He brings a handsome Syrian family on stage with the women dressed in scarves and three cute children.
He eyes the father. As he parades this “newly arrived family” of immigrants on stage, it seems very contrived and manipulative to me. It appears Schumer is doing this for his own agenda not for this family as they look traumatized being on stage.
All children look sad and uncomfortable as you can see in the photo above.
As he reads his speech there is no emotion and no inflection as it appears to be a monotonous drone. There is no passion in the speech as she says that he is saying No to Trump’ executive order. He rarely looks up as he reads from his script.
ASshe says so many are opposed to this order we see him raised his finger in a rehearsed manner that looks awkwards. It is an upward point which is not showing true anger. True anger would be shown by a direct point with finger extended and pointer lower not upwards as he has it positioned.
He continues to sound boring and emotionless as he reads his script as he discusses the military.He then says something ridiculous that it makes lone wolves are not so lone after all and their acts occur more not less. This statement is nonsense as most lone wolves are usually beholden to some cause, doctrine , or group as they commit acts of terror.
He does not seem upset at all facially throughout the speech as he even leaks out several smiles. This indicates that he appears to be enjoying his moment on stage.
Once again there is no vocal emotion as he speaks as she is saying negative things about Trump’s program.
He then refers to “the beauty of these people” which is so phony and contrived as he says it. It further validates that he is using ” these people” as props for his own agenda.He purses his lips for emphasis, after he says this which is further indication of his phoniness as this is a conflicting facial gesture to what eh just said.
His phoniness continues as he stammers as he reads from his script and says let me tell you about this family. Clearly he is reading about this family and shows know emotion or no real knowledge of this family he is using as a political prop.
Asn he talks about the father he looks down as he continues to read about the man and awkwardly seeks out the man’s shoulder in an attempt to show how much he cares about the man. It is blatantly contrived and phony and insincere.
Then he ridiculous slaps the poor man on thr shoulder in an aggressive gesture as eh said that the man came here because he translated for the Americans and got death threats for helping American soldiers. This is not some poor refugee that was injured or wounded in the war and left to die and rescued he was an employee paid by Americans for his translation services for whom he is serving and should very well be protected by his employer- the Americans. This is what is usually done and everyone knows it. yet Schumer is making it seem like this is some unusual case and that his man is some type of hero.
Schumer makes a fist as he continues to exploit this poor man who doesn’t seem to happy with being paraded on stage and used as a prop as you can see by his facial expression. To further illustrate Schumer’s phoniness her doesn’t even look at the man. As he speaks he continues to stumble on his words, further indicating that he is manipulating and using this man to make his point.
Then he stumbles on the name of the next family he seeks to publicly exploit on stage. He rocks back and forth as he speaks indicating his discomfort and lack of sincerity. he then points upawrds to the little girl maya who is 16 which makes her shirk away from him. The finger point is an angry gesture and the upward finger in the context in which he is using it is incongrous with what he is saying. This further indicates how contrived and phony this is.
Then he points to Hamza and reads that he turned 14 yesterday, Haza 8, and Hara 6 as he lays his hands on these two younger children which obviously makes the older 16 year old child feel uncomfortable as you can see by her expression ,
The Schumer bangs on the podium with his hand as he says the family arrived a month ago This would have been an angry gesture but there is no anger in his voice He then elks out a smile as he says their parents ( in laws) are American citizens. So even though he is feigning anger his gestures and facial expression are totally inconsistent with the words he is saying which means he is being phony and manipulative. He even stammers and stumbles as he says what section in the Bronx the parents live.
He then uses another phy inconsistent gestures as he raises his hands and says that Trump wants us to believe that all immigrants are terrorists when they are not but rather like these families. First of all Trump never said this and Schumer knows this . That his why one hand shows his fingers spread out and the other hand shows his fingers close together.If his gestures indicted honestly his hands would BOTH display open fingers in his gesturing.
He then leaks out as smile as he says they aren’t a threat to American but a promise to America. WE all know these people are not a threat to America and he knows it too. he also knows that these are not the people Trump is referring to in terms of being a threat to America. That is why Schumer leaks out a smile as an indication of dupid delight. he knows exactly what he is doing- being manipulative and trying to pull at people’s heartstrings by using this family. But it is not working as his phoniness belies him.
Then he looks down and taps two times on the podium which makes no sense. he then looks down and fumbles through his papers as he reads a quote from the Old Testament ( Exodus) the New Testament ( Matthew) and then he brings up a quote by Catholic comments Pope Frances ( who in my view has no business sticking his two cents into politics especially when his own flock of priests are a complete disaster with raping young children and destroying them forever.)As he reads what Pope Frances says he raises his awkward finger and says “This is the Pope speaking” As you can see from the expression the children’s faces they could care less. They are bored and can’t wait to get out of their and end their exploitation.
