Description of human facial expressions and gestures. How to learn to “read” people by their facial expressions and gestures

The human body and soul are inextricably linked. Therefore, it is impossible to separate character from its external manifestations. What is outside is also inside. Human psychology based on behavior and gestures makes it possible to easily determine character. Let us learn this too.

A person's appearance can say a lot

If a person’s clothing is distinguished by its unusualness and pretentiousness, catchiness, then this speaks of an artistic type of personality, of an artistic nature. There are people who neglect their appearance. After talking with them, you will easily understand whether this is his creative attitude to life or banal sloppiness.

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If a person is dressed to the nines, as if he just stepped off the catwalk, this often means that he wants to establish himself with his clothes. This is a sign of inner uncertainty and helplessness.

A person’s appearance should be in harmony with clothes and complement the image. Schizoid personality types do not adhere to this principle.

Bright colors in clothes are loved by emotional and loving people, while half-tones are loved by calm and balanced people. Often people who have a hard time getting used to and adapting to new circumstances wear clothes that are out of season.

Handshake

A handshake is a common form of introduction for men. If a person comes to you from afar with an outstretched hand, then we can say that he is cheerful and sociable, does not hide anything behind his soul. If he is still actively shaking your hand and speaking quickly, he is an active, energetic person.

Secretive people usually shake hands with the palm down and with a large bend in the elbow. This movement seems to say “I won’t give anything away.” Often such people turn out to be two-faced and ruthless. If your palm seems to be pressed down, then you have a domineering, suppressive and callous personality.

A limp handshake speaks of laziness and lack of initiative. Shy and modest people shake hands awkwardly.

Communication zone

Human psychology helps to recognize unpleasant and annoying people by their behavior.

Aggressive and unceremonious people are unpleasant to communicate with. They often violate the permissible distance. You feel this subconsciously. They may tap you on the shoulder. Hold your hand for a long time or look into your eyes. If an unfamiliar person approaches you very close, less than 50 cm, then this causes a desire to move away, as well as anger and indignation.

Shy, insecure people keep a long distance.

The longer people communicate and become closer to each other, the distance between them decreases.

Posture, gait, gestures and facial expressions

Human psychology in terms of behavior and gestures is not always as simple and unambiguous as it might seem at first glance.

Since a person is raised from childhood to adhere to certain rules and norms of behavior, it is sometimes very difficult to determine a person’s character. For example, it is difficult to judge by a smile what is happening in a person’s soul, because it can be real or “through tears.”

The duality of human nature also makes it difficult to understand him. If a person is gentle and reliable, but does not want to seem like that, then he will accordingly behave differently and control his actions.

In order to understand body language, it is involuntary, unconscious movements that play an important role.

If a person has an asymmetrical face, then you can tell. That the rational and the emotional are at odds with each other. When there is a constant internal struggle, remorse, it is very reflected on the face.

If a person has an unnatural, stiff gait (that is, the legs, pelvis and lower back seem to be tightly connected to each other), this indicates problems in the sexual sphere.

Tension or relaxation of movements plays an important role. When a person is relaxed, he rests his soul and is open to the perception of others.

The psychology of human behavior helps to determine character traits based on the following basic characteristics:

Carelessness and lack of discipline are manifested by a loose gait and relaxed postures;
Uncertainty and fearfulness are expressed in closed postures of arms and legs, hands in pockets or covering part of the face. Also, redness and an intermittent voice indicate a person who is unsure of himself. These people tend to constantly hype themselves up and make mountains out of molehills;
Nervousness and anxiety are indicated by rhythmic movements of the fingers. Handling objects, fidgeting in a chair.
A wide and slow gait speaks of a person who wants to show off himself. And the theatricality of gestures speaks of inflated self-esteem;
Straightforward and restrained movements speak of a cold, calculating nature;
Sudden and disordered movements indicate irritability and nervousness;
If body movements are rounded and smooth, this characterizes a person who is emotional and has a carefree attitude towards the world.

Eyes and gaze

Eyes reflect the inner world of a person. They are the first to react to their internal state. When we are sad, sadness appears in our eyes. If we are having fun, then our eyes shine with happiness.

The look also varies. For example, hard, prickly, cold, angry, shameless, affectionate, gentle, gloomy, cunning, stubborn, confident, fierce, excited...

Any communication is accompanied by a glance. If normal, calm communication occurs, then the look will be the same. If the gaze goes into the distance, it means the person is distracted or lost in thought. A sideways glance expresses distrust and secrecy. Squinted eyes express distrust, anger and vindictiveness of nature.

Politicians often see this pattern when one eyebrow is raised. But the folds on the forehead remain horizontal. This speaks of a strong will, neglect and hostility towards the outside world.

Looking down from above speaks of arrogance and contempt. Conversely, the bottom-up view is about subordination and helpfulness.

A long, direct and firm gaze indicates that the person wants to subjugate you to his will. This is how investigators and prosecutors look during interrogations.

A “running” gaze characterizes people who feel fear or threat. Such eyes are often found in criminals who have spent a long time in prison, as well as scammers.

Human psychology sometimes helps to determine by behavior and gestures what profession a person has, what position he holds and what social class he belongs to.

Face

When communicating, the face is the first thing you pay attention to. Here it is important to consider the nose, lips and folds near them. They will tell you a lot.

There is a so-called “suffering fold”, which gives a person a suffering expression. These are people with weak character. Weak willed, helpless and patient. Always retreating from difficulties.

Strength of character is judged by the wings of the nose. If they swell greatly when breathing, then this person is temperamental and energetic.

The corners of the mouth show the general condition of a person. The drooping corners indicate a pessimist, always dissatisfied with life.

The degree of tension of a person is shown by a closed mouth. This speaks of determination and strength of character. A slightly open mouth indicates relaxation and passivity.

Smile and laugh

All people smile and laugh differently. Laughter can be contagious, quiet, mocking, angry, sincere, barking, arrogant, artificial, etc.

Pure, carefree laughter shows a light, free, laid-back nature.

If a person has aggressiveness, envy, anger or contempt, then these feelings prevent you from laughing easily and freely. It turns out something like “he-he-he”. Young people who want to attract attention usually giggle. Laughter like “ho-ho-ho” seems to say: “Well, tell me too...”. It reflects arrogance, boasting, a desire to humiliate, to doubt what was said.

Every person can judge the authenticity of a smile by relying on their intuition. She will tell you whether a person is pleasant or not, likes or dislikes, “slippery type” or “somehow he smiles wrong.” Intuition rarely deceives. Human psychology by facial expressions makes it possible to determine, first of all, the sincerity of a person.

Posture

Dropped or raised shoulders, along with a slightly hunched back and retracted chin, speak of humility, weakness, and a sense of inferiority of a person;
Raising your head too high and protruding your chest is a sign of pride, vanity and arrogance;
A tense and motionless posture isolates sensitive and shy people from the outside world;
Sometimes sensitive people try to hide it, outwardly showing rigidity, coldness, as if bristling at others. Then a certain angularity of posture appears;
A person with self-esteem has a free, relaxed posture with his head held high. This demonstrates trust, openness and respect for people.

Human psychology in terms of behavior and gestures has been studied for many years. This science is called body language. The achievements of modern psychology in this area have given impetus to this direction, and the demand for this knowledge from a practical point of view has pushed psychologists to further study the connection between soul and body. Since any of our internal experiences, movements of the soul cause a response in the body, facial expressions, gestures, movements.

