Fascinating that Armstrong’s body language gets some ink. Also predictable that there are a bunch of comments following the piece ridiculing that analysis.

When I talk to maths and science teachers about working with low-proficiency students I have often (and yes, I do get eye rolls) implore them to try and read the students. If students are translating the English that’s coming at them inside their head (called the input), and therefore requires significant processing, their eye goes up and to the left when they blink. There are other tell-tale signs that indicate student isn’t really following, like a hard swallow and then looking up at the speaker with a quirkly smile or with their mouth open. I call this the “choke and breathe”.

I have no idea if Armstrong did something like that, since, as I said, I don’t care what he has to say, but it sounds like some guys who study people who are pathological liars noticed the same sort of tell-tale signs.

Some body language like that mentioned above is the sort of thing that gives you away. Those who roll their eyes don’t understand that such body language is different from gesturing or posturing. It’s not body language that is being used to accentuate or express subtle meanings, or to help the speaker elucidate what they mean.

If anyone thinks we communicate mostly verbally and hardly at all visually with each other they are leaving out a healthy portion of the message.