The Schumer embarrassingly invokes the name of his dead relative Ellis whom he was named after who was named after Ellis Island. As she does this is manipulative and corney behavior shows clearly.
Then for his final act he musters up a FAKE CRY with no tears as he calls trump mean spirited.
As you can see there are no dripping tears, He just held his eyes open without clinking which caused the to glisten. But it was NOT a real cry. if that was the case you would ee a downward turn in his mouth which was not evident.
And then we see what his real agenda is- getting some press time and promoting himself as he mentions he is a Senator from NY and how he will fight and scrap with all of his being to overturn Trump’s directive.
The bottom line is that the cry was phony and his dragging these poor families on stage with him was contrived and manipulative to further his own agenda.
There is nothing more that irks me than when I see my fellow journalists getting on the bandwagon and make things up just for the sensationalism and to get a headline that attracts eyeballs. As I have said countless times, I am NOT a political person. I ONLY report things as I see them from a body language and communication standpoint, not a political standpoint. That is why when I read the headline “Hillary Puts on A Southern Accent” I had to speak up.
As a person who is well versed in accent and dialects having taught a large number of A list Hollywood actors how to gain various accents for specific movie roles as well as how to lose accents, I can assure you Hillary DID NOT put on a Southern accent during her recent interview in the South.
What she did do, is something,I suggested she do in my last blog about her, when she did her first campaign speech. That was to use more vocal inflection and get rid of that stiff staccato tone and flow out her tones. She incorporated what I suggested this new etah interview.
What not knowledgeable journalists in the area of voice, speech, accents, and communication skills like Shoshanna Weissmann reported as Hillary having an accent,was simply Hillary using great communication skills for the very first time.
She was warm, flowing in her tones , smiled genuine smiles and was not as stiff as she usually is when speaking. Her gestures
As you can see Hillary is smiling. She is not angry. She is talking about things that are not anger proucting so she needs to stop this gesture.
Then she used another gesture which she also needs to lose. It is the hand balled into a fit with the thumb extended that all Presidents and Presidential hopefuls used to get their points across.
It is a stupid gesture who’s origins date back to the Kennedy era whereby some ignorant speech coach told JFK to use it and unfortunately it has stuck. It is a gesture that makes no sense in my view because it shows incongruency. For instance a fist shows anger. A thumb up shows things are good. So what this stupid gesture says in reality is ” I am angry things are good.” It makes no sense and Hillary needs to lose it asap.
The next inappropriate gesture she needs to lose is the karate chop gesture when she speaks. It doesn’t work and makes no sense in terms of what she was discussing- running for her first term and not her husband’s third term. It is an angry gesture that is alienating and reflects that she is angry that people may assume she is continuing her husband’s and Obamas’s terms as she mentioned.
So my fellow journalists, my message to you is STOP SPINNING IT! Report what you see and hear that is accurate. Do not report what you don’t see and hear in hopes of getting a nationally read story. When you do this, like was done here, you lose your credibility. That is why the public so often doesn’t believe what they read from journalists. The public is not dumb. They know that there is spin like the spin that was demonstrated here. No Southerner or Northerner, Easterner or Westerner would ever agree there was a Southern accent put on by Hillary. It is false reporting and makes you, fellow journalist, look bad.
And for Hillary, my advice to you is to stop making wrong gestures- misleading gestures. Instead stay real and genuine like you did during this speech when you spoke. Show that vocal warmth with lots of inflection in your tones to express what you want to say. Smile like you have done as it is very inviting and makes people want to hear what you have to say.
Phoniness will not work in this election. People want real gestures that match what is said. They don’t want choreographed or contrived speeches and rhetoric and gestures. Being honest, sincere and genuine is universal language of today.
As I said countless times, I am not political and this is not a political blog. I write about newsmakers and Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton certainly falls into that category. As someone who has coached A List Academy Award Winning actors an actresses, top sports figures, corporate leaders, and politicians I feel very qualified to weigh in on the fact that Hillary Clinton is in desperate need of voice and body language coaching as evidenced in her performance on her Kickoff Campaign Speech on Roosevelt Island.
She has surrounded herself with the top advisors in the world like her campaign manager Leonard Podesta,Robby Mook and Communications DirectorJennifer Palmieri . They no doubt have the best speech writers in the world. They all have presented her image quite well. They have monitored the content of what she says quite well.
But they have neglected to monitor how she says it. This is essential in her campaign as no matter how beautifully a speech is crafted if you don;t deliver it well, people (voters tune out) That is where I come in. I would love to coach Hillary with her delivery.
Studies show that the way a person speaks is more important than how they look. Research also shows that if a person does not deliver their message well in terms of the tone of their voice, the way they speak, and their body language, they will not be as effective in getting their message across.
Here is what to Hil;ary needs to do in order for voters to really hear her message .
1. She needs to stop sound so staccato and choppy in her delivery. It is off putting. Instead she needs to develop a flow to her speech pattern whereby she draws out her vowels and flows the into one another.
