Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3191: Prince Charles and Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams Shake Hands - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Earlier today Prince Charles shook hands and met with Gerry Adams. Adams is an Irish Republican Politician and President of Sinn Féin. He is the first member of the British Royal Family to meet with leadership of Sinn Féin while in the Republic of Ireland.

This image captures Prince Charles as he is approaching Mr. Adams. While it may very well have been tea time and the Prince may have desired some caffeine - here his hands should have absolutely not been holding anything. This moment was most certainly highly choreographed - however on the chance that Mr. Adams was standing in an unanticipated location, Prince Charles should have immediately handed the cup and saucer off - so that both hands were empty upon initiating any greeting or handshake. Holding any object in front of the chest or abdomen upon meeting another person is an example of a MAP surrogate (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier) - and indicates a low degree of emotional comfort. The drink and its container act as an insulator/blocking agent from that which gives the Prince anxiety. Moreover it also telegraphs disrespect and a low priority nature to the meeting.

Gerry Adams is displaying body language known as a "Fig Leaf" or "Genital Guarding". In this context it is indicative of either lower emotional comfort - or respect shown to a recognized alpha by a self-acknowledged beta (e.g. a former U.S. president would also stand similarly next to a current president during a speech - or me, if I were also meeting Prince Charles). Thus on occasion (a small minority of the time) the fig leaf is an example deliberate, conscious etiquette behavior. What other nonverbal displayed here by Mr. Adam tells us which of these two is correct in this moment?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3190: Taylor Swift's Body Language of Feigned Surprise

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2258:  Prince Charles worried about Harry?  What his Body Language Says

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2348:  Prince William, Alpha Personalities & Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2494:  Prince William Interview on Fatherhood and Baby George Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2202:  Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and the  Body Language of the "Fig Leaf"

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2258: Prince Charles worried about Harry? What his Body Language Says

In this interview Prince Charles expresses his concern for his son Harry - both verbally and nonverbally. The more obvious body language signal of worry seen here are the multiple elevations of the Prince's medial (inner) eyebrows. What is not as well known however is the epiphenomenon of eye movement and how these patterns of dynamism correlate with emotions and thoughts. When right-handed people are discussing issues which are emotionally charged - particularly when dealing with someone with who they have affection for, 95+% of the time they will look down to their right. This body language is clearly seen multiple times throughout this video as Charles speaks about Harry serving in Afghanistan.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2146: Biden vs. Ryan Vice Presidential Debates - Both Candidates Displayed Body Language of Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1709: Peyton Manning's Agent Does Not Fully Believe

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2247: Barack Obama's Body Language on Meet the Press  "That was the worst day of my Presidency

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2186: Paula Broadwell, David Petraeus, Body Language and the man who would be President ...

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1808: Time Magazine's Breast Feeding, Dr. William Sears, and Attachment Parenting Controversy - Shows Emotional Dissonance at Best

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2107: Andy Murray, Affection and Savoring the Moment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2: Body Language of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley Strongly Suggests an Impending Break-up in Near Future

Body Language Secret # 105: Parental Affection and Love  

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 392: Christmas Cheer - Kate Middleton's and Prince William's Suppressed Smiles

This photo of Prince William, Prince Charles and Kate Middleton (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) attending Christmas Day services at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk, Sandringham, shows both William and Kate with different mouth configurations, yet with similar eyes. The newly weds both are wearing suppressed smiles. Most people don't realize that a sincere, felt smile is not present unless a characteristic appearance of the eyes occur (Ekman). In order for a smile to be true, there must always be a dynamic and partial eyelid closure. And yet it is not this simple....

Some will tell you to look for "crows feet" when assessing "eye smiles" - but I caution against this for several reasons. After one reaches their mid-thirties, most everyone has some degree of crow's feet. Moreover an increase or decrease in these wrinkles are difficult to qualify, let alone quantify when the face is moving. A much more accurate and dynamic eye metric for identifying sincere smiles - is to look for eyelid closure. There is essentially no variance in iris size from person to person, so along with how much white of the eye (sclera) is visible - this adjacent anatomy serve as excellent yardsticks to quantify eyelid closure.

For a sincere smile though - simple partial eyelid closure is not enough nonverbal. There are different muscles used depending on the emotional reason for this action (See Secret # 353: Brad Pitt's Eyes - Sincere and Insincere Smiles). Sincere smiles must always have the characteristic concave-up furrow on the lower eyelids as well as their partial closure - as seen here very well on Prince William and to a somewhat lesser extent on Kate. Both are trying to suppress their sincere, felt smiles.

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