Body Language of the Sneering
Cue: Sneering
Synonym(s): N/A
Description: Sneering happens quickly, often in a split second, when the muscles between the eyes just above the nose contract forcing the skin around the nose to wrinkle and the brows to furrow. Sneers activate the buccinator muscles located on the sides of the face to draw the corners of the lips to twist sideways toward the ears.
In One Sentence: Sneering signals a negative thought.
How To Use it: Sneering can be used as a microexpression to signal disagreement so can operate just under conscious awareness. You may use the signal to show disapproval of a person or idea by flashing it upon their presence or just as they complete a thought.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I don’t like what I’m seeing or hearing and my nose is wrinkling. It is as if I have experienced a bad odor.”
Variant: See Eye Rolling or Eye Shrug.
Cue In Action: The final card was dealt and Dave needed another 8 to complete his full house. It came in as a 6 of diamonds, not what he wanted. His nose crinkled momentarily as he stifled his disappointment.
Meaning and/or Motivation: This is an expression that usually happens in just seconds, it is not held for any length of time, and usually falls out of our direct control. For this reason, it is considered an honest expression, and loaded with hidden meaning. It signals a negative attitude and arrogance to views or persons to which it accompanies. Sneering, much like eye rolling, signifies dislike, contempt, arrogance, disapproval, disrespect, disgust or displeasure all over the world.
To visualize this cue imagine smelling something off-putting, the nose crinkles or wrinkles up, then relaxes. Sneering says, “I don’t care what you think, and I don’t respect you.” Because sneers happen as microexpressions, they often immediately follow a stimulus. This makes it very easy to link the negative expression with its cause.
Couples who sneer when listening to each other indicate that they lack respect and it has been shown that it is a good predictor for breaking up. Sneering can be done by employees who think they know more than their bosses, but whom resist speaking up because of fear of being fired, and by children who lack respect for authority. Wherever sneering rears its ugly face, it is due to distain.
Cue Cluster: Watch for other indicators of negative thoughts such as head shaking, yawning, finger pointing, overall tensing of the body or extreme body loosening to ready for fighting, tightening of the jaw and lips, quivering in the lips, frowning, furrowing, or lowering the eyebrows, dilated pupils, squinting of the eyes, crotch displays such as legs open, or flared nostrils.
Body Language Category: Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Hostile body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Leaked or involuntary body language, Microexpressions, Negative body language, Rejection body language, Universal facial expressions.
Resources:
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