7 Micro-expressions That Reveal You
Micro-expressions are very fast, involuntary facial expressions that express a feeling we feel. They let us know what the person we are in contact with feels because they are innate and universal. Learning to identify them will make your personal relationships easier and help you identify the feelings and needs of your partner, friends, family, etc.
Furthermore, by manipulating our body language, we can push ourselves in the direction of the corresponding feeling. In other words, we have the amazing power to generate emotions through our expressions.
How many facial expressions are there?
To date, more than 10,000 different facial expressions have been registered, while only seven micro-expressions have been identified. These are the subtle, universal gestures that allow us to read the emotions in the eyes of all the people we look at, and they form the basis of the rest of our facial expressions.
Anger
The micro-expression anger is mainly concentrated on the upper part of the face, where we lower and frown our eyebrows to create a grim look. We often pull the mouth together and make it tense at the same time as the lips are separated slightly and the teeth are bitten together.
A gesture that is typical of anger is to push the chin forward in a defiant way.
Fear
This micro-expression is characterized by tense eyebrows and wide-open eyes, which allow us to take everything into our field of vision, as if we sense danger somewhere.
In the lower part of the face, the jaw is loose, which is also an instinctive behavior that allows us to scream and take in a lot of oxygen.
Joy
Joy is shown by squinting eyes and wrinkles in the outer extremities of the face as well as lower eyelids. A trick: when a person shows false joy, these wrinkles are not formed. We will also show our characteristic smile, which will be more open the happier we are, until we finally show our teeth.
Contempt
In this expression, the upper part of the face can take many different forms. The key to identifying this expression is in the lower part of the face, because that is where we demonstrate very specific expressions that consist of raising one side of the mouth while the other forms a half smile.
Through studies of this micro-expression, conducted by John Gottman, it is possible to know whether a marriage will end in divorce if we see that the expression of contempt is often used between the spouses.
Surprise
This is characterized by raised, arched eyebrows and wide-open eyes. In the lower part of the face, the jaw is loose and the mouth is open.
Sorrow
Grief is one of the most complicated micro-expressions to falsify. It is characterized by lowered eyebrows that are subtly united in the middle. The mouth is often arched downwards.
Disgust
This micro-expression is one of the easiest to identify because the entire expression is concentrated at the mouth and nose. The nose is wrinkled and the upper lip is raised, which often exposes the teeth in the upper jaw. We also demonstrate this in personal relationships when we feel disapproving or when someone disgusts us.
Finally, we want to share a video with you. You can turn to it for training in this extremely valuable and necessary skill for interpersonal and interpersonal relationships, and above all for inner growth for both you and those around you.
Do you think you can recognize all seven micro-expressions? Practice with loved ones you trust.
