In the 70s of the last century, the eminent American scientist Paul Ekman proved that despite the cultural differences that cause people to express their emotions differently in the “language” of the body, the mimic manifestations of feelings are the same for everyone. The versatility of facial expressions originates in biology and is a product of evolution. Neither culture, nor upbringing, nor self-discipline are capable of "erasing" the manifestations of the seven basic emotions from a person's face.
Instructions
Step 1
Start by learning the traits that are inherent in the seven basic emotions in their "pure" form:
Anger - eyebrows are lowered, lips are compressed, there is a deep longitudinal wrinkle on the forehead;
Disgust - the corners of the lips are raised, the eyes are narrowed, the nose and forehead are wrinkled;
Fear - eyes are wide open, mouth is open, eyebrows are raised, nostrils are flared;
Happiness - the corners of the lips are raised, the eyes are narrowed, "crow's feet" are visible in their corners;
Sadness - the eyes are narrowed, the eyebrows and mouth are lowered, the chin trembles;
Surprise - the mouth is open, the pupils are dilated, the eyebrows are raised;
Contempt - one corner of the mouth is raised, eyes are narrowed.
Find pictures that illustrate these emotions. Take a closer look at them. Try to remember the facial expressions, not their verbal descriptions.
Step 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 away by micro-expressions, fleeting movements that last a split second. It is on the ability to notice them that the skill of Paul Ekman and his team, who became the prototype of the heroes of the popular TV series "Lie to me", is built.
Step 3
Buy books dedicated to depicting emotions for artists. Usually, there they draw in detail the manifestations of feelings on the faces of people of different sexes, ages and nationalities. Study these patterns, noticing the smallest details.
Step 4
Practice with photographs. There are millions of facial images at your service on the Internet today. Consider them, be sure to find familiar "traits" of joy, anger, regret, etc.
Step 5
Turn off the sound on the TV and watch the facial expressions of announcers, famous personalities and characters. Try to understand how the person is feeling. Exercise daily and you will find it easier to recognize micro expressions over time.
Step 6
Remember that fleeting expressions speak much more about true feelings than exaggerated emotions. If a person opens his eyes wide and demonstrates surprise in every possible way, but at the same time you "caught" a micro-expression of contempt or disgust, then, most likely, what is happening is not a surprise for your counterpart.