Often we see all these external manifestations and our brain processes them instantly at the level of “pleasant - unpleasant”, “trustworthy - not trustworthy”, etc. After all, there are often situations in life when we say “there is something I don’t like about this person” or “what a slippery type he is.” That is, we don’t know what caused our reaction, but we subconsciously feel it. By trusting your intuition and learning a little body language, in everyday life you will be able to determine a person’s character at first sight.

Professor Balyazin Viktor Aleksandrovich, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation, Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Nervous Diseases and Neurosurgery, Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-on-Don.

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Martirosyan Vazgen Vartanovich

Professor,Doctor of Medical Sciences,Assistant at the Department of Nervous Diseases of Rostov State Medical University since 1958,Neurologist of the highest qualification category

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Fomina-Chertousova Neonila Anatolyevna, Candidate of Medical Sciences,Assistant at the Department of Nervous Diseases and Neurosurgery,Neurologist, epileptologist of the highest qualification category

Emotions are a form of reactions reflecting the state of the nervous system and a person’s mood, arising in response to various influences of the internal and external environment of the body. Emotional reactions should be considered as one of the forms of adaptation of the organism to the conditions of existence on the basis of an evolutionary approach. Darwin developed a theory about the origin of emotions, studied the anatomical and physiological basis and expression of emotions, while establishing which muscles of the face and torso take part in the implementation of emotional reactions. Darwin identified 3 basic principles of emotional expressions: 1) the principle of useful associated habits, 2) the principle of antithesis, 3) the principle of the direct influence of general excitation of the nervous system. Darwin showed the genesis of various emotions in animals and humans from the perspective of the theory of evolution. The nervous substrate of emotions is connected with the cerebral cortex and subcortical formations (thalamus, hypothalamus, striopallidal system), acting in close interrelation with each other. Individual subcortical systems have their own specifics. The visual thalamus gives emotional coloring of varying tones and degrees, the striopallidal system is involved in the external expression of emotions, the hypothalamus regulates autonomic, vascular, neuro-endocrine functions and metabolism during emotional states. Painful emotion causes adaptive movements that protect against pain - muscle tension, posture or position of the body, crying, moaning, screaming and vasomotor disorders.

V.I. Lenin said that the dialectical path of knowledge of truth, knowledge of objective reality is carried out by the transition of contemplation to abstract thinking, and from it to practice. This is the pattern of emotional reactions under the influence of the external environment.

Mental activity is supported by emotional tone, which corresponds to the statement of I.P. Pavlov that the subcortex charges the cortex. Emotions play a big role in human life. Emotional reactions are associated with sensations, perceptions, ideas, thoughts, i.e. with the cognitive process. Here is one example of the influence of emotions on mental activity. Mayer, who discovered the law of energy transformation, went to Indonesia as a shipping doctor. He wrote that he took on the work of researching the law of energy transformation with such love that he had little interest in the part of the world he was traveling through, and, remaining on board, freely devoted himself to work, and felt such inspiration as he had never felt before or after that time. . In behavioral reactions, emotions manifest themselves in two ways: 1) as the formation of a need, expressed in anticipation, anxiety, and 2) as the fulfillment of a need, associated with a feeling of pleasantness, pleasure, pleasure. Emotions were divided into negative and positive. Emotions include sadness, fright, anxiety, fear, suffering, embarrassment, anger, disappointment, grief, joy, love, excitement, etc. During emotions, the tone of striated muscles changes, spasm or relaxation of smooth muscles occurs, fluctuations in blood pressure, changes in posture trunk and coordination of movements, metabolic disorders. Human emotional expressions appear early in the development of the organism. Thus, primary emotions (crying, smiling) are detected in a newborn child. In a fetus that is prematurely removed for medical reasons and placed in favorable conditions of circulation and nutrition, facial expressions are observed. When you touch the upper lip with a bristle, a grimace appears, similar to the facial reactions of an adult, expressing disgust, disgust, and a feeling of unpleasantness. An expression of “sorrow” and sobbing can be observed in the fetus. A small child expresses his dissatisfaction by crying and screaming loudly. Gradually the child begins to restrain his feelings. An adult groans and cries when in pain. Facial expressions develop and improve from the moment of birth. In an adult, crying occurs not only from pain, but also from joy. Human motor skills change with age. The hypothalamus, quadrigeminal tract, and facial nerve nuclei constitute the anatomical substrate that is involved in the implementation of facial reactions, which manifest themselves in conjunction with the activity of the cerebral cortex. The extrapyramidal system influences the tone of facial muscles, the pace of their activity, the intensity of their innervation, as well as automatic and expressive movements. The direct expression of facial expressions is the muscles of the face. The facial muscles innervated by the facial nerve perform various functions, which determines the variety of facial expressions. The oculomotor nerves also take part in facial expressions. In facial activity, the proportionality of movements is important, which is determined by complex combinations of the cerebellar system with vestibular and sensory mechanisms.

Voltaire, in his poem “The Failed Portrait (of the Marquise de B.),” expressed the combination of various emotional nuances: “Is it easy to paint a portrait of you: strict and cheerful, capricious and stern, you seem like a naughty girl, but no, despite yourself, you are well-behaved again.” I.M. Sechenov in “Physiology of the Nervous System” described facial acts, noting the role of innate combined movements, and showed that they are reflexive in nature. I.M. Sechenov considers any facial movement as the end of a reflex complicated by mental elements.

Studying emotions, P. F. Lesgaft showed the importance of development and education, that is, the role of environmental factors in the expression of emotions. M.I. Astvatsaturov divided emotions into cortical and subcortical. E.K. Sepp expressed the position that contractions of facial muscles during emotions have a biological significance and create favorable conditions for cerebral circulation.

Cannon believed that the physiological basis of emotions are the nervous processes occurring in the visual thalamus. According to I.P. Pavlov, the physiological basis of emotions is not only the subcortex, but also the cerebral cortex. During emotions, changes occur in breathing, blood circulation, hormonal functions, blood composition, blood sugar, and sympatho-adrenal substances. By influencing the emotional sphere, it is possible to cause a change in physiological functions associated with our sensations. Through imagination it is possible to realize suggestion. For example, imagine that I am holding in my hand a lemon with one slice cut off. I continue to cut the next slice with a knife from which a drop of lemon juice is dripping, and the skin of the lemon is cut with difficulty, the seed is squeezed out, which falls on a saucer with a few drops of juice, then I cut off a slice of lemon and continue to cut the lemon further, and at the very sight This causes a sour feeling in the mouth and saliva to be produced. Didn't you feel the acidity in your mouth if you imagined this picture in detail?

Many of you could probably experience the emotion of fear of heights, when fear, uncertainty, dizziness, and sometimes a feeling of nausea appear, that is, the emotion of fear with vegetative-visceral manifestations.

