Most of us have probably met people who very easily show how they are feeling, and others whose face can be a mask and harder to interpret. Scientists have identified some telltale signs to help understand how others are feeling.

Understanding Emotions

Most social scientists agree that there are seven basic emotional expressions common across cultures. It’s important to note that our facial expressions can convey multiple emotions simultaneously; for instance, a person might smile while their eyes reflect sadness.

According to Dr. Paul Ekman, a prominent psychologist, we can teach individuals to recognize these emotions, including subtle or hidden ones, by carefully observing facial cues. Below are the seven emotions and their distinctive signs:

Sadness

Sadness is marked by specific indicators: the eyebrows are drawn upwards in the center and curve downwards at the ends, often accompanied by a slight vertical furrow between the eyes. This combination is sometimes referred to as Darwin’s grief muscle. The mouth typically turns downward, with the corners pointing down as well.

Anger

When experiencing anger, individuals often press their lips together tightly, causing the upper lip to nearly disappear. The eyes may widen, while the lower eyelids contract. The inner corners of the eyebrows pull downwards, creating a furrowed brow due to the tension.

Fear

A fearful person’s eyebrows are raised and drawn together, resulting in wrinkles across the forehead. Similar to anger, those who are frightened may open their upper eyelids wider, revealing more of the whites of their eyes. The corners of the mouth may pull back into a horizontal line stretching toward the ears.

Happiness

Happiness is usually characterized by raised cheeks and a smile that reaches the eyes. This genuine smile, known as a Duchenne smile, is marked by the tightening of the muscles around the eyes, leading to smile lines. In contrast, a forced smile lacks these distinctive features.

Surprise

Surprise is indicated by raised upper eyelids that reveal more of the whites of the eyes, often accompanied by an open mouth or jaw as part of the reaction.

Contempt

Contempt is often expressed through eye-rolling, along with an asymmetrical pull of the left corner of the lip, creating a dimple.

Disgust

Individuals experiencing disgust may wrinkle their noses as if reacting to an unpleasant smell and form wrinkles at the top of the nose between the eyes. The upper lip is often raised during this expression.