Photo Credit: Gino Crescoli/Pixabay
Human faces are fascinating. Of equal interest is how we interpret them. When with a person, new or known, one of the first things we do is size them up by observing the face. The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but the face as a whole is a window to the mind, to the person inside.
Some faces read like open books. Others are opaque and inscrutable. Regardless of the degree of transparency, most of us (except perhaps those who just want to be left alone) do our best to read the unique hieroglyphics of the face. This involves how we interpret and respond to certain features and expressions. Do you feel differently toward a face that is symmetrical versus not? Are the eyes identical, or does each have its unique demeanor, almost like two separate persons? Does the mouth frown, smile or inhabit the neutral zone? Are the various features balanced or is it an amalgam of contrasts?
It also seems apparent that some of us are better at reading faces than others, and in certain situations, that can be a problem. One of the primary things we look for in studying another person’s face is her or his intentions. Do they mean good or ill? What do they want? What is their emotional state? Can they be trusted?
Research shows we evaluate the trustworthiness of others based, in part, on the overall structure of the face, and we do so in less than one second. This predilection emerges in children as young as 3. In several studies, faces were most often deemed trustworthy when exhibiting a happy demeanor, even when not smiling, and frequently had more feminine features. Unless later contradicted by the individual’s behavior, these initial impressions showed surprising durability over time.
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Now, some who intend harm can initially conceal their intentions by feigning sincerity and good will. These folks are who noted psychiatrist Karl Menninger referred to as “people of the lie.” Some are exceptionally competent in their dishonorable craft, so much so that even highly trained students of the human mind become hoodwinked. On occasion, I’m among them.
I’ve known a few gifted empaths who could see through the wolf in sheep’s clothing thing. When asked how they accomplish this, most reported closely studying the person’s face while simultaneously “grokking” their emotional state. It’s a real ability and one that modern psychology and neuroscience have yet to fully explain.
A close friend, lord rest his soul, was one of these types. A number of times, he contradicted my initial take on another person and proved correct in doing so. In a couple of instances, his proclivity in this regard kept us out of harm’s way. One of those involved a man we’d recently met who asked a favor that involved some risk on our part. My inclination was to trust the guy and agree, but my friend quickly declined. Later, he told me he noticed that, while the other fellow smiled with his mouth, his eyes didn’t follow suit.
Reading a psyche through the face requires a gestalt mindset, which means perceiving the whole that is more than the sum of its parts. We rely on this composite perception to achieve an overall impression of the person, particularly early in the interaction; her or his emotional state, demeanor, personality, intentions and, to some extent, intelligence. At the same time, we are experiencing an overall gut reaction along the lines of “I like you, I don’t or I’m not sure.”
Oscar Wilde said the face is a person’s “autobiography.” Before opening up her or his “book,” we first observe the face to determine if it looks like a good read.
