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THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 2391: Donald Trump, Buzz Aldrin, and Variations on the 'Side-Eye' (PHOTO) #DonaldTrump #BuzzAldrin #NeilArmstrong #MichaelCollins #BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #EmotionalIntelligence #Nonverbal #SideEye #ImpulseControlDisorder 
1/ We don't look directly at those individuals whom we don't like, we don't believe, and/or don't respect.
2/ A subset of this phenomenon is that sometimes we don't look directly at another person so as to avoid escalation of our own temper - in order to avoid emotional confrontation.
3/ While we all, as human beings, are occasionally vulnerable to the weakness of losing our temper, those with greater emotional intelligence will, by definition, also have greater self-awareness.
4/ We recognize these chinks in our armor and take the necessary measures before any negative escalation.
5/ Some people instinctively know (at a subconscious or edge-of-consciousness level) that on some occasions - when our own impulse control is primed - we become momentarily vulnerable.
6/ And, at these times, if we look directly at a person who we don't like, don't believe, and/or don't respect - our own negative emotions may very well crescendo beyond our control.
7/ In short, variations on the 'Side Eye' sometimes serve as techniques we use to control our own temper.
8/ Astronauts, in large measure, are chosen because of their superior emotional intelligence. They're not average. They're certainly not emotionally labile. They have 'The Right Stuff'. They have learned to recognize as well as self-regulate their emotions.
9/ The first time I heard the adjective, "unflappable", it was a description of Neil Armstrong. Armstrong was always cool during emergencies.
10/ Fifty years ago today, after an unexpected boulder field necessitated a last-minute course correction, Neil Armstrong landed the Lunar Module on the Earth's Moon with only 17 seconds of fuel to spare. May we all seek to have this same grace under pressure.
11/ Thank you, Neil, Buzz, and Michael - for what you did long ago.
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