2. She needs to stop going down in inflection at the end of her statements.
3. She needs to lose the monotone and provide more inflection so that the meaning and emphasis of what she is trying to say doesn’t get lost. In fact, if I was working with her I would choreograph her speech as I have done with so many to help them speak pubically. I would arrange for her where to go up and where to go down in terms of her inflectiona nd which specific words to emphasize as she speaks. All of this would be written down for her and she could see it as she read her speech on the teleprompter or by hand. She needs to emphasize key words and phrases.
4. She needs to stop for a second or two after delivering crucial information or when making an important point so that the listener can better process what she has just said.
5. She needs to stop being so stiff and staccato in her gestures and definitely needs to avoid making this particular measured
gesture as you see here below with her hands at either side and thumbs pointing upwards. It is like a karate chop movement that is out of place in terms of the content she was discussing- her grandparents.
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6. She then makes a fist like angry gesture when speaking about her father. It was no congruent with what she was saying. Fist like gestures need to be avoided at all times unless you are speaking about something that really makes you furious like ISIS or acts of terrorism.
7.Then she speaks of her beloved mother. Even though you could tell that she really loved and adored her mother greatly he tones were too choppy and staccato. he tone didn’t fit the lovely message. And then she does something that is a HIGE non- no when giving a speech- she points. That is a hostile gesture. Never point unless you are upset or angry. This was not the case here so never point for emphasis as it is off putting and sends a confusing message > here she talks about her mother;s saying that kindness is what got her through yet her gestures say the opposite.
8. The story about her mother was beautiful. It could have been more impactful with the right delivery. As she told of how poor her mother was while growing up, she need to pause more for effect and then inflect on key emotional words. She also spoke a little too fast. She needed to stop so that the audience could better process this very great story which shed a positive light on Hillary.
In fact Hillary kept pointing thoughout her speech. She needs to stop this and ONLY point when ther eis something to point about like something that his horrible or where she would be giving a warning about something. But to point throughout the speech is confusing.
She also needed to smile when talking about her beloved mother instead.
Personally I think her image is great. It is authentic. I love that she has made monochrome pantsuits her style. She looks good in them and they are practical and professional looking. Maybe that will be the new trend. By the way I also loved it when she wore headbands as the First Lady and hope she brings them back. She is true to her style and I love that.
I reallyI like that she isn’t plastic surgeried and face lifted or botoxed up and shows every one of her well earned wrinkles. I like that she isn’t dieting to death and stressing herself out about looking a certain way but instead, eating real meals and keeping it healthy. Her weight is appropriate and she doesn’t look obese.
I love how she lights up around her daughter Chelsea and how proud she is to be a grandma. I am also impressed that she stuck by Bill and worked it out between them, even during the most humiliating of times in her life with all of his philandering. Yes, she stuck by her man and she worked it out andas a result they can both grow o together as a couple and as a family. This provides a great role model to people who just want to throw in the towel and not work things through.
Seeing how Bill embraced her and how she leaned her head on his shoulder showed their genuine love and affection towards one another which was moving and uplifting for everyone to see.
Seeing her in action and as she delivered her speech, to me there doesn’t seem to be any overt health concerns as rumors would have you believe. Even if there were concerns, it doesn’t matter because she no doubt has the best doctors in the world at her service should she need them.
What does matter is her message and how voters perceive her message, if they can;t get past her monotones and her body language is off putting then the message is lost.
I wish I could have just one session with Hillary to coach her put her on the right path vocally and body language wise as it would complete her image, In the meantime, I hope that her advisors pay close attention to the points n this blog which can help her tremendously as she goes out on the campaign trail.
I am not a political person and I have no agenda other than keeping it real and telling it like it is. So when I was asked today by Inside Edition to analyze President Obama’s speech which he made from the Oval Office about the BPoil spill, I obliged and did a television interview.
Apparently, many Americans were upset about the speech. In fact, after he gave the speech, the President’s approval ratings plummeted to an all time low. After carefully listening to and looking at him giving his speech, I could see why American’s felt as they did.
OBAMA NEEDS A NEW SPEECH WRITER
First and foremost I believe that whomever wrote the speech for the President needed to be fired. It was basically a campaign commercial for how well he was doing and what he was going to do. People were clearly not interested in hearing about committees and task forces and names of people who were on those task forces that were being set up.
People were not interested in what Obama was going to do, especially when they saw what he didn’t do. They wanted that issue addressed.
Granted this is an is an overwhelming problem and it is not Obama’s doing. It was BP’s doing. We needed to hear his real take on the situation, not his spin on the situation, which was prevalent throughout the speech.
We did not want to hear about the specific devastated families he met. In doing so he sounded like a candidate on the campaign trail . We already know how devastating this is to families and those who make their living from fishing and shrimping and tourism.
