Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2024 10:40:45 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: A Body Language Expert Watched the Debate. Here's What He Noticed.
From: Left Wing <left.wing@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,alt.politics.trump,can.politics,or.politics,talk.politics.guns
On 28 Jun 2024, J Carlson <j_carlson@gmx.com> posted some
news:v5nqr3$3jkrb$4@dont-email.me:
> I'm a trolling HIV-oozing Nazi whore with no seriousness of purpose.
Im sure I wasnt the only American to hit the mute button on the
presidential debate last night. But unlike many of you, I didnt silence
the back-and-forth between President Joe Biden and former President Donald
Trump because I wanted to tune them out. I did it because I wanted to
understand them better.
For over 50 years, 25 of them as an FBI agent, Ive been studying the
endlessly fascinating nuances of nonverbal communication. Ive found that
words, especially those of politicians, too easily twist the truth. But
body language doesnt lie. So I started the debate with the sound off to
see what the two contenders were really thinking and feeling.
Reader, let me tell you: They were thinking and feeling quite a lot that
they left unsaid.
You may not have learned much that you didnt already know about Trump and
Biden during the debate. But decoding their body language offers
invaluable insights to get to know them better that you didnt hear in
their speeches. Heres everything I noticed on the stage:
Bidens Age Was Clear From the First Step He Took Onstage
A handshake on a debate stage communicates mutual respect if not between
the candidates, then at least for the Americans watching at home. It has
been a tradition as far back as I can remember. But with all the baggage
between Trump and Biden, the lack of a handshake didnt surprise me. It
was a nonverbal sign that this election will be every bit as divisive as
many voters feared it would be.
Biden entered the room first, and his stiff walk, with a short, narrow
stride, immediately showed his age. Contrary to what they say online,
thats not necessarily a cataclysmic sign of mental decline. But as we
age, we lose a lot of the nerves that help us keep our balance. The
Merkel, Meissner, Ruffini and Pacinian nerve cells on and just below the
skin all so robust when we are young, able to detect the most delicate
touch, the slightest change in pressure and temperature, the subtlest
movement or vibration begin to lose sensation as we age. The tactile
messages they send along the nervous system take longer to reach the brain
also, so we adapt as we age and we walk slower, more carefullynature is
not kind. As the Sural nerve of the foot (along the outside edge) or the
Medial Plantar nerve (which innervates the big toe) age, we also lose our
ability to sense where we are walking with precision so that also forces
us to slow down. But what about Biden riding a bike? you might ask.
Well, those nerves dont always affect cycling or swimming but they do
impact walking.
Trumps Tan Made Biden Look Pale
You may not have learned much that you didnt already know about Trump and
Biden during the debate. But decoding their body language offers
invaluable insights to get to know them better that you didnt hear in
their speeches. Heres everything I noticed on the stage:
Bidens Age Was Clear From the First Step He Took Onstage
A handshake on a debate stage communicates mutual respect if not between
the candidates, then at least for the Americans watching at home. It has
been a tradition as far back as I can remember. But with all the baggage
between Trump and Biden, the lack of a handshake didnt surprise me. It
was a nonverbal sign that this election will be every bit as divisive as
many voters feared it would be.
Biden entered the room first, and his stiff walk, with a short, narrow
stride, immediately showed his age. Contrary to what they say online,
thats not necessarily a cataclysmic sign of mental decline. But as we
age, we lose a lot of the nerves that help us keep our balance. The
Merkel, Meissner, Ruffini and Pacinian nerve cells on and just below the
skin all so robust when we are young, able to detect the most delicate
touch, the slightest change in pressure and temperature, the subtlest
movement or vibration begin to lose sensation as we age. The tactile
messages they send along the nervous system take longer to reach the brain
also, so we adapt as we age and we walk slower, more carefullynature is
not kind. As the Sural nerve of the foot (along the outside edge) or the
Medial Plantar nerve (which innervates the big toe) age, we also lose our
ability to sense where we are walking with precision so that also forces
us to slow down. But what about Biden riding a bike? you might ask.
Well, those nerves dont always affect cycling or swimming but they do
impact walking.
Trumps Tan Made Biden Look Pale
The first thing I noticed about Trump was his tan. You might think that
sounds superficial, but appearances can make a big difference. Just think
of how disheveled Richard Nixon looked with his 5 oclock shadow, lack
of makeup and pale complexion next to a young, tanned, make-up-wearing
senator named John F. Kennedy in the first televised debate in 1960.
In a similar way, Biden looked white as a sheet next to a sun-kissed
Trump. Humans naturally intuit health, vitality and energy in a tanned
face. It was another indicator that Biden appeared somewhat frail.
What Can I Even Say About Bidens Body Language?
I have watched Biden since the early 90s, and this is the most stoic I
have ever seen him. He was still as a statue at times, especially in the
first 40 minutes or so. His lack of movement was especially striking next
to Trump, who drew the viewers eye with dynamic hand motions and
aggressive finger pointing that emphasized his arguments, making him
appear much more energetic.
I often say that body language speaks volumes, but Bidens volume was full
of blank pages. Sure, it might be because he wanted to be respectful and
listen intently. But it could also be because, as we age, our gestures
become more economical. Bidens nonverbal communication did nothing to
counter the narrative that his age is catching up to him.
Neither, for that matter, did his verbal communication. I wont comment on
the substance of what either candidate said thats a matter for a
different kind of expert but the hoarse timbre of Bidens voice
immediately distracted most viewers from his arguments. His supporters
will no doubt argue that he talks all the time as part of his presidential
duties and therefore had a tired voice, but nonetheless, it detracted from
his speech. When I consult with people about public speaking, I always
tell them that, if theyre suffering from a cold or some vocal malady,
they should mention it to let people know why they sound the way they
sound. Otherwise, as with Biden last night, their timbre and tone draw
more focus than their actual words.