Subcortical nodes are the centers of the most important unconditioned reflexes. Due to the close interaction of the cerebral cortex and the subcortex, an exciting influence occurs from the subcortical nodes on the cells of the cerebral cortex and their dynamics when cortical functions are weakened. I. P. Pavlov cited an observation of war neurosis, in which the former commander, falling asleep, began to scream, wave his arms or legs, give orders, command - in a word, experience scenes of war. Violation of the relationship between irritable and inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex leads to the emergence of negatively colored emotions. It is necessary to emphasize the erroneous views of Freud, who considered libido to be the basis of emotions. I.P. Pavlov wrote that animal behavior consists of balancing irritative and inhibitory processes associated with various agents. If you cause an irritable process and then limit it with an inhibitory process, then the animal, experiencing difficulty, begins to squeal, bark, and tear out of the pen. Our feelings of pleasant, unpleasant, sensations of ease and difficulty, joy and grief, triumph and despair are associated with changes in neural dynamics in the cerebral cortex and subcortex. Feeling is always stronger than reasoning (Maurois). The occurrence of strong contrasting experiences, emotional experiences that manifest themselves in a person when performing complex tasks, I. P. Pavlov explained by the phenomena of mutual induction. Emotions influence the method of learning through the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic stimuli. For some, the task is remembered when visual images are turned on, for others - when they are turned off. Formations and changes in dynamic stereotypes, their breaking are accompanied by emotional manifestations. When a temporary connection is resumed, i.e., when a memory of an experienced emotional reaction (resentment, etc.) is remembered, excitement may arise again, facial expressions may change, and corresponding vegetative manifestations usually appear on the face and in the internal organs (heart). P.K. Anokhin created a theory of emotions, basing it on the idea of the integrity of physiological formations that carry out emotional reactions. From a biological point of view, it is believed that positive emotional feelings are reinforced as a mechanism that maintains the body at an optimal level.

The significance of the second signaling system for the emergence and change of a person’s emotional state, the role of the word as an irritant is revealed in experimental and clinical observations. Words are not only a causative agent of emotional experiences, but also an irritant that causes vasomotor and other autonomic reactions. With suggestion, you can identify vascular reactions on the face, changes in cardiac activity, breathing, pulse, gas exchange, functions of the gastrointestinal tract, facial expressions and other manifestations observed during emotions. The processes occurring in the cortex and subcortex are the physiological basis of emotions. Emotional reactions are carried out with the participation of the reticular formation of the brain stem. The cerebral cortex receives information about reactions occurring in the body associated with emotions, resulting in feelings of pleasant satisfaction or, conversely, dissatisfaction. The destruction of subcortical formations leads to disruption of the external expression of emotions. Hess and his colleagues, by irritating the hypothalamus, influenced the behavior of the animal. When removing the cerebral cortex of “thalamic” and “hypothalamic” animals, Bard found that painful stimulation gives a more distinct external expression of rage and anger. The latest data have established the participation in the process of emotions of the amygdala complex (Fig. 47, A), hippocampus, cingulate cortex, orbital cortex and other areas of the brain, in particular the activating influence of the reticular formation of the brain stem (Fig. 47, B). These formations are intermediaries between the hypothalamus and the cerebral cortex in the formation of emotions. Impulses to the limbic system come from the reticular formation; the other path is more complex: from the thalamus to the hippocampus, from here along the fibers of the fornix to the mamillary bodies of the hypothalamus and further along the mamillo-thalamic tract to the anterior nucleus of the thalamus and then to the limbic gyrus.

The amygdala is connected to the subcortical ganglia and the cerebral cortex and can play the role of facilitating or

Rice. 47. Relationships between the cortex and subcortex.

A - some connections of the amygdala with the subcortex and cortex: 1 - frontal*

parietal lobe; 2 -■ temporal lobe; 3 - island; 4 - amygdala;

b - caudate body; 6 - hypothalamus; 7 - reticular formation;

B - influence of the reticular formation of the brain stem: influence on the cortex
brain (a), muscle tone (b), cardiovascular system (c),
on sympathetic-adrenal functions (d); B - neuro-endocrine relationships
and their role in emotions.

braking general education that can reduce or increase the overall tone of the emotional state. The limbic system, which deals with emotions and internal organs, receives signals through the reticular formation and the hypothalamus, and this affects the manifestation of the emotional state. Experimentally, electrical influences on the deep structures of the brain can cause various emotional manifestations depending on the location of the irritation, the strength, frequency and duration of the current. Electrical stimulation of the deep structures of the brain reveals an increase in the emotional background or the development of a pathological emotional state that is not associated with the previous mood. A correlation has been established between changes in the emotional state and the nature of the electrosubcorticogram of the hippocampus, septum and other brain structures. Emotions include experiences of voluptuous sensations, pleasant sensations in which there is an attraction to repeat them. Sometimes emotions manifest themselves in the form of “causeless joy”, “unaccountable fear”, “pointless melancholy”. To understand the physiological foundations of emotions, I. P. Pavlov’s teaching about the types of higher nervous activity, different depending on the strength of irritable and inhibitory processes, is important. Persons of a strong unbalanced type with a strong irritable process and a weak inhibitory process (uncontrollable type) react violently in an unfavorable situation, showing affective reactions with anger and rage. When under emotional stress, they easily experience confusion, self-doubt, and despair. Persons of a strong, balanced type with pronounced irritable and inhibitory processes react with restraint to what happened and quickly find a way out of a difficult situation. A strong, balanced, calm type of higher nervous activity is characterized by fairly well-defined irritable and inhibitory processes, with the inhibitory process predominating over the irritable one. Balanced people think about every step and, as a result, make the right, firm and thoughtful decision. Thus, emotional reactivity depends on the type of higher nervous activity. Individual differences in the nature and strength of experiences are associated with the peculiarities of the interaction of signaling systems. I. P. Pavlov identified artistic, mental and intermediate types. One of the important expressions of emotional states is changes in cardiovascular activity. With positive emotions, blood pressure increases due to increased work of the heart and blood vessels, without leaving significant trace reactions. With negative emotions (fear, grief), the activity of the heart and blood vessels is excited and a large trace remains after the emotional reaction. This difference is associated with the characteristics of negative emotions: with a generalized spread of excitation and a subsequent delay in the alignment of metabolic shifts. With negative emotions, the functions of the hypothalamus and

nonspecific nuclei of the thalamus, reticular formation (Fig. 47, B), i.e., systems that are involved in the implementation of the “tension” reaction. The adrenal system is involved not only through the humoral route, but also through the reticular formation, the sympathetic system and through connections between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland (adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulates the sympathetic-adrenal system in the periphery). Emotional stress, anxiety, “emotional stress” play a large role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, viscerospasms and dyskinesias, neurodermatoses, collagenoses, autonomic dysfunctions, and neuroses. Excessive release of adrenaline, norepinephrine, and adrenocorticotropic hormone into the blood during negative emotions causes arterial hypertension and can cause hypertensive paroxysms and crises. The phagocytic activity of leukocytes changes during neuroses, painful stimulation and anxiety (for example, among students during exams).

Cannon believed that autonomic reactions that occur during emotional stress are aimed at mobilizing the body's resources to get out of a difficult situation. The expression of emotion involves respiratory functions (increased and deepening of breathing), secretory functions (“lips are dry”, etc.), and the activity of the sphincters of the gastrointestinal tract (dyskinesia of the biliary tract and intestines). Emotional shocks can cause an increase in body temperature (disruption of thermoregulation carried out by the hypothalamus). Sometimes during an emotional reaction a person trembles, sometimes he feels like he’s “broken into fever.” We often manage to delay the external expression of emotions (facial expressions, speech, etc.), but it is difficult to influence vegetative, visceral and hormonal (adrenergic, etc.) manifestations. Emotions can be viewed in evolutionary terms as useful adaptive reactions.

