth configuration must be congruent with if sincerity is truly present. Yet the CFC is almost never present constantly during an apology.

Note Ray Rice’s apology yesterday (Nonverbal Communication Quiz-Analysis No. 2902: How Sincere was Ray Rice's Apology?). Rice never displays a CFC during the video. During 1:00 - 1:00 his left and central forehead and left eyebrow become elevated (indicating doubt/incredulity). And Mr. Rice also has extended periods when his eyebrows are drawn together and downward – but not his central forehead. When a CFC is present – there is an elevation (not a downward vectoring) of the central forehead and central eyebrows.

Mr. Goodell’s forehead is contracted nearly the entire time he is making this statement. Goodell does NOT believe what he, himself is saying. He is trying too hard to convince us.

In summary, when a person has constant or nearly constant contraction of the central forehead – always consider the following:

1. Extreme grief (for themselves or others via empathy) – must have a consistent mouth expression
2. Considerable pain (for themselves or others via empathy) – must have a consistent mouth expression
3. Bad Acting
4. Insincerity (Same as No. 3, simply in another context)
5. Deception

What other emotional states/psychological conditions are consistent with an extended-display CFC?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2424:  Giada De Laurentiis on Conan O'Brien  Beautiful Teeth but Insincere Smiles and  Some Body Language Signals of Waning Love

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2724: Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Twenty Years Later

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2405:  Anthony Weiner's Running For Mayor of New York  His Body Language & His Sincerity Quotient

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2441:  Paula Deen's Apology - What Does Her Body Language Say?

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