Under the magnifying glass of public life
My neighbour is running for city councillor and his wife was telling me about the first all-candidates meeting he attended. She was shocked at how little things get magnified when you’re in the public eye.
For instance, while her husband was listening to other candidates, he was grimacing and frowning, and she realized how that looked to the audience - it was not very positive. It didn’t matter that his facial reactions might have been right; in that context they looked negative. Remember what happened with John McCain during the split-screens of the presidential debates? “Commenting” with your face can be a real negative - but by all means be expressive with your face when it’s your turn to speak.
The other thing that jumped out at this woman was when her husband did some simple stretches on stage while others were speaking. Nothing wrong with having a stretch, unless you’re in the public eye and it makes you look like you’re bored.
Posted: November 7th, 2008 under Audience Experiences, Press Conferences, Your Appearance.