Read on Twitter
THREAD: Body Language Analysis No. 4407: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi brushes off Jamal Khashoggi's Murder as 'Mistake' — — #BodyLanguage #BodyLanguageExpert #Nonverbal #EmotionalIntelligence #DaraKhosrowshahi #JamalKhashoggi #MBS #Uber #CrisisManagement
1/ Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was recently interviewed by Axios. A short, but crucial clip of that interview was released on Sunday 10 November 2019. In it, Khosrowshahi was asked about Saudi Arabia's murder of Washington Post journalist and US resident, Jamal Khashoggi.
2/ What follows is a partial nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage analysis of this exchange.
Please watch the video first with the sound off and again with the sound on.
Please watch the video first with the sound off and again with the sound on.
3/ Immediately after, Mr. Primack says the word, "murder" ("the CIA has assessed that the Saudi government, including the Crown Prince, had a role in that murder"). Mr. Khosrowshahi begins repeatedly extending and flexing his right middle finger.
4/ Such twitching is a general signal of anxiety, but more specifically, it's a falls into a category of nonverbal behavior known as a Partial Emblematic Slip.
5/ The label 'Partial' applies because this is a gesture that is not being displayed in a typical, elevated, overt, hand-and-finger on full display fashion — usually in front of and on a level with the user's upper body or face.
6/ The twitching represents multiple jabs/multiple expressions of the "Fuck You!" thought-emotion. The gesture is camouflaged within the other fingers.
7/ This act hidden within the context of his leaning back, legs crossed, talking about murder, trying-too-much-to-appear-to-be-relaxed configuration is also passive-aggressive. Moreover, it suggests impulse control difficulties.
8/ It's called an 'Emblematic' because of the highly specific meaning of the extended middle finger — universally recognized as: "Fuck You! or "Fuck off!"
9/ (It's important to emphasize, there are many other emblems the meanings of which are regional or local. The extended middle finger gesture, however, carries an understanding known worldwide.)
10/ The nomenclature 'Slip' description is used because it's nearly always a subconsciously generated nonverbal act. The emotion/signal 'leaks' out — and in so doing, telegraphs a person's true thought-emotions, regardless of their words.
11/ The greater the anger, the less a person is aware of what their face and body are doing. This body language axiom also applies even when a person is relatively skilled at controlling the outward appearance of their anger (at least to the untrained eye).
12/ Watch carefully, as Mr. Khosrowshahi is saying, "We had a board meeting at the same time", his right cheek appears to 'twitch'.
13/ These are not simple contractions and relaxations of the muscles necessary to speak these words. Rather, these are several superimposed microexpressions of Contempt in quick succession (0:23).
14/ Immediately thereafter, Mr. Khosrowshahi displays an expression of anger. His eyebrows are lowered. He is trying to make it appear as a smile, but it's a poor ruse. Note the horizontal orientation of his lips and the tightening of his mid-face and flaring of his nostrils.
15/ His lips are also stretched and thinned. All of these features are more difficult to see with his facial hair.
16/ Then Mr. Primack says, "Well that's convenient, you're the CEO, you probably could have rescheduled it.
Mr. Khosrowshahi responds, "We schedule board meetings, years and years ahead, it wasn't — ah (b— inaudible)"
Mr. Khosrowshahi responds, "We schedule board meetings, years and years ahead, it wasn't — ah (b— inaudible)"
17/ As Khosrowshahi says, "We schedule" his eyes are closed as he shakes his head side-to-side. He's already begun to blush and tries to suppress a true (Duchenne) smile.
18/ As his blushing and crescendos, he continues shaking his head — and is unable to suppress his (true) smile.
19/ After the last word in this sentence (b— inaudible, 0:30), note an additional microexpression of contempt on Khosrowshahi's right side.
20/ Primack then asks, "Would you, if your board meeting had not been that day, would you have gone?"
Khosrowshahi answers, "I don't know if I would've."
Khosrowshahi answers, "I don't know if I would've."
21/ Notice during the end of his reply and for a split-second thereafter, Dara Khosrowshahi, nods his head up-and-down. His nonverbal "Yes" clearly contradicts his simultaneous verbal "No".
22/ Whenever the body language is disparate with the verbal language, it's the body language that tells the truth.
