Besides a person's eyes, facial movements tell us a lot about how and what people are thinking about us. Approximately 75 percent of our nonverbal communication is done with our face. According to Dr. Paul Ekman at the University of San Francisco, there are approximately six basic emotions that we express through our face: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, and fear. No matter what culture you are from—whether New Guinea, China, Africa, or France—these facial expressions are universal. Even though cultural differences still exist, the fact that we all express emotion similarly is one more reason to celebrate the similarities—and not the differences—between people.
Many people, businessmen in particular, have been trained to use a poker face to catch their opponents (and sometimes their colleagues) off guard. If enough time is spent together, however, people's true feelings eventually emerge. The limbic system, located deep within the brain, uncovers our emotions—how we feel. Even if we voluntarily try to control our facial movements to hide our true feelings, the involuntary aspects of the brain eventually take over, unmasking the truth.
The gamut of human emotions is revealed throughout a conversation, so if you pay close attention you will almost always know how the person is feeling at a particular point in the conversation. A conversation might begin with the person's eyebrows raised and head cocked to the side, which reveals that he doubts what you are saying. As you continue to speak, you may then see the corners of his mouth turn up, indicating that he is amused by what you're saying. As the conversation continues, three hours later you may see his slightly flared nostrils, a slightly protruded lower lip.
Many people, businessmen in particular, have been trained to use a poker face to catch their opponents (and sometimes their colleagues) off guard. If enough time is spent together, however, people's true feelings eventually emerge. The limbic system, located deep within the brain, uncovers our emotions—how we feel. Even if we voluntarily try to control our facial movements to hide our true feelings, the involuntary aspects of the brain eventually take over, unmasking the truth.
The gamut of human emotions is revealed throughout a conversation, so if you pay close attention you will almost always know how the person is feeling at a particular point in the conversation. A conversation might begin with the person's eyebrows raised and head cocked to the side, which reveals that he doubts what you are saying. As you continue to speak, you may then see the corners of his mouth turn up, indicating that he is amused by what you're saying. As the conversation continues, three hours later you may see his slightly flared nostrils, a slightly protruded lower lip.
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