Both Candidates Eyelids Fluttered But for Different Reasons
Biden and Trump both exhibited eyelid flutters, but they did so at
different times and for different reasons. Biden fluttered his eyes when
he made a mistake. Even with the sound off, I could tell when he stumbled
over a word or felt he hadnt expressed himself well because his eyelids
would flutter in frustration with himself. Its a common behavior for
people who, like Biden, have a stutter.
With Trump, the eyelid flutter was less an expression of inward
frustration than outward disdain. He looked like Jack Nicholsons
character in A Few Good Men, fluttering his eyes whenever he got a
challenging question on the witness stand.
Overall, Trump has the most expressive eyes but not in a good way. When
he hears something he doesnt like, his eyelids come down hard and linger
in a downcast position. The fifth cranial nerve (C5) innervates the
eyelids, and we subconsciously force them closed to put pressure on the
eyeball and the eyelids themselves. It is an adaptive behavior, like
facial touching, that helps us to relieve temporary stress a way to
self-soothe.
Simultaneously, Trumps eyebrows arch. Often, thats a sign of
recognition, like when your eyebrows pop up when you run into a friend on
the street. But with Trump, its something different: a gravity-defying
behavior that emphasizes dislike. Humans gesture upward, against gravity
raising our hands or our eyebrows, for example as a kind of somatic
exclamation point. But in Trumps case, the raised eyebrows communicate
not surprise but discomfort or suspicion.
Trump Has a Tell: His Lips
Ever since hes appeared on television, Trump has displayed an
idiosyncratic behavior that gives away his feelings of disagreement,
dislike or disdain, and it showed up plenty of times during the debate:
puckered lips.
Hes not alone. Most of us exhibit puckered or pursed lips when we hear
something we dislike or disagree with. It seems to be a deeply ingrained
behavior, not something we learn visually; Ive observed the very same
behavior in children who were born blind. Its a kind of tic that others
can take advantage of in, say, a business negotiation, or a poker game
or a presidential debate.
Trumps Fake Smile Is His Shield
Neither, for that matter, did his verbal communication. I wont comment on
the substance of what either candidate said thats a matter for a
different kind of expert but the hoarse timbre of Bidens voice
immediately distracted most viewers from his arguments. His supporters
will no doubt argue that he talks all the time as part of his presidential
duties and therefore had a tired voice, but nonetheless, it detracted from
his speech. When I consult with people about public speaking, I always
tell them that, if theyre suffering from a cold or some vocal malady,
they should mention it to let people know why they sound the way they
sound. Otherwise, as with Biden last night, their timbre and tone draw
more focus than their actual words.
Both Candidates Eyelids Fluttered But for Different Reasons
Biden and Trump both exhibited eyelid flutters, but they did so at
different times and for different reasons. Biden fluttered his eyes when
he made a mistake. Even with the sound off, I could tell when he stumbled
over a word or felt he hadnt expressed himself well because his eyelids
would flutter in frustration with himself. Its a common behavior for
people who, like Biden, have a stutter.
With Trump, the eyelid flutter was less an expression of inward
frustration than outward disdain. He looked like Jack Nicholsons
character in A Few Good Men, fluttering his eyes whenever he got a
challenging question on the witness stand.
Overall, Trump has the most expressive eyes but not in a good way. When
he hears something he doesnt like, his eyelids come down hard and linger
in a downcast position. The fifth cranial nerve (C5) innervates the
eyelids, and we subconsciously force them closed to put pressure on the
eyeball and the eyelids themselves. It is an adaptive behavior, like
facial touching, that helps us to relieve temporary stress a way to
self-soothe.
Simultaneously, Trumps eyebrows arch. Often, thats a sign of
recognition, like when your eyebrows pop up when you run into a friend on
the street. But with Trump, its something different: a gravity-defying
behavior that emphasizes dislike. Humans gesture upward, against gravity
raising our hands or our eyebrows, for example as a kind of somatic
exclamation point. But in Trumps case, the raised eyebrows communicate
not surprise but discomfort or suspicion.
Trump Has a Tell: His Lips
Ever since hes appeared on television, Trump has displayed an
idiosyncratic behavior that gives away his feelings of disagreement,
dislike or disdain, and it showed up plenty of times during the debate:
puckered lips.
Hes not alone. Most of us exhibit puckered or pursed lips when we hear
something we dislike or disagree with. It seems to be a deeply ingrained
behavior, not something we learn visually; Ive observed the very same
behavior in children who were born blind. Its a kind of tic that others
can take advantage of in, say, a business negotiation, or a poker game
or a presidential debate.
Trumps Fake Smile Is His Shield
Several times, when Trump heard something negative, he exhibited a
behavior I call a deflective pseudo-smile.
In a true, genuine smile, also called a Duchenne smile, we see an organic
movement of the lips and a crinkling of the eyes. But with Trumps
deflective smile, the lips compress tight, the commissures (or corners) of
the mouth tightly pull upward and laterally, almost like youd see on a
clowns face, and the eyebrows arch quite high. This makes the smile look
contrived, intended to nonverbally fend off a verbal attack. Its a way to
pretend something wasnt hurtful when, in fact, it was.
Joe Biden is a lying idiot and Kamala Harris is a useless black
prostitute.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/06/28/trump-biden-debate-body-
language-analysis-00165698