23/ Beginning at 0:42, Khosrowshahi says, "I think he's been a very constructive board member, Yasir has — ahhh, Annnd, I personally have valued his input greatly."
24/ As he says, "I" (" personally"), the Uber CEO shrugs both shoulders (0:47). A shrug indicates the thought-emotions of:
• I don't know
• I don't care
• What does it matter?
• I don't know
• I don't care
• What does it matter?
25/ As he says, "input" his right eyebrow and right forehead elevate (0:49). This signifies that Khosrowshahi doubts his own statement — and does NOT value Yasir Al-Rumayyan's input.
26/ Khosrowshahi then says, "Ah, it's up to him whether he wants to stand for re-election."
27/ As he says, "to him" (0:51), he shrugs his shoulders again — while his forehead elevates across its entire width a split second earlier (during "up"). In this context, his forehead dynamic is very much a Forehead Shrug ("I don't know", "I don't care", "What does it matter?")
28/ Yet another contempt microexpression display can be seen during the last syllable of "re-election" (0:52).
29/ Another Shoulder Shrug at 1:03 as he says, "I think" ("I think that government, ahhh, said that they made a mistake, ahhhum — ")
30/ And another Shoulder Shrug (1:09) as he says, "Listen it's" ("Listen it's — it's, it, it's a serious mistake ...").
31/ His vocal tone as he says, "Listen" is profoundly telling. This particular high-pitched pattern is both hyper-rationalizing and patronizing.
32/ Coupled with the shoulder shrug and clustered with his continued fingers-interlaced, knee-holding while in a figure-4 pattern leg crossing — all scream out nonchalance, indifference, rationalization, and the seeking of co-rationalization.
33/ While there are exceptions, crossing one's legs, particularly in a figure-4 type manner is not recommended during an interview. Depending on the other behavior with which it is clustered, it tends to project nonchalance, arrogance, aloofness, and defensiveness.
34/ Twice, as he says the word, "serious", Dara Khosrowshahi suppresses a smile (1:11). The two men were discussing Jamal Khashoggi's premeditated torture and murder orchestrated by a head-of-state.
35/ Given the serious nature of this subject, why was he suppressing a smile? Suppressed smiles are always red flags.
36/ As he says, "We've" ("We've made mistakes too, right? ..."), he once more suppresses a smile while he again raising his forehead asymmetrically along with his right eyebrow (doubting the validity of his comparison between murder and malfunctioning self-driving cars), (1:12).
37/ As he says, "right?", Khosrowshahi nods his head up and down and continues on to finish his statement (1:13). The query, "right?" is not a real question — rather it's a manipulative verbal device.
38/ Along with his nodding, its intention is in getting the listener to agree with the premise of a question or statement, so as to increase the likelihood that it will be entirely believed, agreed with, and/or answered favorably.
39/ While we all do this occasionally, those who routinely behave in this manner have highly manipulative and possibly even sociopath personalities (Antisocial Personality Disorder).
40/ Khosrowshahi renews this pattern as he says, "And we stopped driving, and we're recovering from that mistake".
41/ His up-and-down head nodding, drawing false equivalents between Uber's self-driving mistakes and premeditated murder, along with a more patronizing tone of voice (delivered in a listen-boys-and-girls tone) are highly-manipulative, rationalizing, and co-rationalizing.
42/ Another Shrug is displayed during 1:25 ("I don't know", "I don't care", "What does it matter?") as Khosrowshahi says, "and from my standpoint"
43/ ("So I think that people make mistakes, it doesn't mean that they can never be forgiven. I think they've taken it seriously and from my standpoint ...").
44/ Khosrowshahi then says, "I didn't — read that part of the CIA report. You're, you're obviousy [sic] deeper in it". Throughout most of this sentence, he gestures with his hands and fingers in a pseudo-jazz-hands manner.
![44/ Khosrowshahi then says, "I didn't — read that part of the CIA report. You're, you're obviousy [sic] deeper in it". Throughout most of this sentence, he gestures with his hands and fingers in a pseudo-jazz-hands manner.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJOrgDJUYAEUHdE.jpg "44/ Khosrowshahi then says, \"I didn't — read that part of the CIA report. You're, you're obviousy [sic] deeper in it\". Throughout most of this sentence, he gestures with his hands and fingers in a pseudo-jazz-hands manner.")