We needed to hear and feel how devastated the President felt is about the situation. We needed to hear and see his anger. We needed to hear why he did not speak to us earlier.
If he felt helpless which I am sure is the case, we needed to hear that too. We needed to hear about emergency measures that a leader would take, not about committees that were being set up that would take time. Time is of the essence and we needed to know that he was doing everything possible in that race against time where millions of gallons of oil are escaping each day.
OBAMA SPOKE AT US NOT TO US
The President spoke AT us , NOT TO us and that is what turned people off. What needed to have been said at the beginning of his speech was lost in the middle and at the end of his speech.
Add to that the President’s monotone and mono expression. He read the speech on the teleprompter without emotion and without inflection.
It was as though a fourth grader was reading a book report in front of a class. While it may have worked for a grade school child, it did NOT work for a President of the United States.
NERVOUSNESS
Body language wise it didn’t start out well either. Obama had his hands folded as though he was holding on to himself and containing himself. It also reflected his discomfort and nervousness.
This speech needed to be given when the oil spill first happened, not now. It was too little too late in many people’s minds. There was no doubt that he knew this as well. No doubt, that added to his discomfort level which we all observed.
WRONG HAND GESTURES
The President used his hands way too much. It appeared to many that he was, in essence, wringing his hands during the first part of the speech . This further gave the impression of his nervousness.
Along with that, his gestures were completely disconnected as to what he was saying. They were not in synch with what he was talking about.
For instance when spoke of the oil spill and said “Becuase there’s never been a leak this size and depth…” he used a gesture that indicated smallness as he pinched his thumb and pinter finger together. It is NOT a small spill it is a huge one and his gesture needed to indicate that point. His hand needed to be open not closed as it was.
He then used aggressive gestures such as the one you see above with his thumb and pointer finger together which is commonly reserved to stress and emphasize key points. Insted, he used this gesture inappropriately and ineffectively throughout his speech, where he emphasized benign points.
OBAMA IS NOT AN EMOTIONLESS PERSON AND MUST EXPRESS AND SHARE HIS FEELINGS WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
President Obama is NOT an unemotional person who keeps it all in. He is NOT always cool, calm and collected.
When one of the oldest civil rights pioneers died recently and the President attended her funeral, he was very emotional
and wiped away several tears just like he did when Senator Ted Kennedy died.
He was openly emotional when his beloved grandmother died while he was campaigning and he wasn’t ashamed to show it.
When Reverend Jeremiah White spoke his trash during the campaign, President Obama got very angry and let Reverend White and everyone else know it . You could see the anger in Obama’s face and hear it in his voice.
Obama showed upset in his tone and facial expression when the Salahi’s crashed into his first state dinner for the Indian leader.
You can always also see the love in Obama’s face when he looks at his wife Michelle and hear the love in his voice when he speaks of her and his daughters.
We have seen Obama get excited and and enthusiastic . People LOVED Obama and gravitated towards him because of his warmth and genuine emotion during the campaign.
He was not monotone or monoface like he was during this most crucial speech about one of the most serious problems which will affect us for years to come.
There is nothing wrong with being cool calm and collected when you are in a crises situation and you actually do something to take care of the problem and handle the crisis.
But if you are cool calm and collected and do nothing and say nothing,or you say it too late, it often gives a message to others you don’t care or that you are ignoring the situation.
LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT
Obama’s strongest supporter Spike Lee even encouraged Obama to “go off”. What he was saying is for Obama to show more emotion- more upset as it relates to this tragic situation. As the leader of a country one must not only speak for the people , one must feel for the people as well.
Along with firing the speech writer who did not do Obama any favors with this speech, fire the arrogant person who had the audacity to become defensive and say that if Obama thought that emotion could help the situation he would shout it from highest rooftops. HOW DARE HE!!
Stop being arrogant and think you know it all, those who are the spokespeople for Obama.
Listen to the public’s voice. If they tell you they want you to get more emotional and more real- like they saw you during the campaign, then get real and listen. Otherwise, your approval ratings will continue to fall like they did today.
Obama’s oil spill speech was upsetting to many because it did not represent how so many people felt. If the President didn’t know what to do in this crisis, he needed to say it. He needed to show a genuine side of himself . He needed to show that he was a real and human with real human feelings.
It is not his fault that this happened but it is his fault that he waited so long to address it and act on it. Americans needed to know why he waited so long and what was in his mind. He did not need to spin it. Americans would have respected him more for it. Americans are way too smart to buy spin and it showed in the approval ratings.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT DUMB AND THEY ARE TOO SAVVY TO BUY SPIN
When I saw the President walking along the beach on the gulf coast fiddling with the oil that washed ashore, I couldn’t believe that someone didn’t protect him and stop him from doing that. That crude oil has chemicals which cause cancer like benzene and methane. What was Obama doing putting his hands in that mess?
