Body Language Analysis 4008: Veteran Who Survived Dunkirk Reacts to Film — Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Dr. Jack Brown
Jul 24, 2017 · 3 min read

For those who are not familiar with the WWII history of the Battle and Evacuation of Dunkirk, you owe it to yourself to read up on this event and then watch the recently released film by the same name. The movie does an excelled job at recreating the story of the tactical withdrawal and evacuation of allied troops who, between 26 May and 4 June 1940, were surrounded by the advancing German army on the French coast centered around the town of Dunkirk (My only criticism of the film, is that it should have included the story of the 30,000 French soldiers who stayed behind, holding off the Germans). Many of the 338,000 plus men evacuated over those nine harrowing days were brought back to England via small yachts, fishing boats, and other small craft — manned by civilians rescuers.

In the above news video, a former British Sailor and Dunkirk veteran, Ken Sturdy, is interviewed. His body language is particularly telling. For while it’s easy to discern from his words, his runny nose, and his tears that his emotions are deep and true — he also displays an additional nonverbal tell — which in the majority of everyday scenarios, is not accompanied by these other, more dramatic signals.

Notice that several times during his interview (edited in multiple segments), Mr. Sturdy touches his left temple with the tips of his fingers — e.g., as he says,

I never thought I would see that again. It was just like I was there again.

… as well as,

I cried because it’s, it’s never the end. It will happen — we are — this human species, we are so intelligent. We do astonishing things. We can fly to the moon — but we still do stupid things [followed by another brief temple touch]

The frequent and sudden touching of one’s face or head with multiple extended finger tips and/or palms indicates higher degrees of both Empathy and Sinceritynot only in the context of the momentbut also as overall personality traits (enabling us to better predict their future behaviors).

Further nuancing this gesture — Finger Tip Touching to one or both of the temples — is further indicative of a high degree of disbelief as to what one is seeing, hearing, recalling, or thinking. It’s a body language signal of Emotional Processingwhere one’s emotional brain is grappling with what the intellect already knows.

Thank you Ken Sturdy, for what you and so many others did so long ago. May we always be worthy of your sacrifices.

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See also:

Body Language Analysis №4007: Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, and Anthony Scaramucci’s First Press Conference

Body Language Analysis №4005: O.J. Simpson’s Parole Board Hearing

Body Language Analysis №4003: Donald Trump, “Let Obamacare Fail”

Body Language Analysis №4001: Jodie Whittaker, Dr. Who, and Flirting from a TARDIS

Body Language Analysis №3995: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, and the G20 Group Photo

Body Language Analysis №3989: Peter Sagan Regarding his Disqualification from the Tour de France and Mark Cavendish’s Crash

Body Language Analysis №3983: Female Kurdish sniper fighting IS narrowly cheats death

Body Language Analysis №3956: Keri Russell’s Tongue

Body Language Analysis №3953: Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron meet in Versailles

This post and the associated website serve as reference sources for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts — not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

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Written by

Body Language/Nonverbal Communication Expert and Physician www.BodyLanguageEQ.com

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