If you gain a person’s trust they are likely to want to spend more time with you.
Having the ability to read how a person is feeling will allow you to adjust the way you communicate and give a strong impression of your empathetic nature.
You will be more credible, earn trust, and gain an enormous advantage.
So, let’s begin to sharpen this skill.

The face has a language all of its own.
This is a language that operates in the blink of an eye.
You send and receive facial signals at lightning speed.
The face can tell you what emotion a person is feeling though not what has caused the emotion.
If you want to enjoy the benefits of making a dazzling impression and first impression, learn to read what people are saying without them uttering a single word.

Perhaps the most reliable feature, though least purposely used aspect of non-verbal communication, is the facial expressions we are hard-wired to generate to expose how we feel.

The difficulty in reading these signals can lie in the speed at which these expressions take form.
They literally flash across the face in micro seconds.
But they are there, they’re almost always there.

It is so easy to miss many of these signals not just because of their spectacular speed, but because this innate ability is generally neglected.
We simply fail to pay attention.
We are too busy in our own heads.
Even though we are all hard-wired to read many signals, we mostly ignore how to detect the less overt emotional expressions.

Now, it’s said that we have instant access to seven universal emotions from birth and these emotions are all registered on the face.
We have anger, fear, sadness, surprise, disgust, contempt, and happiness.
By reconnecting with facial expressions you will begin to read these signals more accurately and gain a big advantage.

The first step is to revisit these seven emotions.
So, how do we detect whether these seven emotions are present?

Incidentally, anger, fear and sadness are powerful negative emotions.
During our upbringing, if one of these emotions is experienced and if it is a significant emotional experience, a person can be left with a mental and emotional scar.
Dealing with such an emotion at a tender age is beyond our experience.
If left unchecked, this can cause huge problems going forward.
Back to the 7 emotions.
Let’s take a look at them.

Anger
It’s said anger is the easiest and fastest emotion to pick out.
Here are the most prominent features of anger:
Eyebrows drawn together and lowered
Brows are furrowed
Brows get lower
Upper eyelid lowers
Gaze becomes intense
Lower eyelid tenses
Nostril flares
Open square mouth
Lips tightly pressed together

Fear
Fear is registered when you feel anxiety or agitation caused by the presence of imminent danger.
Fear often follows surprise.
Eyebrows are raised
Eyebrows are drawn together
Eyes are opened wide
Upper eyelid rises up
Whites of the eyes are clearly seen
Lower eyelids are tensed
Lips are stretched back, parted and tense

Sadness
This emotion does not give up easily.
When in this state it can take a huge effort to pull out of it.
Forehead is wrinkled with grief
Raised inner eyebrows
Horizontal lines across the forehead
Eyelids droop
Corners of the mouth turned down
Raised lower eyelids

Surprise

This is a super quick emotion.
It flickers across the face really quickly.
It’s the result of something unanticipated.
If the surprise is positive you will probably smile.
If unpleasant you are likely to feel fear.

Here are the features of surprise:
Eyebrows curve and rise up
Eyes wide open
Lower jaw drops
Whites of the eyes are clearly visible
Upper eyelids go up
Wrinkles appear across forehead
Mouth opens and lips part

Disgust and Contempt
Disgust and contempt have very similar facial expressions.
The difference is that contempt does not contain a physical revulsion.
If you see a person experiencing disgust, your mirror neurons will quickly match it.
Feel it or see it, the end result is the same.

Here are the clearer features:
Forehead is relaxed
Eyebrows are lowered
The upper part of the nose is wrinkled
One lip often raised in a sneer
Eyes are squeezed almost shut
The upper lip is raised
Tight mouth with slightly raised corners

Joy and Happiness
What could be nicer than a genuinely happy face?
Smile as you take a look!

Relaxed forehead
Smiling face
Dimples
Outer ends of eyes slightly pulled down
Eyes crinkled at the corners – Crow’s feet
Raised cheeks
Corners of mouth turned up
Lips slightly parted
Top teeth are displayed

It is more possible to hide your feelings using your face than your body.

Many people prefer to control their emotions and use their face to do this.

People will force a smile often through gritted teeth.

Parents will hide grief and sadness from their children.

People suffering from sadness or a related illness often put out a brave face.

Because it is relatively ease to disguise your feelings using the face it is necessary to use other signals to gain a clearer picture of how a person actually feels.