Then he gave a message to the public to go to the beach and swim and eat shrimp and fish . Is he for real? The gasses alone and the polluted air can have detrimental affects on a person’s health. The fish will be full of cancer causing elements. The public is not stupid and that is why they are staying away from the area in droves.
Obama even ingested some shrimp while he was on the gulf coast to let the public know that he was fine with eating the fish and shrimp and they should be fine with it too.
Personally, I think that is a very irresponsible message to give to the public. I would never eat any fish or shrimp from the gulf region and neither would anyone else who was aware of the health hazards.
GET REAL AND EMOTE IN YOUR NEXT SPEECH
In my view, Obama needs to lose the teleprompter. He relies on it way too much to the point that he sounds like he is reading from it in a very mechanical way.
If he has to read it, he needs hear and feel his message. If he continues to read his speeches in his monotone that can never happen.
He also needs to work on his gesturing so it goes along with exactly what he is saying. His inappropriate gesturing is alienating. It gives the impression that he is not sincere in what he says. Gestures need to be used sparingly and for emphasis.
The best advice is for Obama to speak from his heart and let out ALL of his emotions like he has done in the past. He needs to speak TO us and not speak AT us. If he still needs help, he or his advisors are free to contact me at www.drlillianglass.com where I will help him connect with the public in a more real way- speech, voice, and body language wise.
While screening procedures in the US and Europe are stringent, 23 year old terrorist Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab still managed to fall through the cracks as he was allowed to board the flight where this Al Qaeda terrorist almost blew everyone to smithereens.
As a result, airlines around the world have issued notices that there will be heightened screening, more bomb-sniffing dogs, officer units and an increase in all Behavioral Detection Officers (BDO’s) at some airports.
But he problem is that that are not enough Behavior Detection Officers to go around. In fact, there are current estimates that BDOs are currently at less than 200 airports around the US.
That is why I feel compelled via this blog. I want to share with you the importance of body language and how it is a science and an art used by law enforcement and the FBI.
I will share valuable body language information with you about how to detect a potential terrorist. Hopefully, this make you feel safer the next time you have to fly. The information may even end up potentially saving your life!
NEVER LISTEN TO ANY “NAY SAYSERS’ REGARDING BODY LANGUAGE – KNOWLEDGE OF BODY LANGUAGE CAN POTENTIALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Anyone who poo poohs the area of body language or makes disparaging comments about it, such as calling it a “pseudoscience’ is to be ignored in my opinion like a certain blogger recently did by the name of Leslie E. Packer, a Tourette Syndrome psychologist and author of http://www.pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Decent who goes by the moniker “dissent. ”
Leslie E. Packer, by the way, is the person, who without even knowing me, has had an obvious personal axe to grind, ever since I wrote a blog about Britney Spears back in 2008 when dear Britney was in so much trouble and people wondered what was wrong with her and why she possibly behaved as she did.
LESLIE E. PACKER, TOURETE SYNDROME PSYCHOLOGIST, AUTHOR OF POGOWASRIGHT.ORG AND (“DISSENT”)CHRONCILES OF DISSENT –BODY LANGUAGE IS NOT A PSEUDOSCIENCE!
Leslie E. Packer, “dissent” of pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Dissent, of North Bellmore, New York, admits she also has issues with “media psychologists, ” including Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura, along with the work which I do in the media as a commentator, in addition to my work as a body language expert. She has even resorted to making disparaging remarks concerning Nancy Grace, a show on which I appear regularly as a commentator.
My personal opinion is that perhaps the reason Leslie E. Packer has lashed out at so many in the media, is due to “professional jealously” and her own envy at wishing to appear in the media.
It is ironic that Leslie E. Packer has called the area of body language a ‘pseudoscience,” when it was my use of my body language analysis techniques that uncovered this once “anonymous “ blogger who made farfetched and ridiculous claims about me concerning a blog I once wrote on Britney Spears back in 2008, during the time everyone was so concerned about dear Britney, who thank God, has turned her life around.
It is so ironic that Leslie E. Packer has called the area of body language a ‘pseudoscience,” when it was my use of my body language analysis techniques that uncovered this once “anonymous “ blogger who made farfetched and ridiculous claims about me concerning a blog I once wrote on Britney Spears during the time everyone was so concerned about dear Britney,who has now thank God, turned her life around.
Liskula Cohen and Rosemary Port
Since I am obviously on Leslie E. Packer’s radar so often, in my opinion, her behavior smacks of nothing other than “professional jealousy.” or envy. As a very famous psychotherapist, Sigmund Freud once said , “envy seeks to destroy.’
In their attempt to destroy others through their vitriol , they end up destroying themselves with stress related illnesses like cancer and heart disease.
They even end up destroying themselves like what happened in the case of an obviously jealous and envious “Non- Model, ” Rachel Port, who anonymously called “Vogue Model,” Lisukula Cohen, a “skank” in her blog. Subsequently, Rosemary Port’s ‘ anonymous “ identity was outed by Google, so she could no longer hide her nasty posts under the cloak of anonimity.