The external expression of emotions is facial expressions, gestures, body posture, and motor skills. I.M. Sechenov believed that all the infinite variety of external manifestations of brain activity ultimately boils down to one phenomenon - muscle movement. “Whether a child laughs at the sight of a toy, whether Garibaldi smiles when he is persecuted for excessive love for his homeland, whether a girl trembles at the first thought of love, whether Newton creates world laws and writes them on paper - everywhere the final fact is muscle movement.” Facial expressions are very variable and the slightest changes in facial expressions can reveal changes in a person’s mood and emotional state. The primary integration of emotions is associated with subcortical formations and especially with the nucleus of the facial nerve, with the participation of which facial expressions are realized. Based on the connections of the cortex and subcortex with the facial nerve, various nuances of facial expressions are formed, through which a person displays a variety of emotional expressions. Facial expressions of the upper part of the face are mainly manifested in wrinkling the forehead, raising the eyebrows upward, and frowning. Darwin gave the frontalis muscle

nature of alertness in the event of danger. When you strain your attention, vertical folds appear in the middle of the forehead. Often, when someone is emotional, vertical folds of the forehead appear above the bridge of the nose. At rest, these folds are smoothed out. A change in the horizontal or vertical position of the eyebrows is observed during emotional expressions of grief, care, and suffering. The artist also has his own style, “handwriting”. An excellent expression of facial expressions of suffering is presented in Delacroix’s painting “The Massacre at Chios”, in the sculptural group “Laocoon”, which depicts suffering as a result of the fight with snakes.

Emotional expressions are manifested not only by facial expressions, but also by the state of the eyes. In Velazquez’s painting “Innocent X” (1650), the artist reflects an ominous gaze, expressing cunning, power, insight, and secrecy. The nature of the gaze, the position of the eyebrows, the size and uniformity of the eye slits, the direction of the gaze (to the side, up, straight), the shine or dullness of the eyes change with external expressions of emotions. The gaze can be keen, concentrated, cold, melancholy, sad, thoughtful, pleading, joyful, sly, envious, ingratiating, reproachful, stern, gentle, proud, affectionate, etc. In the novel “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoys are given a large number of shades of eye expression that clearly convey the different emotional attitudes of a person. The expression on the face of a blind man is frozen, motionless, his gaze is directed into the distance. Pupils can reflect various nuances of emotional experiences. In the eyes you can see an expression of fear, sadness, joy, grief, indifference (“the eyes are sleeping”). In many works of art one can find vivid expressions: “I read it in the eyes,” “an indignant, stern look and lips tightly closed,” “the expression in the eyes spoke.” M. Gorky described the eyes: offended, sad, angry, tired, wet. L. N. Tolstoy wrote in the novel “Anna Karenina”: “What was always striking about her was the expression of her eyes, meek, calm and truthful, and especially her smile, which always transported Levin to a magical world.” Chopin wrote in his diary that “her eyes were reflected in my eyes, warm, passionate...”. “Her caressing glances misled me” (J. Sand).

In the lower half of the face, facial expressions are most actively carried out in mouth movements. A tightly closed mouth, clenched teeth, and tightly compressed lips express certainty, determination, and purposefulness. Relaxation of the mouth as a result of a decrease in the tone of the corresponding muscles causes facial expressions indicating a decrease in human activity. L.N. Tolstoy described his facial expressions when excited: “His cheeks began to twitch nervously, first on one side, then on the other, giving his face an unpleasant expression. His eyes, too, were not the same as always: sometimes they looked insolently jokingly, sometimes they looked around in fear” (“War and Peace”), Balzac described the facial expression when alarmed: “An imperceptible wrinkle that cut through the white face, a barely perceptible twitching of the face, slightly frowning eyebrows, almost imperceptibly trembling lips.”

Sometimes the corner of the mouth plays a large part in facial reactions. Darwin assessed the drooping of the corner of the mouth as a vestige of crying. V. M. Bekhterev attached importance to the condition of the corners of the mouth for assessing tone: when depressed, melancholy, depressed, and when crying from pain, grief, joy, the corners of the mouth are lowered. Pay attention to the famous painting by A. G. Venetsianov “Fortune telling on cards” (1842). The fortuneteller looks intently at the cards, thinks, looks for a solution, and the other one waits with curiosity and impatience for the answer (Fig. 48).

In a state of joy and vigor, there is a certain composure, good tone of the facial muscles and alignment of the corners of the mouth. When laughing, the corners of the mouth are pulled back and upward. Ironic laughter is accompanied by a “curvature” of one corner of the mouth (the function of the triangular muscle of the lower lip). A change in the position of the mouth may indicate an external expression of emotions, accompanied by ridicule and sarcasm. The orbicularis oris muscle causes facial expressions accompanied by laughter. Laughter experienced internally is manifested by a closed mouth, a joyful expression in the eyes, sometimes combined with a slight trembling of the lower part of the face. The facial expression of laughter is diverse. There is a distinction between characteristic, pronounced, full-fledged laughter (laughter “from the heart”) and abortive, suppressed laughter, when a person does not want to laugh, but out of politeness maintains the joyful mood that the interlocutor has. A smile, like laughter, can be different. When smiling, the corners of the mouth stretch to the side. A smile can be triumphant when a person has won some kind of victory, gentle, kind at the sight of a child, angry at the sight of an enemy, etc. The study of the emotional manifestations noted by L. N. Tolstoy in the novel “War and Peace” made it possible to highlight about 100 shades of a person's smile.

A beautiful depiction of the emotions of joy and happiness is presented in the world famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci “Monna Lisa”. While drawing, Leonardo forced Monna Lisa to be entertained by singing and joking, so that there would be no trace of sadness on her face, and he managed to capture a gentle smile (Fig. 49). I. E. Repin gave an excellent depiction of various emotions in his paintings (Fig. 50, A). Such masterpieces include his famous painting “Cossacks writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan.” In the picture, the emotion of laughter on the faces of all the depicted Cossacks attracts attention. Laughter II. E. Repin expressed it differently: sometimes in the form of a sly smile, sometimes in the form of thunderous laughter. Laughter shows the Cossacks' confidence in their power, and this expresses patriotic feelings (Fig. 50, B).

Portraiture by famous artists contains many vivid images that reflect experiences and emotional expressions. Thus, in the portrait of an old man, Rembrandt depicted a forehead with deep wrinkles as a result of deep thoughts and worries, a thoughtful gaze directed forward, reflecting concentration and fatigue, and characteristic, tired hands. The general appearance shows wisdom and inner strength. V.I. Surikov painted a beautiful portrait of “a man with a sore arm who is withdrawn.

deepened into his experiences" (“he looks at the viewer, but does not communicate with him”). There is a shadow under the eyes, cheekbones protruding, cheeks sunken. V.I. Surikov suffered from heart disease and died 3 years after he painted this picture, which included his thoughts about the disease. The portrait of F. M. Dostoevsky, written by V. G. Perov, reveals the emotional experiences of the great Russian writer - a singer of the humiliated and insulted, who possessed enormous strength of mind and feelings. The facial expression is characteristic: frowned eyebrows, a forward, concentrated gaze, compressed lips, sunken cheeks, a bent body posture and an expressive hand gesture (fingers clasping the knees). This portrait shows suffering, painful experiences and intense work of thought. When emotions are expressed, it is expressed through pantomime, i.e., a combination of movement of the torso and face. Thus, with great grief, suffering is expressed through pantomime: the head and shoulders are lowered, the back is hunched, the arms hang limply along the body. On the contrary, a person in a joyful state has increased motor activity and is excited; the patient talks a lot, gesticulates vigorously, jumps up and sits down again, walks around the room, etc.

