Thread by @DrGJackBrown

1/ THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4607: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin — Feigned Laughing at the Geneva Summit 2021 ******

#BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #EmotionalIntelligence #GenevaSummit2021 #Biden #Putin

2/ If we look at this image, at first glance we may conclude that both Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden are laughing — and specifically, laughing sincerely — but we'd be wrong. Putin's laugher is feigned, while Biden's is true. But how can we tell this?

3/ One clue is seen in each man's lower eyelids. With sincere laughing as well as sincere smiling, there MUST BE temporary, concave up furrows present in the lower eyelids.

4/ This distinction highlights the oft-sited flaw in looking for the colloquial 'crows feet' at the lateral aspect of the eyes. Note, while both men have 'crows feet', only Joe Biden has the evanescent, concave up furrows.

5/ These concave-up furrows are made by temporary muscular contraction which accompanies the emotion of true/sincere laughter & sincere (Duchenne) smiling. While 'crows feet', may indeed increase during sincere smiling — they also increase during fake smiling & feigned laugher.

6/ Those are just skin wrinkles on Putin's lower eyelids — while Biden has furrows made by deeper, muscular contraction which are a 100% requirement w/ sincere smiling & true laughter. Putin is pretty good (exKGB) at faking laughter — which is facilitated by closing his eyelids.

7/ Now look at a wide angle view of the same moment and at the angle of each man's body. Biden is mostly straight — with his upper torso is leaning slightly forward — while his head & neck tilting further toward Putin... however...

8/ ... in contrast, Putin is leaning significantly backwards — away from Biden.

9/ Zoom in on each man's visible hand — Joe Biden's hand is relaxed, while Putin's is clenched in a fist.

10/ Herein is a #BodyLanguage Pearl: When there is a doubt in your mind as to joy/laughter/smiling/sincerity on the face — look to the hands. If the face is *truly* positive, the hands will be relaxed — but if the hands are tense, the emotions on the face are an act.

11/ SUMMARY: Putin's 'laughter' in this moment is NOT sincere laughter, folks. It's feigned.

Ω