I didn’t need Google to discover the identity of Leslie E. Packer, PhD, who made what I believe to be ridiculous and far fetched claims about me. All I needed was my body language analysis skills to detect her identity which I did successfully.
So in my view, it is rather ironic that I used the exact same body language skills that Tourette Syndrome psychologist, Leslie E. Packer, author of pogowasright.org and Chronicles of Descent, refers to as a ”pseudoscience” to uncover her identity after she made her farfetched claims about me, while hiding behind the cloak of anonymity.
Even if someone has psychology training or is a licensed psychologist or even a Tourette Syndrome psychologist, like Leslie E. Packer, this does not mean they necessarily know anything about body language. In fact, most psychologists do not. They have not been specifically trained in this area or studied it intensively or had the practical experience it takes to understand the subtleties of this very important field of endeavor.
BODY LANGUAGE IS BOTH A SCIENCE AND AN ART
So the bottom line here is to never listen to anything negative a psychologist or anyone else may say about body language. It is a science based on research that has been replicated time and time again. While there are indeed cultural differences and nuances, there are universal behaviors that all human beings have, regardless of ethnic background.
There is also an art to the study of body language, as it takes years of experience to become very skilled at it in order to accurately read others.
In this day and age, as you will see in this blog, understanding certain body language “tells” can potentially save your live, especially when dealing with a potential terrorist.
WHAT DOES A BEHAVIOR DETECTION OFFICER DO?
A BDO basically observes a person’s body language to identify potentially high-risk passengers to help detect people exhibiting behaviors which indicate they could be a threat to aviation and/or transportation safety.
The program these officers undergo is a derivative of other successful behavioral analysis programs where ‘body language’ analysis has been employed by law enforcement and security personnel both in the U.S. and around the world.
In a nutshell, they screen travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered. No matter how much people try to main train their cool, they are only human. So there is a response elicited deep in the brain – the limbic system, that translates the feelings of fear into autonomous nervous system responses. This can be seen in the form of uncontrolled eye and pupil movement to uncontrolled perspiration and respiratory response.
There are also associated body language movements and vocal as well as speech changes. So in essence, people convey emotions in subconscious gestures, facial expressions, speech and voice patterns in answers to simple questions such as what flight they are taking.
WARNING!
It is important that I bring out the point that even though a lot of these signals are exhibited, it doesn’t automatically mean a person is a terrorist or has criminal intent.
It does mean that this particular person needs to be watched carefully, as they would be determined to be a higher risk than those who don’t exhibit these signals.
So, to make sure these higher risk individuals who exhibit certain behaviors are well screened, they are referred for additional questioning and screening at the checkpoint.
But the problem here lies in the astuteness of the screener. Some screeners may be more lax than others, while other screeners may look at the wrong behavioral cues and misdiagnose the situation. Thus, they may allow those who shouldn’t be allowed through the screening process. As well they may misinterpret certain behavioral cues whereby they focus on the wrong person.
So because of the unpredictability to the security screening process some ‘terrorist types” may get through the security process as the Nigerian Northwest airlines flying terrorist just did.
That is why I am writing this blog for you so that you can feel a bit safer when you travel. I will share with you what signals you can look for to help you determine who may be suspicious as you travel. Who knows, the information I may be sharing with you may even end up saving your life.
THROWING POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OUT THE WINDOW WHEN IT COMES TO DETECTING TERRORISTS
While I don’t particularly like the notion that people are profiled because of their race, religion, or ethnic background, I believe that if it comes between a person’s hurt feelings and upset that they were singled out because of how they looked and our safety, I say, single them out!
Let’s face it, how many little old ladies or four year olds or tall blond women have blown up a plane? Every single terrorist thus far in terms of airport security have men male’s in their 20’s and 30’s of a specific ethnic group. While there have been women suicide bombers in Palestine. It is usually the exception rather then the rule.
Even though the TSA and BDO will never publicly admit to it, it does go on. Unfortunately it is upsetting to those who would never even dream of committing any terrorist act. I have spoken to enough people who mentioned to me they are repeatedly singled out, which they believe is the result of their skin color and how they look. Many with whom I have spoken to have even said they become used to it. Even though they don’t like it, they understand it- that it is all about safety.
They are even more upset that a few fanatics had to ruin things for the rest of their ethnic group.That is how most people feel about shoe bomber Richard Reid. He ruined it for everyone becuase now you have to inconveniently remove your shoes at the airport just because of him!
But no matter who is more scrutinized, it has to be the ones who fail the behavior analysis test- a recognized by legitimate law enforcement tool used worldwide whoa re scrutinized the most.
If someone look like they may be walking strangely because they have a device strapped to their leg or is doing a lot of bending down, or fiddling with chemicals, or they obviously need to be looked at more closely than others.
TRUST YOUR GUTS!
