The Body Language of Masks

Biden says he will wear a mask. He says he follows the science.

Trump says he won't wear a mask. He says he follows his instinct.

Reporter in a mask.

Trump is right.

Biden and Trump are politicians running for office. We connect with people through our faces and tone of voice. 

The wearing of masks in public is a matter of custom. A significant number of people wear face masks on the streets in Chinese cities and in Saigon. It was especially common among people riding motor scooters, which are ubiquitous in Saigon. The air pollution is shocking for an American.

Masks in the USA are--were--uncommon, and in some places illegal. Masks hide and protect a face. Except in physicians doing surgery, in sporting gear, or on Halloween, they are associated with criminal behavior. Why else hide your face?

Masks obscure ones face. Of course. Duh. There are social implications. When one wears a mask people cannot see you smile. Indeed, they can hardly read your emotions at all. That is catastrophic for a politician.

A masked face is not hiding communication. It is communicating loud and clear the unwanted message of guardedness, secrecy, emotional distance, and fear. 

A mask comes close to communicating hostility, which a grocery store shopper can mitigate by other physical actions that demonstrate cordiality, i.e. friendly nods, giving lots of space, slow movements, back-steps. No doubt Biden intends to communicate that he is being smart, careful, considerate, and respectful of science" but what he is actually communicating is, at best, that he wants separation from us.

Iowa speech

It isn't fair. It isn't objective or rational. In fact wearing a mask is an act primarily of consideration for others, to reduce ones own potential airborne virus spread. But that is not how it appears, because of how, in fact, people communicate. We do it with our faces. Masked people are walled off. You wonder what they really think.

It has become common for well funded political campaigns in Iowa and New Hampshire--and now virus briefing talks by governors--to have a sign language interpreter.  My seating at an Iowa event gave me an especially good view of the sign language interpreter for a Biden event in Iowa, one that got national attention because of a NY Times report saying Biden did not excite the crowd, using a photo of a ten year old boy lying on grass facing away from Biden, playing a video game. (I thought that was an unfair cheap shot. What 10 year old wouldn't rather play a video game than listen to a politician?)

My own take-away was the Biden's use of a teleprompter for a campaign speech was the big story, him using a speech crutch on so easy a speech, and that he looked a bit frail and the teleprompter added to the of fragility--as would have a cane or, even worse, a walker. My other take-away was that his sign language interpreter was far, far more interesting than was Biden. He had the voice of earnest compassion, but not the look of it, not with a teleprompter. His language interpreter did have the look. The combination of listening to Biden and watching her gave the animated, exciting connection that is the life's blood of politics.

Take 30 seconds to watch the video. Observing it confirms a point that Biden appears to be ready to ignore. We communicate with our tone of voice, plus our faces, our expressions, our hands. Indeed, that is how we communicated the most important things--what we authentically care about. It isn't the words themselves. It is how we present them.  Watch. 

Click: YouTube clip. Just 30 seconds.

Biden--like everyone--needs to be personally careful regarding the virus. Trump is handling safety by appearing around people, maskless, but the people have all been tested and re-tested. That fact isn't apparent. What Americans see is the face of their leader in close proximity to advisors. Fearless and open faced.

Biden, too, needs to be seen maskless. We need to see his mouth, nose, and face confirm the smile-crinkles in his eyes. We need to see he cares. Biden in a mask communicates he is a fail, fearful old guy with something to hide. Sleepy Joe, protecting Hunter's secrets.  Disastrous.