Face reading
for your
personality.

The concept of “physiognomy” originated in ancient times and remains a form of superstition in my country, with its application in judging people, understanding their character, and discussing marriage.

The *Impermanence Sutra* describes it thus: “Destiny is created by oneself, appearance arises from the heart, circumstances change with the mind, and tolerance leads to greatness.” This reveals that the Chinese perspective views future destiny through facial features. This isn’t unique to my country; research on physiognomy has also been very popular in the West.

Where Face Reading Personality Ideas Come From

The term “physiognomonica” appears in Aristotle’s Collected Works, where one chapter proposes that “a person’s face can reflect their character traits to a certain extent.” This view coincides with a view held in my country.

The term “physiognomy” sounds mysterious, but it actually refers to the arrangement and layout of our facial features.

How Your Face and Personality Shape Each Other

Modern scholars, both domestically and internationally, who do not believe in metaphysics, have spent decades studying physiognomy as a discipline and have concluded that a person’s appearance has a decisive influence on the formation of their personality. Furthermore, changes in personality can subtly alter one’s facial features.

In other words, facial features and personality are potentially related and influence each other.

The Dorian Gray Effect

Psychologists believe that the ancient saying “appearance reflects the heart” is related to the Dorian Gray Syndrome, which originates from a novel by Oscar Wilde.

The viewpoint is related to age: as you get older, your adult appearance will more accurately reflect your personality than when you were young.

Why Your Face Shows More Character With Age

This kind of description is very common in our lives. For example, attractiveness was initially a factor that young women paid more attention to, and attractiveness was directly related to their appearance.

However, as cells metabolize and age, by the time they reach middle age, their beauty is no longer what it was in their youth, and they are more likely to display qualities unrelated to beauty.

Phrases like “beauty that could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky,” “beauty that could shame the moon and flowers,” and “beauty that could make a fairy tale” are no longer enough to move middle-aged women. Sometimes, they even feel that such praise is hypocritical. Instead, praise that highlights the excellent qualities that have been cultivated over the years, such as “intellectual” and “capable,” is more valued and is an affirmation of the personal charm of middle-aged women.

Your initial appearance is determined by genes, but your self-esteem can become expensive or cheap over time, and your personality traits can be assimilated by changes in your environment. Therefore, holding your head high and remaining steadfast in your original aspirations are very important.

Is Intelligence Reflected in Your Face?

First Impressions Start With Appearance

Parents know that praising a child once is better than praising themselves ten times, so many parents often say things like, “Your child is so smart!” or “Your child is just like you in terms of intelligence!” This is based on fact and is not just a polite remark.

Although judging people by their appearance is not advisable, and we are taught from a young age not to make subjective assumptions about others, the facts tell us that our first impression has a significant relationship with our appearance.

When we judge a person, the first thing we usually say is about their appearance. It’s hard to break away from the established pattern of describing their appearance first and then mentioning other characteristics. However, relying too much on facial features to describe a person is just as undesirable as relying too much on astrology to speculate about a person.

What a 2014 Study Found

A psychological study specifically aimed at clarifying the relationship between facial features and intelligence conducted a detailed investigation in 2014. Researchers first asked a group of women and men to guess the intelligence level of a member of the opposite sex based on facial features.

The results showed that people held a positive attitude towards those with wide-set eyes, large noses, slightly upturned corners of the mouth, and pointed chins; while those with closer-set eyes, short noses, downturned corners of the mouth, and wider chins held a negative attitude towards their intelligence.

It is undeniable that facial preferences are closely related to the aesthetic trends of the times. This relationship can affect the development of a relationship at least, and a person’s entire life at worst. If the interviewer, parents, and lover all have strong facial preferences, one can imagine what will happen.

Is Leadership Ability Related to Face Width?

Even today, there are still such perceptions that people with wide faces have a dignified appearance, possess leadership qualities, and inspire confidence at first glance. John F. Kennedy is a typical example; conversely, Chester Arthur had a narrower face.

Further analysis based on the actual circumstances reveals that Kennedy was elected President of the United States in his prime, and his political methods were widely regarded as having a strong personal style; while Arthur was generally considered to be more moderate.

Scientists then continued their research on whether the width of US presidents’ faces was related to their leadership abilities, and found that those with strong administrative skills and political ambitions tended to have wider faces than US presidents.

Should You Judge Personality by the Face?

In conclusion, while these points demonstrate the importance of facial features, the superstitious belief that moles on different parts of the face determine a person’s future makes people’s understanding of facial features increasingly metaphysical.

However, facial features are only one aspect of interpersonal relationships. We should trust in the passage of time and the bonds formed through shared experiences, and approach facial features with objectivity and composure.

References

*Psychology and Life*, *The Works of Aristotle*