A day before shoe bomber Richard Reid tried to light his shoes on fire and blow up a plane, other lives were also spared. On an earlier flight the shoe bomber was refused boarding because the airport personnel’s instincts said something was amiss. But since he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was amiss, the shoe bomber boarded a flight the next day and tried to do his dirty deed.
Using your “gut instinct” is your key to survival and can greatly help in your identifying a potential terrorist. Essentially, it is your body telling you that something is just not right! Maybe you see something in someone’s eyes, or the way they move that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. That is something to never be ignored! It is nature’s way of telling you something is wrong with this picture.
In looking for terrorists, the New York Post reported that “New York police officers are taught to be on the look out for men who appear freshly shaven with cuts or nicks — which could indicate a beard has just been removed or unfamiliar identification. It’s the little things like that which may set off alarm bells in your system. So listen to them!
I remember having those alarm bells going off in my system years back when a client was referred to me to help him with perfecting his communication and speaking skills as he wanted to appear on television as a financial analyst. Even though he was dressed well and wore an expensive, well tailored suit, there was something about him that literally made me sick to my stomach- so much so that I told him I wouldn’t be able to help him. There was something about his mask like smile and creepy stare that made by body feel sick. It turned out my instincts were right! Today he still sits in a federal penitentiary for his nefarious financial dealings.
Your instincts MUST be trusted. If someone seems suspicious to you, there is usually something you are picking up in their body language that just doesn’t seem right!
Maybe it was a sudden flash if anger you saw in their face or maybe their lack of movement bothered you. Maybe they were sweating on their forehead and upper lip when the temperature was cool inside the airport. Whatever it is, they rubbed you the wrong way- trust it!.
PERSPERATION
If you notice a person is sweating when the temperature indoors is climate controlled, that may not be a good sign. This is especially true if you see sweat above their upper lip or on their forehead.
This is usually a signal of nervousness. It can easily be spotted a red flag during the screening process at the airport. If they are asked more detailed questions, they will perspire even more , to the point they will have to wipe their foreheads or upper lip with their had or forearm.
SHAKING
When the terrorist gets a sudden flash of reality they are about to die as well when they commit their final act of terrorism, their whole body reacts in the form of uncontrollable shaking. This is due to the brain’s knowledge that something horrible is about to happen. It is the body ultimate response to fear.
The body undergoes a temperature change when it knows something harmful or scary is about to take place so it creates a shaking vibratory motion in order to help regulate the temperature change.
In fact one of he things that the hero, Jasper Schuringa, the Dutch tourist, who saved the flight mentioned during his CNN interview was that the terrorists shaking.
THE WALK
They will usually walk with a purpose and often walk as fast as possible. They are people on a mission and are focused to get to that mission. As a result you will never find them walking at a slow or leisurely pace.
They will walk as fast as possible without being noticeable and when they are walking their eyes will be fixed ahead. They will not be looking around . If they do it will be somewhat quick nervous glances- looking for authority figures or escape routes.
If they are in a group and walk behind one another in a single file as though they are on a mission. You need to pay attention to that. Most people walks side by side and not in single file.
BREATHING
You may see a lot of upper chest breathing and a lot of sighing behavior whereby they quickly take in a breath of air, and forcefully release all he air in a sudden burst. This often indicates a highly emotional state. It is their autonomic nervous system kicking in, over which they have no control.
When interviewed by security, changes in breathing such as a rapid rate, can also be a tell that the person is up to no good.
FACIAL EXPRESSION OR LACK OF IT
One of the things that passengers who were interviewed who were on the recent Northwesr flight said was that the terrorist appeared calm and showed no facial expression. This is consistent in what we know about the facial animation of terrorists.
According to those who have studied them like famed body language expert and Stanford University researcher Paul Ekman, who the show Lie to Me is based on, has discovered is that these terrorists lack animated facial expressions.
Thus, their facial expression will be consistent and not change. This is not normal behavior as our facial expression consistently changes. In essence, there is a mask like appearance. They appear to be focused on their mission and it show in their lack of facial animation.
LIPS
You will often see tight or pursed lips. This indicates that they are holding something back (like the fact they are about to blow up a plane).
The mouth is very tense and doesn’t deviate from that position. This is one of the first things Israeli officers observe when then are screening people for possible terrorism. Once again, it is the function of the autonomic nervous system operating and muscularly bracing the terrorist for what is to come.
When they are interviewed by security and asked a lot of questions, there will usually be a lot of lip licking and lip biting and continued lip pursing, to indicate they are lying to authorities.
EYES- AVOIDING EYE AND FACE CONTACT AND BOWED HEADS
When researchers have studied body language of terrorists, the one thing they notice is a common denominator- all terrorists or potential terrorists have terrible eye contact.
In looking back at the security tapes of all of the 911 terrorists, not one of the men looked at the security guards. They all had their heads bowed down.