In the process of life experience, the ability to manage one’s feelings, restrain emotional reactions is developed, and a person learns to control oneself. Thus, it is possible to suppress the feeling of pleasure during a conversation and maintain a conversation without revealing one’s attitude. In order not to upset a loved one, sometimes they try to hide their feelings, and only by the expression of their eyes can one notice excitement, dissatisfaction or irritation. V.I. Lenin’s mother, M.A. Ulyanova, when she came on a visit to the children in prison, held herself evenly, without betraying her excitement, and looked at the children decisively and calmly. On a date with Anna Ilyinichna Ulyanova, she did not reveal her mother’s grief and did not talk about Alexander’s execution.

Gestures, along with facial expressions and changes in body posture, are used by actors to create believable expressions of a person’s experiences in the audience. Gestures, tempo, conversational techniques, and intonation played a big role in the history of French theater. Shakespeare's Hamlet said: “Do not wave your hands uselessly, measure your gestures with your words, your words with your gestures, so as not to violate the prudent moderation of nature.” K. S. Stanislavsky created a system that includes the actor’s internal and external work on himself and on the role, developing a technique for expressing emotional states that allows him to induce creative well-being and establish motor skills that correspond to the transfer of internal experiences. Stanislavsky described the portrait of conductor A. G. Rubinstein, created by Repin: “The fire of the gaze, the movements of the muscles of the face, arms, and torso, which caused violent outbursts and passionate playing of the orchestra.”

Gestures sometimes speak louder than words. It is common for people, and not only musicians, to conduct. “Take a pianist,” says I. P. Pavlov, all his mechanical training, all his movements are basedpans on an infinite number of temporary conditioned reflexes originating from the motor apparatus of the hands and fingers.”

Voice and tone are of great importance for expressing emotions. V. M. Bekhterev drew attention to this. Emotional expressions vary depending on the timbre, intonation, strength, and expressiveness of speech. The voice can be gentle and, conversely, stern and unfriendly. The same word changes its emotional meaning depending on the expressiveness with which it is pronounced. When there is uncertainty, a person’s voice sounds timid and hesitant. On the contrary, a person who is convinced of the rightness speaks loudly, clearly, and gently provides the necessary evidence. It was no coincidence that A. S. Makarenko wrote that he became a real master when he learned to say “come here” with 15-20 shades, developed nuances in the production of his face, figure, and voice. Bernard Shaw believed that there are 50 ways to say the word “yes” and 500 shades of the word “no”, and these words can only be written in one way.

Musical speech and changing timbre and rhythm can convey inner experience. Music plays a big role in creating emotional experiences. Thus, the opera combines vocal melodies, instrumental music, and choreographic art. The expressiveness of singing, the artistry of theatrical images, the beauty of the scenery create certain emotions. Rhythm, tempo, harmony, voice intonation, musical expression and melody - all of this has an emotionally expressive meaning. In the operas of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and others, the language of melodies evokes emotional experiences. The impressions from watching a movie, a concert, or a theater performance depend on the impact on our emotions of stimulation that affects the visual, auditory analyzers and special zones in the cerebral cortex that realize musical effects when the thalamo-subcortical centers are turned on, giving a kind of expressiveness to emotional manifestations. The artistic images on stage were created by F.I. Chaliapin, who had excellent command of his voice, rhythm, plasticity, breathing, and the ability to produce sound.

In art you can find excellent examples that reflect the role of emotions and their external manifestations. The outstanding Spanish painter Goya, the founder of realism, who opened the way for Daumier, Courbet, and Manet, expressed emotions through the artistic technique of “caprichos” (Fig. 51, A, B). I. Kramskoy was looking for expressiveness of emotions in the painting “Inconsolable Grief.” Many of the artist’s paintings excite and evoke emotional reactions. The literature contains many striking examples of descriptions of emotional states. Alphonse Daudet (author of Tartarin of Tarascon, Kings in Exile), who suffered from sharp pains, described the painful emotion this way: “Pain creeps into everything I see, into my imagination and into my reasoning. This is a person’s complete saturation with pain.” It is important for students and doctors to know examples of overcoming negative emotions. The writer N. Ostrovsky, having lost his sight and suffering from sharp pains in his limbs, wrote that<41 постепенно стал так устанавливать свою психику, чтобы не заме-

Rice. 51. Paintings

Goya.

A - “The sleep of reason gives birth
monsters";

B Yag "Dream about lies and inconsistency"
standing",

from the pain that was bothering him, and achieved that he could turn off the pain in any part of the body. Working on himself, he learned to switch consciousness and not pay attention to the “cries of the body.”

In painting, Leonardo da Vinci developed techniques that can be used to show facial expressions and body movements characteristic of various emotions. Gesture is of great importance in the drawings of Delacroix, Sokolov-Skal, Bryulov (Fig. 52, A, B, C, D), etc. Many major artists created examples of gesture that reflect emotions. A wide variety of gestures is presented in the wonderful works of Rodin, Botticelli and others (Fig. 53). K. S. Stanislavsky attached great importance to gesture, and this is captured in photographs of him in various roles (Fig. 54).

During emotional stress, nervous and endocrine regulation is disrupted, the state of the cardiovascular system, breathing, secretory and motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract, body temperature, etc. change. The role of emotional shocks and neuropsychic stress is found in the genesis of cerebral and coronary circulatory disorders. Long-term emotional stress plays a role in the development of some somatic diseases, for example, hypertension, angina pectoris, stomach ulcers, diabetes mellitus, neurodermatitis, etc.

In many diseases, facial expressions and eyes reflect the emotional state of the patient. Suffering and illness are vividly conveyed in the works of many writers. I. S. Turgenev in the story “Living Relics” talentedly described the expression of a patient with bronze disease: “The head is completely dry, one-color, bronze skin - like an icon of an ancient letter; the nose is narrow, like a knife blade; You can barely see your lips, only your teeth and eyes turn white, and from under your scarf, thin strands of yellow hair spill out onto your forehead. Near the chin, on the fold of the blanket, two tiny hands, also bronze in color, move, slowly fingering their fingers, like sticks...

Rice. 53. Expression of emotions in sculptures and paintings by famous artists.

a - “Thought” by Rodin; b - “The Thinker” by Rodin; c - “Romeo and Juliet” by Rodin;

g - “Abandoned” by Botticelli.

Rice. 54. Gestures and posture expressing various emotions.

a - K. S. Stanislavsky in the role of Gaev; b - Doctor Shtokman; c - Famusova;
g! - Argon; d, f - postures of the hands of K. S. Stanislavsky in connection with emotions.

only not ugly, even beautiful, but terrible, extraordinary. And this face seems all the more terrible to me because I can see from it, from its metallic cheeks, that it is growing... it is straining and cannot break into a smile. The voice seemed to evaporate from barely moving lips. A dark, motionless face with bright and deathly eyes fixed on me.”

