Sarah Palin and Trig

/in /by

Many of you have asked me over the past several months if Sarah Palin is lying about Trig being her son. People have run rampant on the Internet with speculation that Trig is actually Sarah Palin’s daughter’s baby.

I have refrained from comment simply because the only truth I can rely on is what I see people say for themselves, and last night, I finally got the opportunity to see Sarah Palin talk about Trig being her son. The Greta show aired the segment.

When I watch this video, and Palin tells us she is frustrated, it is very evident in her expressions that she is just that. You can sense a tension in her that corroborates what she is saying. Her eyes squint up in anger,and at the same time I see a sadness that she is not believed. Her facial expressions match her message, and her emotions are completely consistent with what she is saying.

Sure, if she was lying, she might be frustrated too, but I would expect to see other indications that she is being dishonest and I don’t.

Also, if Sarah Palin’s daughter was pregnant, don’t you think that her friends and the community where she lived would have seen it and come forward? Surely, as the governor’s daughter, people would have noticed. I think that because no one has come forward about this, it also supports what the truth is here. It would be awfully hard to shut up an entire community, or to keep Palin’s daughter isolated for that many months, don’t you think?

So, let’s put that rumor to rest as well as the topic of Sarah Palin! This is just too tabloidesque for my personal tastes [squirming]!

Samuel Baum Talking About Lie to Me

/in /by

Patrick Swayze

/in , , , /by

Did you see the moving interview that Patrick Swayze did with Barbara Walters this week? It was painful to watch, and inspiring all at the same time. Swayze is facing his cancer demons head on, yet not willing to give in and relent to them. He is waging a war against a very lethal disease until, he says, he feels the battle is no longer worth fighting.

What I found so powerful in this interview with him and his wife were their emotions, body language and facial expressions. Each movement Swayze and his wife make sends a message. Each movement, each expression, because their emotions are so intense, tells you what is coming before the words are spoken. You see their thoughts on their face before they say a thing. You see and feel a deep anger, and fear. You see and feel courage, happiness, and love. You also see a tension in Swayze that is undeniable. It’s gut-wrenching because it is so real and so raw.

This is one interview where you can really work at understanding two true and honest souls. In this video, they are an excellent pair to study the intricacies of human behavior. Facing mortality, both of these people are trying to accept what is, and do the best they can in an admittedly horrible situation. They go from hope and expectations to accepting the reality of what the future will bring. They wince at the thoughts as they come to mind. Who wouldn’t in a time like this? It’s a balance I don’t think anyone can fully understand and appreciate until they themselves stand on that pronounced yet teetering ground of life versus death — yet through their emotions and expressions, they give us a window into their world and an inkling of what it must be like.

I wish Patrick Swayze and his family peace in this difficult time, the strength and courage to move forward. I want to thank him, too, for standing up and saying what is on his mind, and sharing with everyone his true and honest thoughts. It takes guts and a stable emotional state to level in a time of your life when you are dying.

Smiling Makes You Feel Good

/in /by

Here is an article about the work of Dr. Paul Ekman: You Feel the Way you Look

Dr. Paul Ekman noticed when he did his research on facial muscles and he tried to replicate emotions in other people, he started to feel them, himself. If, for instance, he frowned for a period, he began to feel down.

Explore this. It’s amazing. Make an angry face. Keep in there a couple of minutes. Do you feel anything? Does your heart rate go up? Do you feel angry?

Next time you don’t know what someone is feeling and they make a funny facial expression, try to replicate it. It may give you some insight into how someone else is feeling.

I must say since I read this, I find myself doing gestures, making faces and general trying to physically put myself into other people’s bodies, and the information is often quite revealing. At a minimum, it gives me feedback if I am thinking in the right direction or not.

You can read more in Dr. Paul Ekman’s book “Emotions Revealed”.

“We All Look the Same When We Lie”

/in , , , /by

I love this promo, but it’s not my favorite. I’m saving that one for last!

* Quote above from the video (Fox).