Can You Read Someone’s Personality From Their Face?

 

I think we all believe that we can figure out what someone is like by looking at their face. We look at someone's face. We think, "They seem trustworthy", or "They look arrogant", or "They seem kind", or even "They look dangerous". The truth is, science says that's not really how it works. A face doesn't really tell us what someone is like.


~Where Did This Idea Come From


A time ago people thought they could figure out what someone was like just by looking at their face and body. This was called 'physiognomy'. People used to think this was a thing, but now we know it's not.


~Why We Think Faces Tell Us What Someone Is Like


1. First Impressions

Our brains are wired to make decisions so we can stay safe. When we look at someone's face, we make a decision about them in a few seconds. We look at things like the following:

* The way they look at us

* If they make eye contact

* If their face is symmetrical

But these are our thoughts, and they're not always right.

2. The Way We Think About People

We often think that people who are good-looking are also kind or smart. We also think that certain faces make someone look trustworthy. These are things we think, and they're not always true.

3. What We Learn From TV And Movies

We learn what to think about people's faces from the media and from what people around us say. Over time we start to think that certain faces mean things even if it's not true.


~What Scientists Really Say


Scientists who study the mind have found out that:

* We often agree on what we think about someone's face when we first meet them

* Our first thoughts are not always right

This means that just because we all think the thing about someone doesn't mean it's true.


~The Problem With Thinking This Way


If we judge someone by looking at their face, we might:

* Be unfair to them

* Believe stereotypes that aren't true

* Not see what they're really like

It's like we're only looking at the surface of a person and not really seeing who they are.


~A Better Way To Think About It


What someone is like is shaped by:

* What happens to them in life

* Where they live

* What they feel

* How they act over time

It's not about the shape of their face or body.


~Conclusion


We can't tell what someone is like by looking at their face. Our brains are quick to make decisions. These decisions are often wrong. The truth is simple: faces can give us ideas. It's what someone does that really shows us what they're like.


For more content stay connected with Psychology: Myth vs Reality by 

Tanya Kakkar

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