So this is a hue red flag indicating the kind of behavior that could reveal someone is planning a terrorist attack, as those from the TSA- Transportation Security Administration have reported.
The bowed heads often reflect a fear of discovery, So in their attempt to get under the radar, they will often bow their heads and not look at anyone. Therefore, avoiding eye contact with authorities is the kind of behavior that could indicate someone may be up to no good.
Because they know that their end and your end is near, another autonomic nervous system reaction is for them to widely open the folds of their upper and lower lids, thus giving a wide eyed appearance. In essence, what they are doing is taking in every detail of their last minutes.
When they are interviewed by airport security and asked a simple question like ‘where are you going?’ or “Where have you been?” you will often see a lot of eye “tells. ‘”
They may try to act as though they are in control and stare directly into the questioner’s eyes.This is a huge warning sign and an indication of deception.
Or they may be thrown off guard and look around to the left and right in their attempt to manufacture a response. This is also a huge warning sign.
Another “tell” is if their eyes continually art around as though they are looking for an escape route.
A final tell which indicates they are lying and fearful is rapid eye blinking.
NOSE
There is often a lot of nose scratching and scratching in general. Once again, it is due to the increased blood flow, which is the result of the autonomic nervous system taking over. The capillaries expand. As a result, it causes you to itch and then to scratch.
GESTURES
Just as there is a serious lack of facial expression, there is often a serious lack of gestures . This is another huge red flag!
Often you will see unnatural hand movements that appear awkward.
Usually you will see their hands will be balled up in a fist like position. This represents a subconscious display of anger- anger at the enemy they are about to annihilate. This internal anger, which is revealed externally through their hands, helps them justify their upcoming egregious act.
If you see them with one hand is in a pocket and the other is not (and you see other intensity signs, know that you are in immediate danger!)
If their body is turned to the side it is also a signal that they are ready to attack!
When interviewed the security officer will notice a lot of foot shuffling and nervous hand movement such as hand picking, wringing, and pulling. These are all red flags, especillay when these gestures are being done while they are asked pointed questions.
VOCAL TELLS
Oftentimes when a person is nervous, you will hear their voice crack or go up an octave in pitch. The reason for this is due to the body’s defense mechanism that something awful is about to take place.
When being interviewed by security ,if the person is lying, their voice will give it away as their throat may often close up due to all the muscle tension as they have to clear their throat.
They may also speak at a rapid rate as to hurry up and get it over with.
They may even pause and hesitate, with a lot of like um and ums.
They may also speak loudly as if feign confidenc. But if they die off at the end of sentences when they speak, or speak too softly there is a good chance they may not want you to hear what they have to say. It is often a tell of deception.
SIGNALS OF FEAR
Even though they may think they believe in their mission and in what they are doing intellectually, the terrorist’s body is telling them a completely different message.
Their body is screaming “ Are you crazy? Are you really willing to end your life and the lives of others for some promise that might not exist like having 40 beautiful virgins at your disposal? After you blow your body to bits how are you even going to enjoy the virgins you were promised?”
SKIN TONE CHANGES
So besides the fear “tells” I listed earlier , you may also see changes in the color of their skin. Depending on their skin tone, it may become red and flushed if they are ligher skinned or grey and ashen is they are darker skinned.
WIDE EYED FEAR
As As they become more realistic that they will soon die you may see a flash bulb appearance to their eyes, as they open wide to take everything in one last time.
SELF SOOTHING
There may also be a lot of self touching or self grooming , brushing things off of them in a vigorous manner, which is a self comforting mechanism.
DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! SHARE YOUR OBSERVATIONS WITH THOSE WHO CAN DO SOMETHIN ABOUT IT!
Being vigilant and observing all of the “tells” described in this blog when you encounter a fellow traveler who may rub you the wrong way or cause your hair to stand on end, may save your life!
If you feel something is amiss, don’t let it go. DON’T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! Share your feelings with those in authority positions so that they can take a second look and save innocent people’s lives. http://www.drlillianglass.com
He eyes the father. As he parades this “newly arrived family” of immigrants on stage, it seems very contrived and manipulative to me. It appears Schumer is doing this for his own agenda not for this family as they look traumatized being on stage.
All children look sad and uncomfortable as you can see in the photo above.
ASshe says so many are opposed to this order we see him raised his finger in a rehearsed manner that looks awkwards. It is an upward point which is not showing true anger. True anger would be shown by a direct point with finger extended and pointer lower not upwards as he has it positioned.
He does not seem upset at all facially throughout the speech as he even leaks out several smiles. This indicates that he appears to be enjoying his moment on stage.
As you can see there are no dripping tears, He just held his eyes open without clinking which caused the to glisten. But it was NOT a real cry. if that was the case you would ee a downward turn in his mouth which was not evident.
Her gestures were much better but she still used the off- putting finger point which is very alienating to those
Dr. Lillian Glass Body Language Blog 