Empathic reading. Case in point: GWB

[Jackpine Radical]

Wanna try a very interesting experiment? Look closely at the photo below. A few intuitive experts have shown a high level of skill in reading the emotions behind facial expressions. I believe I have developed a way to do the same thing that will work for most emotionally sensitive people, i.e. people who are aware of their own emotional states (many people are closed off from their own emotions in varying degrees; this method may not work for people of whom this is true).

Anyway, here's the method:

Look carefully at the picture of Bush below.

Get a mirror & do your best to imitate Bush's expressions. The wrinkled forehead, the tightened jaw, etc. Then scan your emotions. How do you feel? Here's the secret: Emotions come out as facial expressions--but the association also works backwards, and the imitation method can sometimes give you startlingly precise information about the emotions being felt by the original.



Let me know what “read” you can get on the emotions Bush was feeling at the time this pic was taken.

**Many thanks to Stephanie, who posted the thread, further links, and photo that triggered this exercise.

[Skidmore]

1. Fear and intense anxiety.

[villager]

2. a low-grade but steady panic...

n/t

[nashville_brook]

3. he doesn't want to face something and has no way not to -- he feels trapped/aggressive

like Cesar Milan's example of aggressive/submissive dogs -- ones that are aggressive b/c they are dominated by other dogs in the pack.

[ThomCat]

4. Definitely anxiety

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Pain, fear, and sadness

He's in pain because he's losing so many people who propped him up, and this also scares him--the sadness is for yet another failure in his life-this time as Chief Executive.

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Pain, yes; fear, yes. However, I've never known a psychopath to feel sadness.

But maybe that's the secret of his success as a psychopath--the ability to mimic emotions he doesn't feel.

[northernsoul]

13. Are they capable of feeling sorry for themselves?

Not a psych professional at all, but I have seen someone I think is probably a full-blown sociopath work up massive crocodile tears when pleading guilty in court (and no, it wasn't Senator Craig). My read at the time was that is was half for show and half out of self-pity. It definitely wasn't genuine remorse, though.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. The sadness I sensed

could have been self-pity; or it could have been my own feelings of sadness for this country bleeding through.

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Self-pity, yes.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. I woud say that your interpretation of the crocodile tears is very much

on target in sociopaths. Feigning remorse is a classic last-resort tactic they employ for getting themselves off the hook. I've seen it many times.

[SoonerPride]

7. I make that face when I have a pebble in my shoe.

I don't think he has much goin' on upstairs, to be honest with you.

No deep emotions.

Just a blank stare.

[alphafemale]

8. Sorry...tried it. I'm drawing a blank....nothing.

Oh!

:think:

gotcha!

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

9. Look how tight his shoulders are, too.

What I get is he's tired, not anxious exactly but irritated and tense. Maybe his back is bothering him.

Can't place the cologne though. :)

[Stephanie]

10. Here are some close-ups >

Although I think you would have to take some factors into account: (1) he's a sociopath, so devoid of normal human emotions, and (2) his lack of intelligence. Both factors might skew your results. :hi:

[EFerrari]

11. It's strange but, I don't see someone who is in touch with

what his face is doing.

Shallow, pragmatic bonds to self and others. Junior is on the autism spectrum somewhere -- apart from being a sonuvabitch.

[lonestarnot]

12. He's thinking,

"I wonder if this will work, merika hates me, world hates me. War with Iran with throw 'em off, and fuck 'em anyway, they already hate me, besides I have 15 more months of this shit. I need to stir up some speculation."

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

15. He's pissed off big time.

Looks like a 5 year old kid when told to take a "time out"....