L.N. Tolstoy in his novel “War and Peace” vividly described the illness of Prince Andrei: “He did not sleep for long and suddenly woke up anxiously in a cold sweat. When he woke up in a cold sweat and stirred on the sofa, Natasha came up to him and asked what was wrong with him. He did not answer her and, not understanding her, looked at her with a strange look.” The disturbance of cerebral circulation is described as follows by L.N. Tolstoy: “The sixth blow happened to Count Bezukhov. Suddenly a tremor appeared in the large muscles and wrinkles of the count’s face. The shaking intensified, the beautiful mouth became distorted, and an indistinct hoarse sound was heard from the distorted mouth. The patient's eyes and face showed impatience... While the count was being turned over, one of his arms fell helplessly back, and he made a vain effort to drag it. Did the count notice the look of horror with which Pierre looked at this lifeless hand, or what other thought flashed through his dying head at that moment, but he looked at the disobedient hand, at the expression of horror in Pierre’s face, again at the hand, and on the face a weak, suffering smile that did not suit his features appeared, expressing a kind of mockery of his own powerlessness. Suddenly, at the sight of this smile, Pierre felt a shudder in his chest, a pinch in his nose, and tears blurred his vision.” Natasha Rostova’s reactive state is described as follows: “The signs of Natasha’s illness were that she ate little, slept little, coughed and never perked up. She not only avoided all external conditions of joy: balls, skating, concerts, the theater; but she never laughed so hard that tears could not be heard from behind her laughter. She couldn't sing. As soon as she started laughing or tried to sing to herself alone, tears choked her.” In the novel “Anna Karenina,” Anna’s illness is described as follows: “She obediently lay down on her back and looked ahead with a shining gaze... All day there was fever, delirium and unconsciousness. By midnight the patient lay unconscious and almost without a pulse... By morning, excitement, liveliness, quickness of thought and speech began again, and again ended in unconsciousness.” The novel provides a figurative description of the physical suffering of Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Alexei Vronsky and other characters: “Thin and ruddy, with a special sparkle in her eyes as a result of the shame she had suffered, Kitty stood in the middle of the room... She flushed, and her eyes filled with tears.” L.N. Tolstoy wrote that “all happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” In this way he showed the variety of negative emotions. Thus, in patients with myocardial infarction, an expression of fear and anxiety can be found in the eyes. Paul Cezan, who suffered from diabetes, had red, inflamed eyes, a puffy face, a slightly bluish nose, and a special facial expression. Motor disorders

Rice. 55. Facial expressions of patients with various forms of diseases.

and shaking palsy; b - tumor of the frontal lobe; c - convulsion of gaze during steam-
cpnsonism; d - atherosclerotic parkinsonism; d - pseudobulbar palsy;
“* atherosclerotic facial hyperkinesis; g - herpetic meningitis; z-aneurysm
right internal carotid artery; and - atherosclerotic chorea.

occur with lesions of the frontal lobes (changes in facial movements, apraxia, psychomotor impairment). In Fig. 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 show changes in facial expressions in patients with various diseases of the nervous system.

Facial expressions are impaired in comatose patients. We have established that, despite the loss of consciousness, facial automatisms can be detected reflexively. Thus, when excessively painful stimulation is applied to a patient in a coma, emotional reactions arise, which usually also manifest themselves while consciousness is preserved: the pupil dilates, facial expressions of suffering appear, and sometimes a groan. When pressure is applied to the supraorbital point or when the lower jaw is pulled forward, a facial reaction occurs. When the nasal mucosa is irritated with a cotton swab slightly moistened with ammonia, sneezing and a facial reaction appear; when percussed along the zygomatic arch, movement of the facial muscles on the side of the irritation occurs. In severe coma, the patient’s face is pale, the gaze is indifferent, the eyelids are half-closed, the pupils are narrow,<: углублением комы черты лица заостряются, взгляд становится стеклянным», зрачки расширяются, появляются вегетативные реак-

Rice. 58. Faces of patients with myopathy.

a, b - Landouzy-Dejerine; V. Mr. Erba.

tions on the face (the face is often pale, cyanotic, often ash-gray). With brain injuries, facial reactions are lost, as with other comatose states. The dynamics of facial expression disorders depend on the depth of the coma, the degree of brain damage and the location of the lesion. With brain tumors, there is lethargy, stunnedness, in which an expression of drowsiness, apathy, and indifference appears on the face, but with tumors of the frontal lobe, patients are disinhibited, prone to jokes, euphoric, and uncritical of their condition.

Facial disorders are especially observed when the facial nerve is damaged. During facial movements, the face skews towards the healthy side. Skin folds, especially the frontal folds, smooth out or disappear on the affected half, the corner of the mouth drops

Rice. 59. Different phases of facial expression in a patient with pain
tic with trigeminal neuralgia.

It turns out that the cheek swells when exhaling as a result of muscle atony and when breathing, parousitis. The palpebral fissure on the side of the lesion of the facial nerve is wider (paresis of the orbicularis oculi muscle), blinking becomes sharp. When you close your eyes on the affected side, the palpebral fissure does not close; due to damage to the orbicularis oculi muscle (hare's eye), a white stripe of sclera remains (Bell's sign). When looking up, a wider strip of sclera forms between the lower eyelid and the cornea (Negros sign). When you try to close your eyes tightly from a position with drooping eyelids (with paresis), the healthy eye closes, and on the sore side the upper eyelid rapidly rises up (Dupuy-Dutand's symptom). Sometimes there is a paradoxical lifting of the eyelid on the affected side when looking down and when you want to close the eye tightly (Dupuy-Dutan-Sestan symptom). Active facial movements on the affected side are significantly weakened. A mask-like appearance of half the face appears, and when smiling and laughing, the asymmetry of the face becomes even more pronounced.

The patient's facial expressions change in a unique way during facial hemispasm. Cramps appear in the group of facial muscles and gradually spread to the entire half of the face. More often, the spasm begins with the circular muscles of the eye, then spreads to other facial muscles: the eye closes, the nasolabial fold deepens, the corner of the mouth retracts, the tip of the nose bends in the same direction, the muscles of the chin and neck contract, sometimes during the spasm the auricle is pulled upward . The eyebrow on the corresponding side, under the influence of contraction of the frontal muscle, rises upward, which, in combination with the closed eye, gives the impression of a grimace.

With facial paraspasm, the orbicularis oris muscle, frontal muscles, cheek muscles, and chin contract convulsively and, as a result, the patient’s facial expressions change dramatically. In some cases, the head leans back, and the sternocleidomastial muscles tense. Emotional manifestations (laughter, crying, singing) can stop, and sometimes, on the contrary, provoke a spasm of facial muscles. When the pallido-nigral system is damaged, an akinetic-rigid syndrome is observed, in which hypokinesia or akinesia is combined with amymia. In hyperkinetic-hypotonic syndrome, as a result of damage to the striatum, various hyperkinesis occur, involving the facial muscles and dramatically changing the patient’s facial expressions. There may be parakinesia and dyskinesia. Grimacing, tics, and twitching are noted in the facial muscles. During hyperkinesis, complex expressive movements are distorted, in which subtle differentiated manifestations of facial expressions are primarily affected.

