Body Language Analysis No. 3948: The Manchester Bomber, Nonverbal Communication, Threat Assessment, and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

The image above (and the cropped close-up below) shows one of the few currently available photos of Salman Abedi - the alleged perpetrator of the recent bombing during at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. Tragically, 22 victims were killed and at least 120 others were injured.

Note the expression on Abedi's face - it's a mixture of both Contempt and Disgust. The elevated "snarl" appearance on HIS left side (e.g. the well-defined nasolabial fold [the furrow running from the side of the nose to the corner of the mouth]), is particularly emblematic of Contempt. His mid-face tightness (in the "mustache area") is consistent with both of these emotions (although also more accentuated on his left - ergo contempt). His "droopy eyelids", while perhaps longstanding (e.g., congenital ptosis) - here serve as an amplifier of contempt and disgust. Abedi's backward head tilt also acts to intensify each of these emotions.

As human beings, we all occasionally feel - and thus display each of these feelings - but hopefully not very often or too intensely.

However, those who make such facial expressions frequently have a dramatically increased likelihood of having impulse control disorder (colloquially known as a "short temper"). Therefore in the context of significant disagreements, these individuals will tend to use physical force and outright violence to solve problems - rather than dialog, diplomacy, and reason.

Moreover, if we evaluate the real-time behavior and/or social media behavior record of the people who perpetrate terrorist activity or mass-shootings - we will observe a dramatic frequency of disgust and contempt - as well as anger (often there exists a mixture of these emotions)

With this in mind, it's not surprising that a senior person at the mosque which Abedi attended (the Manchester Islamic Centre aka Didsbury Mosque) reported that Salman Abedi looked at him with a "face of hate" after the imam gave a sermon denouncing terrorism and preaching against ISIS.

Summary: Careful observation of Nonverbal Behavior plays a crucial role in Threat Assessment and preventing violence. The perpetrator of the 2017 Manchester Bombing, Salman Abedi, is yet another example of an individual who exhibited such body language red flags. And while certainly not all of those who display chronic expressions of anger, contempt, and/or disgust will perpetrate terrorist activity - they will virtually always have impulse control disorder (thus you don't want to date them, hire them, be hired by them, vote for them, etc.).

My deepest condolences for all those who have suffered in this horrific event.

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Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3947: Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction to Donald Trump's statement, "I never mentioned the Word or Name 'Israel' "

Body Language Analysis No. 3945: Donald Trump's Anxiety - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence

Body Language Analysis No. 3943: Donald Trump hugs James Comey

Body Language Analysis No. 3941: H.R. McMaster’s Press Conference, Part II — Donald Trump, Russia & Classified Information

Body Language Analysis No. 3933: Sally Yates Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3912: Keri Russell's Schadenfreude, Matthew Rhys' Fear, and a Hesitancy to Disclose

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3870: Paul Ryan's Response to Donald Trump during President's Speech before The Joint Session of Congress

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3843: 84 Lumber Super Bowl Ad - "The Entire Journey"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3802: Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey and UFC 207

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3791: Russian Ambassador to Turkey Assassinated in Ankara - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

Earlier today, Andrey Karlov (the Russian Ambassador to Turkey) was assassinated during an art exhibition in Ankara. As there were professional photographers and videographers present, multiple images were captured in addition to video documenting the killing and its aftermath.

In this image taken immediately after the shooting, Mevlut Mert Altintas (the assassin) can be seen. Although it can't be seen in this cropped photo, he is standing adjacent to the body of Ambassador Karlov. Altintas was reportedly a 22 year-old off duty (or possibly former) Turkish police officer at the time of the attack.

Note the expression on Altintas' face in the above photograph. Although there is anger present - it's his secondary feeling. The dominant emotion being experienced and thus projected is that of Contempt. On the faces of those committing terrorist acts, the expressions of contempt and/or disgust are present virtually 100% of the time.

In this second, distorted image, taken a few moments before the shooting, the Assassin can be seen. Here there is also contempt being displayed (on the mid-face and mouth) - although here it is being considerably suppressed.

The configuration of his hands is a portion of, and variation of what some law enforcement personnel call "Parade Rest" (and some military, yet the hands tend to be held behind the back in most militaries). Yet if we slice this nonverbal moment even thinner and evaluate the position of his thumbs and correlate this with the indirect gaze of his eyes (along with his previously noted contempt) - we can further conclude this body language cluster is highly consistent with a significantly heightened level of anxiety as well as clandestine planning.

Furthermore, although his feet cannot be seen directly, when we look at the angle of the assassin's legs, it's obvious that they are planted further than his shoulder's width apart. Such a leg-angle/foot-distance display is considerably hyper-alpha and projects the mental state of a person preparing for an intense physical act.

My condolences and prayers to the family of Ambassador Karlov.

Photo credits: Burham Ozbilici

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3790: Senator John McCain Believes Russian Election Interference Could 'Destroy Democracy'

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3788: President Obama's Press Conference - 'Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin'

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3786: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte admits he personally carried out extrajudicial killings

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3763: Matt Smith, Claire Foy and Where NOT to be stung by a Wasp - Body Language, Emotional Intelligence and Predicting Empathy 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3756: Amy Adams, Anxiety and Hesitancy to Disclose

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3587: The Orlando Mass Shooting, Omar Mateen and Warning Signs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2976: Joseph Goebbels - Hitler's Propaganda Minister Showed this Chronic Display - Body Language Tells

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3220: Charleston, South Carolina Shooter Dylann Roof - Social Media, Public Persona and Predicting Violent Behavior (PHOTOS)

Dylann Roof, pictured above, has been arrested this morning in Shelby, North Carolina. He is alleged to have been the perpetrator in a mass-shooting event last night in downtown Charleston, South Carolina at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nine people were killed and one was wounded. Among the deceased is Clementa C. Pinckney - who was a senior pastor at the church and South Carolina State Senator.

This photo of Dylann Roof was one he had posted on his Facebook and is his current profile picture. His primary emotion displayed here is anger while his secondary emotion is disgust. Although both of these emotions share the characteristic of flared nostrils, his mid-facial tension has a significant disgust component. The downward-forward tilt of his forehead, his partially closed upper eyelids, lower eyelid tension and downward vectoring of his eyebrows are all strong anger indicators. In addition his jaw is mildly clenched and his chin is dimpled. The thinning of his upper lips and his concave-down mouth configuration are all indicative of anger.

This is the image he chose as his public persona. It conveys the emotions which encapsulate his self-image - the ones he projects onto the public and therefore the ones he wishes the World to perceive. Those who perpetrate violent crimes have a very strong tendency to post on social media images which display them showing during moments of contempt, disgust and anger. People who project such emotions will also tend to have a greater tendency toward a narcissistic profile as well as possessing shorter tempers. They have a predilection to react to verbal conflicts and confrontations with physical responses and much less so with diplomacy. Thus when time permits, social media images play a valuable role in threat assessment.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3219: "Slow Jam the News" with Jeb Bush, Jimmy Fallon and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2828: Elliot Roger, Isla Vista/U.C. Santa Barbara Mass Shooting & Threat Assessment - Body Language and Threat Assessment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2231:  A Common Facial Expression of Mass Killers - Using Body Language as a Threat Assessment Tool

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3133: The Red Flag of Robert Durst's Body Language

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