45/ Notice also his prior pause, emphasis, and word-stretching as he says "read" as well as his mispronunciation of the word obviously ("obviousy")
46/ He then chuckles/feigns laughter (1:40). This cluster of behavior is meant to dismiss the common-knowledge of the CIA's findings. (i.e., I don't have time for that!).
47/ Another shoulder shrug at 1:42, when he says, "But I think" ("But I think from a Saudi perspective...)
48/ More unilateral eyebrow/forehead elevation (1:45 - 1:46) — doubting his own statement of "... they're just like any other shareholder, right?" (and notice the use of the manipulative question, "right?" once again).
49/ Just prior to saying (1:51), "And they're a big investor just like you could be a big investor as well" he looks down to his right (highly correlated with sorrow, guilt, shame, and deception).
50/ Throughout the first half of this sentence, he also displays a prolonged shoulder shrug.
51/ The next time you watch a sports figure being interviewed after a loss, mute the sound. You will notice a similar body language pattern of repeated shoulder shrugs exhibited by Uber's CEO displayed throughout this interview segment.
52/ The player, like Khosrowshahi, will be backpedaling — trying to be dismissive and saying it's not really his fault.
53/ Khosrowshahi's gesture toward his interviewer shows, once again, the same pattern of manipulation — (i.e., "You too can be the proud owner of ..."). This is a nonverbal analog of what Gavin de Becker refers to as Forced-Teaming.
54/ After the interview, Dan Primack tweeted this:
55/ The next day, Khosrowshahi retweeted Primack's tweet with the following comment:
56/ True apologies, however, can never be conducted via Twitter. The components of a Sincere Apology are:
A. An apology must always be given by the person who committed the act in question - not by a manager, an attorney, a press secretary - or other surrogates.
A. An apology must always be given by the person who committed the act in question - not by a manager, an attorney, a press secretary - or other surrogates.
57/ B. An apology must never be scripted - but must be spoken from the heart.
58/ C. An apology to the public should be given live - with press access. While some substitute this with a prerecorded video-audio format - this projects an attempt at control and viewed as considerably less sincere.
59/ D. A public apology to a surrogate or group should never be a substitute for apologizing a person face-to-face.
E. There must be a clear acknowledgment of responsibility.
F. A commitment to change must be made - so as to prevent further infractions.
E. There must be a clear acknowledgment of responsibility.
F. A commitment to change must be made - so as to prevent further infractions.
60/ G. An apology must include a specific repair offering (which should also include an asking, "What would you have me do to help make amends?")
61/ H. Asking for forgiveness is required with an apology (e.g., Saying, "I'm sorry", while required - is incomplete. One must also say, "Please forgive me", or "In time, I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me", or similar.
62/ I. Regret must be expressed - "I very much regret what I did to you".
J. The vocal qualities (tone, cadence, volume, etc.) must be congruent with sincerity.
K. The facial nonverbal signals and other body language displays must reflect sincerity.
J. The vocal qualities (tone, cadence, volume, etc.) must be congruent with sincerity.
K. The facial nonverbal signals and other body language displays must reflect sincerity.
63/ SUMMARY: During a recent "Axios on HBO" interview, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called the premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi by Mohammed bin Salman a "mistake".
continued ...
continued ...
64/ SUMMARY (continued): Soon thereafter, via twitter, he attempted to apologize and retract his words. His was not a true apology — it was, however, profoundly poor crisis management...
65/ SUMMARY (continued): Dara Khosrowshahi repeatedly displayed a partial emblematic slip in the form of a "Fuck You" middle finger to his interviewer. He displayed contempt toward Mr. Primack multiple times as well.
66/ SUMMARY (continued): Khosrowshahi lied about the scheduling of Uber's board meetings "years and years" in advance...
67/ SUMMARY (continued): Khosrowshahi lied about his knowledge of the CIA's report regarding Jamal Khashoggi's murder...
68/ SUMMARY (continued): Dare Khosrowshahi does not place great value on Yasir Al-Rumayyan's input as an Uber Board member...
69/ SUMMARY (continued): The Uber CEO displayed multiple arrogance behaviors.
Dara Khosrowshahi's true thought-emotions toward Jamal Khashoggi and his murder were dismissive and with no empathy.
END
Dara Khosrowshahi's true thought-emotions toward Jamal Khashoggi and his murder were dismissive and with no empathy.
END