External expressions of emotional reactions in parkinsonism are as follows: the face is amicable, mask-like, the mouth is often half-open, sometimes saliva flows from the mouth; speech is poorly modulated, monotonous, slow, without emotional coloring. Emotional reactions become frozen, for example, the facial expressions of crying take on a tonic character, last much longer than usual, and at times convulsive movement of the eyeballs occurs. The patient's posture takes on a characteristic shape: the head and torso are bent, the arms are brought to the body. In Parkinson's disease, attention is drawn to the mask-like appearance of the face, the lack of expression of joy, sadness, amazement and other emotional manifestations. Facial movements, having arisen, tend to freeze, and rare blinking is observed (the eyelids close completely). There is no gesticulation, speech is slurred, quiet, monotonous without modulation. With Huntington's chorea, the emotional sphere is disrupted, mood changes, emotional mobility is lost, and emotional dullness develops; Against this background, impetuosity and restlessness arise. Increased excitability, decreased inhibitory processes, and a tendency to affective outbursts are noted. Facial expression reflects the emotional state of the patient. Facial expressions change due to pronounced hyperkinesis of the face, causing grimacing, twitching of the nose, snoring, sobbing, and stretching of the lips. Articulation is impaired, speech is intermittent, the voice is muffled.

In myopathies, impaired facial expression manifests itself in the form of a characteristic sign (the face of a myopath): absence of wrinkles, poor closure of the eyelids, weakness of the orbicularis oris muscle, protrusion of the lips. Due to muscle weakness, whistling, puffing out cheeks, and closing lips are impossible. Speech becomes unclear, slurred, and patients have difficulty pronouncing labial sounds. Skin folds on the face are smoothed out, and patients look younger than their age. With chronic progressive ophthalmoplegia, the face takes on a special appearance due to ptosis of both eyelids. Usually the upper eyelids are lowered, sometimes to the level of the pupils, the eyebrows are raised upward, and transverse folds appear on the forehead due to muscle contraction. The facial expression changes and resembles the face of a person falling asleep. With severe ophthalmoplegia, there is no movement of the eyeballs, the eyelids are drooping and the patient can follow the movement of objects by turning his head to the side and up. The facial expression changes, the face becomes frowning, sometimes runs

a smile in which, as with crying, the mouth stretches wide and small wrinkles form around the eyes. There is a lack of concentration and indifference due to decreased

‘ aLEmotions influence the course of diseases. The life expectancy of cancer patients is longer among those who do not know about their illness and are calmer about their illness, and shorter among patients who know about the illness and are worried, having a hard time experiencing their suffering. These data allowed Kloper to determine the prognosis of life expectancy in cancer patients.

The so-called iatrogenic diseases are associated with the emotional sphere (from the Greek words “iatros” - doctor, “gennas” - I produce). Patients may experience fear and pain in the heart after an unsuccessfully spoken word from a doctor. Some patients with neurogenic diseases, having accidentally read the medical documentation, begin to create a false impression of illness, become emotionally distressed and develop neurosis. Therefore, it is always necessary to prevent the possibility of iatrogenicity.

The words of the doctor are of great importance, and a large section of psychotherapeutic influence is built on this. Modern achievements of science make it possible to wage a decisive fight against the “irrational” in pathology, to reveal cause-and-effect relationships in the etiology of diseases and to explain the patterns of occurrence of the development of diseases, taking into account disorders of the emotional sphere. l.to-it is the task of developing the neurophysiological and biochemical aspects of emotions in order to train the nervous functions to overcome the negative effects of emotional reactions on the body and develop ways to prevent neurogenic diseases.

Nothing is more capable of revealing a person’s intentions than his body movements. After all, each of our thoughts is accompanied by a certain set of muscle contractions. Knowing this feature, many try to imitate their facial expressions and gestures. However, a person who knows body language immediately recognizes the true thoughts of his interlocutor. If you also want to have such knowledge, let’s take a closer look at what human facial expressions and gestures mean.

Gestures, facial expressions and postures

The main question that torments most modern people concerns how sincerely this or that interlocutor behaves with us. This can be determined, for example, by the degree of symmetry of the face. The more different the right and left sides of it are, the stronger the lies that are told to you. But not only facial expressions, but also gestures and various poses are responsible for a person’s intentions. Let's consider the most common manifestations of certain emotions and thoughts:

1. Facial expressions:

surprise - the eyes are widened, raised eyebrows form a small wrinkle on the forehead, the mouth is slightly open and rounded;
joy - the lips are pursed into a barely noticeable smile, and small wrinkles are visible around the eyes;
anger - the forehead muscles are pulled down, the facial expression is frowned, the lips are tightly compressed, the nostrils are slightly dilated, and the face itself may be red;
interest - the eyelids are slightly narrowed or widened, and the eyebrows can be raised or lowered;
disgust - outwardly it seems that a person is choking on something or wants to spit. The nose is wrinkled, the eyebrows are lowered, and the lower lip is slightly protruded.

2. Eye microexpressions:

any change in the expression of the eyes and their movement is a reaction to what was said;
frequent blinking - lying or excitement;
dilation of the pupils – enjoyment of information, interest in communication. Can also be a manifestation of suffering;
a stopped, “glassy” look is a huge weakness;
feeling that the eyes are shining - excitement or fever;
“shifty eyes” - shame, anxiety, deception or fear.

3. Gestures and their meaning(it is worth remembering that the direction of a person’s thoughts can only be determined by involuntary gestures):

open palms - a gesture of frankness;
light scratching of the nose or touching it - lies, uncertainty or suspicion of lies in what is being said;
fussy movements of the hands (touching objects, fiddling with something in the hands) – nervousness, wariness or embarrassment;
scratching or touching various parts of the head (back of the head, forehead, crown, cheeks) – uncertainty, embarrassment;
clenching fists - aggression or internal excitement;
shaking lint from clothes is disapproval;
scratching or rubbing the eyelid - a feeling of suspicion on the part of the interlocutor or a lie;
rubbing the chin - the moment of decision making;
tilting your head to the side is a sign of interest in what is being said.

4. If facial expressions and gestures in communication are not eloquent enough for you, pay attention to interlocutor's posture:

resting your hands on a chair or table - protection from conversation or a feeling of incomplete contact with your interlocutor;
hands behind your back and head raised high - a feeling of superiority over others;
open (not crossed) limbs, an undone button on the collar and a slightly untied tie are a sign of trust and acceptance of the interlocutor;
crossed limbs (the so-called closed pose) – skepticism or protection from the interlocutor;
grasping a glass or mug with both hands is a sign of veiled nervousness;
clasped fingers - an attempt to hide disappointment in the interlocutor or a negative attitude;
Frequently changing positions or fidgeting – tension and internal restlessness.

These are not all the manifestations of body movements that can be noticed during the thought process of our interlocutor. Of greatest interest to many is sign language in relations between men and women. Let's take a look at some examples.

Facial expressions and gestures of lovers

Many women have always been interested in the psychology of facial expressions and gestures of men. Although the stronger sex, in turn, is also interested in how to understand that a woman is showing interest or sympathy. Let's figure out who's into what.

1. Facial expressions and gestures of men. Many women wonder how to understand that he is interested in communication and shows sympathy? Let's start with the fact that although men know how to hide their emotions, their external manifestations still betray their intentions. Let's consider what the gestures and facial expressions of a man in love are:

an appraising glance running over the entire body - a man only needs a minute to understand whether he likes a woman;
if during a conversation a man’s mouth is slightly open and his lips tremble a little, he experiences a feeling of sympathy;
pose with tense muscles - demonstrating your body and wanting to be liked;
fiddling with buttons on his trousers or jacket - he is nervous in the presence of his interlocutor;
if a man, in the presence of a lady, sucks in his stomach and stands tall, he involuntarily tries to look better in her eyes;
if a man offers his jacket or coat, this is evidence of the woman’s recognition as his chosen one;
a man’s hand on a woman’s shoulder or waist – the desire to be closer and the fear of losing sight of the lady.

