I was recently reading a man's face who was sitting with me at the breakfast table during a conference for the Hospital Association of Southern California. I told him that I could tell from his small irises that he was extremely sensitive, "In fact you have probably been sensitive your entire life, and as an adult you may be almost allergic to anyone who raises their voice or yells at you." He was shocked that I could pick that out so quickly and he asked, "How could you tell that from my eyes?"

I explained, that from the experience of reading thousands of faces, I found there was a very strong correlation between small irises and innate sensitivity. However, I could offer no scientific proof as to why. My best guess is that small irises are the self-protective result of an extremely sensitive child who was trying to keep out some of the world's sensory input in order to avoid feelings of overwhelm.

My reason for that theory is that most people with very small irises also have almost permanently flat bottom eyelids. Our bottom eyelids go straight or flat when we are putting up a defensive shield or wall and have become internally wary, suspicious, guarded, judgmental, or we are scrutinizing the other person. For someone whose lids are almost always flat, it is like they have erected a barrier that divides the world into "us", the people who can be trusted, and "them", which includes everyone else. I went on to add that once they have accepted someone into the "us" category, the person with the perpetual flat bottom eyelids is also one of the most loyal and faithful friends, supporters, or spouses that anyone could ask for.

My breakfast companion said, "Wow, my whole life people have told me that I have beady eyes and that is why they didn't trust me, until they got to know me." I said it is not your irises that are really causing the response, it is your flat bottom eyelids. Even for people who are not face readers, flat bottom eyelids telegraph mistrust, wariness and possible judgment. The unconscious reaction may often be, "Well, if he doesn't trust me, then maybe I shouldn't trust him." To avoid that response, try remaining present and refrain from judging the other person while you are talking to them. He said, "Thank you, you nailed me. I can use that."

While reading a young lady's face at the same conference, I noted that the most outstanding feature I saw on her face was the way her forehead and nose joined in an almost straight line. In Amazing Face Reading we would call this feature a "high wide ridge". It is the nose most often seen on the ancient Greek or Roman generals and is sometimes referred to as a "Roman" nose. I explained that these are people possessed with such a powerful self-will that they somehow make whatever they go after happen.

She smiled and said, "When I was in high school, I told my best friend that I was going to go to a prestigious college of my choice and then on to medical school, marry a doctor, have three kids then move to California to live in a nice house by the water." She continued,  "My
friend at the time didn't believe me, but I have made every one of those things come true."

It is not surprising that this is the same nose that we most often see on professional NFL quarterbacks. Once they set their minds on reaching the goal line, they are very difficult to stop. Not surprisingly, a large percentage of the doctors at the conference also had this feature. For them, it may have taken an iron will to persist and make it through medical school and beyond.

Learning to read faces is a lot like learning an exciting new language and it is a skill within everyone's grasp. We deeply appreciate the people who have made our Certification Workshops, taken our classes or attended a presentation. We also welcome feedback from all these Amazing Face Readers by letting us know that they are using this tool to better connect with every person they meet. In this space, I want to share a couple of testimonies from former students to demonstrate the impact of learning to read faces. 

Feedback from Toni: "I can't tell you both how much face reading has affected my professional and personal life. As you know, I work in prisons throughout a third of the state. I was practicing face reading on an inmate one day, and after I finished, he asked me "Miss, that was really cool, but I just have one question. When am I getting released?". I told him I wasn't psychic, but he insisted that if I knew that much about him and his past, I surely would know the future as well. I get all kinds of comments, requests, and stories."

Feedback from Brian: "It's absolutely fascinating to be able to have an instant understanding of people the minute you meet them. In my personal life it's fun to interact with everyone I meet from wait staff to new social acquaintances. In business, it's of tremendous value because I now know how to present to clients as soon as we sit down. Since learning this new skill, what I've really noticed is how people open up once they've had their face read or as Mac and Ann like to say people drop their defensive shield/barrier".

I often comment that learning Amazing Face Reading is like learning a universal language, since the same feature means the same thing anywhere in the world. The features are the vocabulary and each one has a meaning. Begin by learning the features on your own face and what each one means. You will then have at least 10 features in your vocabulary. There is a good chance each person you meet will share a common feature with you and you will know that you have that quality in common. With practice, the language comes alive and it opens a new world of of better understanding and connection with every person you meet.