Your Face LEAKS

Your Mind Shows On Your Face

"The human mind is a lot like the human egg, and the human egg has a shut-off device. When o­ne sperm gets in, it shuts down so the next o­ne can't get in. The human mind has a big tendency of the same sort.” - Charlie Munger

Your face leaks. Whatever you might be thinking shows up as the raise of an eyebrow or the furl of your lip. Reading facial “body language” gives you the most clues about the intricacies of character.

What’s in a face?

Think about an imaginary line that connects in a square, eyebrow to eyebrow, cheek to cheek and forehead to chin. That’s the key space captured by cartoonists and portrait photographers. Let’s just say that your personality lives there. It’s home base.

The lines and wrinkles that have formed over the years, are proof of who you are and what you have been thinking. Your unique character is visible to the world from across a football field. Split second impressions which slip across your face thousands of times a day, are instantly interpreted – or misinterpreted by friends and strangers through their own rose coloured glasses.

So when your mind shuts off, or judges someone or something, your face leaks those thoughts, even if you don’t say a word out loud.

Facts About Your Face

Among the findings of Professor Dacher Keltner Ph.D. at the University of Berkley, California:

· There are six basic expressions: happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise and calm

· With just 44 muscles, nerves and blood vessels threaded through a scaffolding of bone and cartilage, all layered over by supple skin, the face can twist into 5000 expressions, from an outward grin to a faint sneer.

· There is a distinct difference between feigned and real expression, and in the biological responses produced.

· Smiling eyes can actually pull the face into a smile through the zygomatic muscles.

· We send and read signals at lightening speed and over great distances. The lift of an eyebrow, which lasts a sixth of a second, can register surprise or displeasure even at a distance of 150 feet.

· Smiles are so important to communication that we can see them more clearly than any other expression at a distance of over 300 feet (the length of a football field)

· Facial expressions are largely universal. Babies are programmed to read faces; it is genetic and evolutionary.

· When a female baby hears a loud noise or gets anxious, she wants to make eye contact.

· When a male baby hears a loud noise or gets anxious, he will react by looking around, in a fight or flight response.

· Culture and experience can dull our ability to display and interpret emotions. Abused children may not correctly interpret facial expressions for example.

Let me issue a WARNING:

“Displays of emotion are only half of the equation. How they are interpreted is the other half.”

We are all quite good at reading the obvious signals, but we need to remember that reading faces is complicated. Shortcuts and snap judgments can lead to misinterpretation. Keep the whole conversation in mind before jumping to conclusions.

As a Master Coach, I’ve found that many of my clients aren’t aware of the signals they send, especially when they are subconsciously judging a comment. Eyebrows, eye movements, the tilt of your head can destroy a career opportunity during an interview. A welcoming nod, understanding smile or a kind signal of reassurance can change the mood of a stalled negotiation.

Take a closer look at the distinctive character of faces. They are fascinating. Pay attention to what your mind is telling you. What signals are you sending in return?

This is a study that can keep you amused for a lifetime.


Maggie Chicoine is a professional speaker, facilitator, writer and Master Coach. She specializes in Strategic Systems Thinking. “Experience Speaks…with a twist of ingenuity.”

Reach her at 1 800 587 1767 or www.theideasculptor.com

New Column! “Superior Secrets: A Good Place to Sleep Series”, featuring exceptional lodgings on the shores of Lake Superior.

Maggie and her photographer husband Richard hit the highways this summer in search of fab accommodations in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario’s north shore: antique rich B&B’s, magnificent garden Inns and condos a step away from cobblestone beaches.

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine at Egli's Sheep Farm, Dryden Ontario Canada