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Why Ted Cruz’s Facial Expression Makes Me Uneasy
Psychology Today ^ | Posted Jan 01, 2016 | Richard E. Cytowic M.D

Posted on 02/05/2016 9:31:04 AM PST by entropy12

He’s a brilliant orator with a sharp legal mind. But his expression unsettles me. I know my reaction is visceral and automatic, but as a neurologist it is my business to notice things out of the ordinary and probe them. The Senator’s atypical expressions leave me uneasy.

Skill in reading faces is so fundamental to our species that 54 facial muscles orchestrate its endless nuances, which others read like a book just as we read them. Only some of these many facial muscles are under voluntary control, which is one reason it is so hard to maintain a poker face or counterfeit a smile.

Downturned expressions usually signal disagreeableness or disgust. But I honestly don’t know because such an expression is rare in the context of public presentations that are meant to win people over. He may well be unaware that the message of his body language is incongruent with his words.

(Excerpt) Read more at psychologytoday.com ...


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues
KEYWORDS: cruz; cruzface; cruzsmile
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To: ScottinVA

Many in the psychiatric profession also are in favor of incest and pedophilia as healthy.

They have no credibility.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

now that was a pathetic attempt to damn an entire profession.

Maybe you should contain your “lack of credibility” to the many? who are in favor of incest and pedophilia as healthy


61 posted on 02/05/2016 10:07:46 AM PST by woofie
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To: entropy12

I have the same reaction. There’s something not genuine about his smile. It’s like he’s always laughing to himself about something.


62 posted on 02/05/2016 10:08:23 AM PST by sauropod (I am His and He is mine.)
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To: woofie
now that was a pathetic attempt to damn an entire profession.

I said "many" in that profession. And IMO they have no credibility because they aren't castigated for those sick views.

63 posted on 02/05/2016 10:09:35 AM PST by ScottinVA (If you're not enraged...why?)
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To: entropy12
In a natural smile the corners of the mouth go up; these muscles we can control voluntarily as well. But muscles circling the eyes are involuntary only; they make the eyes narrow, forming crow's feet at the outside corners.

Baloney. It's easy to make a lifted-cheek, eye-crinkling smile. It's just the start of a laugh.

Ted Cruz has a face with eyes that go down at the outside corners. It's a kind of face that to me seems on the far masculine side of the spectrum, common among soldiers, athletes and sociopaths, which is not to say that most men with that face are sociopaths. But it elicits some wariness - this might be a bad guy, or at least a tough guy.

The neurologist-author forgot to mention one tool of the trade, Botox, which might account for less mobility around the eyes.

64 posted on 02/05/2016 10:11:02 AM PST by heartwood (If you're looking for a </sarc tag>, you just saw it.)
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To: entropy12

I hate Psychology Today, but this article has some merit. I know people, including conservatives, who have a problem with Cruz’s face — not in esthetics but in that same lack of genuine expression the article is speaking about.

I feel like I may be a bad judge of this. I have been fooled by people because I tend to ascribe to them the best of emotions and intentions out of my own personality. But there are others who “knew something was off” right away about some sneaky people.

I never got a weird vibe about Cruz’s looks. But I’ve heard this before. And the article here asks you to google Ted Cruz smile and look at the images, so I did. I only saw 2 out of the first 100 pics of him smiling that had the eyes crinkling in joy. However, I could give him the benefit of the doubt: he may have a phony “photo smile” for the ones where he was posing for the camera. Lots of people do.

However, some catch him while he is speaking, and he can’t be thinking about cameras every second. These are the ones where he carries that expression like when he talks about his saintly parents or such, that “looking down on you people and giving my holy stump speech” look that he gets, when he pauses for emphasis a lot. It is not pleasant to listen to because it seems so canned and he seems to enjoy giving it. There is a disconnect.

I wish he were more real sounding. Maybe the non Duchenne smiles are telling people who read faces super well that he is not genuine. Or not: Rubio has big genuine smiles like Obama, which to me sets off my gaydar. Hetero men don’t smile that big.


65 posted on 02/05/2016 10:13:42 AM PST by Yaelle
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I am a Cruz supporter I feel his body language is pretty stiff, he has to work at being personable. Trump doesn’t have that problem.

Trump is a pure bred salesman that Can smile and lie to your face like Bill Clinton.

The psycharitist looks like Mass murderer John Wayne Gacy to me :D


66 posted on 02/05/2016 10:13:52 AM PST by Leto
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To: dforest

I don’t debate with fools.


67 posted on 02/05/2016 10:14:16 AM PST by traderrob6
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To: entropy12

The source, Psychology Today, is a rag that is a big pusher of homosexuality, shock treatment, drugging little kids, branding everyone as mentally ill, and pushing every aspect of the leftwing agenda under the false guise of Science.


68 posted on 02/05/2016 10:14:42 AM PST by MarvinStinson
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To: Durbin

What is Presidential? Obama, Bush? Who is Presidential? What determines that?

Some people think Bush was Presidential, some think Obama is. Harry Truman? Dwight Eisenhower?

Some of them were pretty brutal.


69 posted on 02/05/2016 10:14:53 AM PST by dforest
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To: dead

Lol!


70 posted on 02/05/2016 10:15:18 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: traderrob6

Neither does Trump!


71 posted on 02/05/2016 10:15:47 AM PST by dforest
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To: dead
Excuse the distorted facial features--the Doc just took a swig from the urine specimen--one of his odd compulsions.


72 posted on 02/05/2016 10:16:27 AM PST by henbane
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To: entropy12
Pscho babble.

Most of the libs I know enjoy hating on Trump's hair.

Important issues like that belong with our lib buddies......

73 posted on 02/05/2016 10:17:49 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: henbane

74 posted on 02/05/2016 10:17:49 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: NJRighty

Oh my. This good doctor raising his leg like a dog should have NOTHING to say about anyone’s looks ever in his life.


75 posted on 02/05/2016 10:18:17 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: dforest

“What is Presidential?”

Somebody who doesn’t roll their eyes and make goofy faces at everyone who disagrees with them. There’s a start.


76 posted on 02/05/2016 10:18:17 AM PST by Durbin
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To: left that other site

I think a distinction between physical characteristics and body language is important. I do think body language affects opinions of people. I have known a number of people who are not attractive by much of any standard but their body language is so positive that people are drawn to them. It isn’t hard to tell a sincere smile from a fake one. This article is about body language not beauty whether one accepts his opinion of Cruz or not.


77 posted on 02/05/2016 10:18:32 AM PST by nclaurel
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To: Durbin

Presidential is cheating, evemn from a gou who doesn’t roll his eyes. LOL


78 posted on 02/05/2016 10:20:07 AM PST by dforest
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To: entropy12
Why Ted Cruz's Donald Trump's Facial Expression Makes Me Uneasy


79 posted on 02/05/2016 10:20:21 AM PST by TexasCajun (#BlackViolenceMatters)
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To: maddog55

Don’t make fun of this poor man’s face! Don’t you see he was the model for the lead role in Up?
;-)


80 posted on 02/05/2016 10:20:45 AM PST by Suz in AZ
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