I often find myself looking in the mirror, closely observing my facial features. One detail I tend to focus on is my deep smile lines. For a long time, I saw them as flaws, but I have come to realize their beauty. These lines are evidence of the joy I have experienced and the countless moments of laughter I have shared. The little wrinkles under my eyes are so prominent because when I smile, my eyes nearly close. I appreciate that I am able to see myself in this light, and I hope others see me as a joyful person too.
Our personalities can be subtly reflected in our appearances, simply because we express emotions through our facial muscles more often than we think. If someone is frequently irritable or furrows their eyebrows a lot, those repeated expressions can begin to shape their face over time. Even in a neutral state, others might interpret their face as angry or unapproachable. I will admit, I have made many assumptions about others solely based on their facial expressions. Perhaps that judgment isn’t entirely wrong.
Still, while facial expressions certainly influence how we perceive others, it is important to acknowledge our own biases. I went down a rabbit hole about facial perception and came across a compelling study by Gennady G. Knyazev (2008). It explored personality perception through facial expression. In the study, 292 participants were shown photos of people with various expressions (happy, hostile, and neutral), and asked to rate the faces as friendly or hostile. Afterward, they completed personality questionnaires. Interestingly, participants who scored higher in trait anxiety were more likely to view the faces as hostile, while those high in conscientiousness perceived them as more friendly.
All of this led me to reflect more deeply on how our neutral expressions can reveal aspects of who we are. We are all shaped by the emotions we have experienced most frequently. Over time, our faces become narratives of our personalities, just as my smile lines tell part of who I am. But while facial expressions can speak volumes, I have also understood that our interpretations of others are also shaped by how we think and feel. Sometimes, we project ourselves onto those we observe without even knowing it. I judged others in passing, and maybe they have done the same to me. Perception truly is a powerful thing, and having a stronger context of it can change the depth of who you are right now.
How do you perceive this woman's personality or emotion, based on her neutral expression?
Sources:
Knyazev, G. G., Bocharov, A. V., Slobodskaya, H. R., & Ryabichenko, T. I. (2008). Personality-linked biases in perception of emotional facial expressions. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(5), 1093–1104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.11.001
Rosenblum, L. D. (2011). See what I’m saying: The extraordinary powers of our five senses. W.W. Norton.
Hello, this was such a thoughtful reflection! it is fascinating how much our facial expressions can reveal about us and how easily they can be misrepresented. I have never thought about how our emotions shapes out emotions overtime. Thank you for sharing!
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