Sexual body language and facial expressions of men:

legs wide apart;
thumb tucked into belt;
the hand frequently rubs or touches the chin or throat;
Also, sexual interest on the part of a man can be indicated by playing with objects of a round shape, reminiscent of female roundness.

2. no less interesting to watch, even though the weaker sex knows how to hide their intentions:

The most common gesture of women is playing with their hair, and in particular, pushing it out of their face. Good expression of interest and desire to attract attention;
The woman's interest can be seen in her wrists. If she keeps them in sight and shows the smoothness of her skin, then she considers the man as a sexual partner;
stroking any object in the shape of a cylinder makes it clear that the woman is clearly hinting at closer communication with the man;
If a woman is interested in a man, she will involuntarily place her legs a little wider than usual. It is important to pay attention to the shoes. Their socks will point in the direction of the interlocutor who interests her.
The play of a woman with a shoe is also of great importance. Baring your legs is a clear hint of intimacy or flirting.

You can understand a lot by a person’s posture, gestures and facial expressions. The main thing is to learn to recognize how easy certain body movements are for a person. In the future, such knowledge will help you understand what kind of person is in front of you, and what thoughts and associations you evoke in him.

, ,

In nature, no two people are the same. We are all different. We see, hear and think differently. And we also have different times. Therefore, there is no standard set of lying gestures indicating that we are telling a lie. But if he had, we would have found a way to deceive him. Deception is noticeable when it evokes emotions (excitement, fear or shame). These emotions are conveyed. But confirmation of a lie must be sought in the totality of facial expressions, gestures and speech.

THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE ON THE LEFT

Lying requires self-control and tension. Tension can be obvious or hidden, but it is easy to notice by looking closely at the left side of the body. It is less controlled than the right one. This is because the left and right sides of the body are controlled by different hemispheres of our brain.

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech and mental activity, the right hemisphere is responsible for imagination. Since control connections intersect, the work of the left hemisphere is reflected on the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere is reflected on the left.

What we want to show to others is reflected on the right side of our body, and what we actually feel is reflected on the left.

For example, if a person is right-handed and gestures a lot with his left hand, this may mean that he is lying, especially if his right hand is used less. Any inconsistency between body parts indicates insincerity.

“The brain is so busy making up lies that the body loses synchrony” (c) Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The face, like the body, conveys two messages at once - what we want to show and what we would like to hide. Disharmony in facial expressions indicates a contradiction. Symmetry always speaks of purity of intentions.

For example, if a person smiles, and the left corner of his mouth is raised less than the right, then, obviously, what he hears does not make him happy - he is feigning joy. It is also interesting that positive emotions are reflected evenly on the face, while negative ones are more noticeable on the left side.

DECEPTION IS STRESSING

Changes in complexion (pallor, redness, spots) and twitching of small muscles (eyelid, eyebrow) indicate what a person is experiencing and help to identify deception.

Tension, which manifests itself in frequent blinking, squinting or rubbing your eyelids, is an unconscious desire to close your eyes to what is happening. With rubbing gestures, our brain tries to block a lie, doubt or unpleasant sensation.

How comfortable or uncomfortable the interlocutor is can be judged by his pupils: their narrowing indicates dissatisfaction, dilation indicates pleasure. And by his eye movements it is easy to understand whether he is going to tell the truth or lie.

If a person averts his eyes, this does not mean that he is insincere. Often the one who looks intently into the eyes, trying only to appear open, is not completely honest.

LIES AT THE TIP OF THE NOSE

Unexpectedly, the deceiver’s own nose can give him away. By telling a lie, he unconsciously begins to move the tip of his nose and move it to the side. And people who doubt the honesty of their interlocutor may involuntarily flare their nostrils, as if saying: “I smell something fishy here.”

The nose is generally extremely sensitive to deception: it itches and even enlarges (“Pinocchio effect”). Scientists have found that deliberate lying increases blood pressure and stimulates the body's production of catecholamine, which affects the nasal mucosa.

High blood pressure affects the nerve endings in the nose, causing it to itch. Gestures that somehow involve “rubbing,” such as someone rubbing their eyes, touching their nose, and scratching their neck, indicate insincerity.

AND THE HANDS – HERE THEY ARE

When the interlocutor puts his hands in his pockets and closes his palms, these are gestures of lies or insincerity: he is hiding something or not saying anything. Remember children: they hide their hands in their pockets or behind their backs if they have done something wrong.

Hidden palms can be compared to a closed mouth. Experienced salespeople always look at the client’s palms when they talk about refusing a purchase. True objections are made with open palms.

And with a hand covering his mouth, a person restrains himself so as not to say anything unnecessary. Afraid of spilling the beans, he unconsciously tenses or bites them. Watch your interlocutor's facial expressions: a pursed lower lip indicates a contradiction: the person is not sure of what he is saying.

“People lie freely with their mouths, but the faces they make at the same time still tell the truth.” (c) Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The way he sits can also tell a story about your interlocutor. If he chooses an unnatural position and cannot sit down, this indicates that he is uncomfortable with the situation or the topic raised.

Liars often bend over, cross their legs and arms, and seek outside support, leaning on some object (table, chair, briefcase). Truthful people rarely change their body position and stand straight when answering questions.

THERE IS NO HONESTY IN “HONESTLY”

Our speech is no less eloquent than the language of gestures and facial expressions. If you receive an evasive answer to a direct question, accompanied by the expression “to be honest,” then listen to the speech of your interlocutor. It is worth doubting his sincerity when repeating phrases like:

1. You just have to trust me...
2. Trust me, I'm telling the truth...
3. You know me, I am not capable of deceiving...
4. I am absolutely frank with you...

“You said it once - I believed it, you repeated it and I doubted it, you said it a third time and I realized that you were lying,” said the eastern sages.

“There are more pauses in a false story than in a truthful one,” concluded Professor Robin Lickley. An overly detailed story is also unlikely to be true - unnecessary details only create plausibility.

A change in the rhythm and timbre of the voice can also give away deception. “Some people are always slow with the next sentence. If they start chattering, it’s a sign of lying,” says Paul Ekman.

When we tell the truth, we use gestures to reinforce what is said, and the gestures match the tempo of the speech. Gestures that do not fall in time with speech indicate a contradiction between what we think and say, i.e. to lies.

IF YOU THINK THAT YOUR PARTNER IS LYING:

1. Adapt to him: copy his posture and gestures. By mirroring, you will establish trust and make it more difficult for the deceiver to lie.
2. Don’t bring him to light and don’t blame him. Pretend you didn’t hear and ask again. Give the other person a chance to tell the truth.
3. Ask more direct questions. Actively use facial expressions and gestures, causing him to respond.

Cornell University communications professor Jeffrey Hancock studied 30 college students for a week and found that the telephone was the most common weapon used to cheat.

People lie on the phone 37% of the time. This is followed by personal conversations (27%), online messengers (21%) and emails (14%). We feel more responsible for what we write than for what we say.

Outgoing people lie more often than introverted people, and they feel more comfortable lying and persist longer in their lies.

Psychologist Bella DePaulo came to the following conclusions:

Men and women lie equally often, but women usually do this to make the interlocutor feel more comfortable, and men - to present themselves in a more favorable light.

Men and women behave differently when they lie. Telling lies makes women feel less comfortable than men.

Scientists have found that a person begins to lie after his thinking reaches a certain level of development, approximately this occurs at the age of 3-4 years.