In the 70s of the last century, the outstanding American scientist Paul Ekman proved that despite the cultural differences that make people express their emotions differently with the “body language”, the facial expressions of feelings are the same for everyone. The universality of facial expressions originates in biology and is a product of evolution. Neither culture, nor upbringing, nor self-discipline can “erase” the manifestations of the seven basic emotions from a person’s face.
Instruction manual
one
Start by learning the attributes that are characteristic of the seven basic emotions in a “pure” form:
Anger - eyebrows are lowered, lips are compressed, deep longitudinal wrinkle on forehead;
Aversion - the corners of the lips are raised, the eyes are narrowed, the nose and forehead are wrinkled;
Fear - eyes are wide open, mouth is ajar, eyebrows are raised, nostrils are bloated;
Happiness - the corners of the lips are raised, the eyes are narrowed, "crow's feet" are visible in their corners;
Sadness - eyes are narrowed, eyebrows and mouth are down, chin trembles;
Surprise - the mouth is ajar, the pupils are dilated, the eyebrows are raised;
Contempt - one corner of the mouth raised, eyes narrowed.
Find pictures illustrating these emotions. Take a closer look at them. Try to remember the facial expressions, not their verbal description.
2
A person very rarely experiences one emotion. Contempt can be mixed with disgust or sadness, surprise with happiness, anger with fear. People try to hide emotions and then they are given microexpressions, fleeting movements that last a split second. It is on the ability to notice them that the skill of Paul Ekman and his team, which became the prototype of the heroes of the popular series "Lie to me", is built.
3
Buy books on images of emotions for artists. Usually, they show in detail the manifestations of feelings on the faces of people of different sex, age and nationality. Examine these samples, noting the smallest details.
4
Practice on photos. Today, millions of face images are at your service on the Internet. Consider them, be sure to find the familiar “traits” of joy, anger, regret, etc.
5
Turn off the sound on the TV and watch the facial expressions of speakers, famous personalities and characters. Try to understand how a person feels. Train daily, and over time, it will become easier for you to recognize microexpressions.
6
Remember that fleeting expressions speak much more about true feelings than exaggerated emotions. If a person opens his eyes wide and shows surprise in every possible way, but at the same time you "caught" a microexpression of contempt or disgust, then most likely what is happening is not a surprise for your vis-a-vis.