As already mentioned, Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers points out that it takes 10,000 hours of repetition to achieve true mastery of anything we do. Daniel Eagleman, a neuro-scientist who wrote the book, Incognito explains that our conscious mind, while powerful and intense, is far too slow to be useful for complex tasks. Therefore, to free up our conscious awareness, we reduce repetitive tasks to an auto-pilot or what he calls "zombie" programs, which operate without effort and at lightning speed provided there is no disruption in the pattern recognition. For example, as kids most of us created a "zombie" program for riding our bike. Our mastery level may have included riding with no hands. However, if we hit a bump, our hands immediately grabbed for the handlebars as our conscious mind automatically took over.

Recently it occurred to me that while we are all face readers, most of the face reading we do is a "zombie" program for recognition. We constantly exercise that part of our brain devoted to recognition. When we see someone, we either instantly recognize them or don't have any idea who they are. We all have this "auto" response for recognition. However, this "zombie" program does not do much for our understanding or connection with the other person.Our challenge is to suspend our facial recognition "zombie" program in favor of a much more rewarding experience. Face reading not only makes us present, it  also makes us more conscious of the person with whom we are relating.

This realization struck me when I was reading a man's face last week. He was amazed when I read his face and then said, "I wish my wife was here. I would like to know about her face and why she is so controlling." I asked if he had her picture and he did not. Then, I asked him if he could describe her eyebrows which would have told me about her control issues.

From the expression on his face, I could tell that he didn't have a clue as to what his wife's eyebrows looked like and he had been married to her for 38 years! Obviously, he had reduced her face to a "zombie" program of recognition. In his defense, dissembling a face is not our usual way of experiencing someone we encounter. However, having this ability and using it, creates a deeper connection and understanding of every person we meet.

Perhaps this Newsletter has given you a deeper understanding of Meryl and Charlie. Perhaps you will read other Olympic faces. As time passes, many of their faces will fade from our memory unless they appear on Wheaties' boxes or in TV commercials. For fun, when you see a face try to find at least one feature and discover what it means. If you live with someone, try to find the meaning of one of their features and then ask them if it sounds like them. Even looking at ourselves in a mirror can get reduced to a zombie program. After all, we have had to live with our own face for more than 10,000 hours! Taking the time to really look and understand every feature on our own face can be an amazing and rewarding experience as we rediscover ourselves by finding a feature that we have overlooked and embracing it.

 

During last month perhaps you caught some Olympic Spirit. With the constant flow of information through every type of media, it was almost impossible to ignore the news of winners and losers. Athletes, many perhaps we never heard of, had their life stories broadcast around the world into millions of homes. Many of their stories are intriguing, but still, few of us can truly understand the enormous amount of dedication to one's sport that goes into an opportunity to compete at this world class level. According to the author, Malcolm Gladwell in his best seller, Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of repetition to achieve a true mastery of anything we do. For these competitors, after thousands of hours, it then comes down to mere fractions of time or distance that decides the winners and losers.

For this Newsletter, I have selected the two gold medal ice dancers' faces, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, for a brief face reading quiz for you to practice your Amazing Face Reading capability. If you saw Davis and White skate, you may have been amazed by their grace and incredible athletic ability while they seemed to move effortlessly across the ice. What you witnessed was the result of their seventeen years of practice to master their skill and turn it into gold. This face reading exercise helps you look deeper into their personalities by reading their faces. First I will present a few of the qualities that I see in each face and see if you can guess which feature suggests that they have that trait. If you play along, then you can score your answers as I included a section for you to check the feature you chose.  

Here are a few of Meryl's qualities. What facial features do you think correspond to them? 

1. Quality and status are very important to Meryl. Her choices in life involve having, owning, and being the best. She is not a person who would be content with a silver medal and she will do whatever it takes to get the gold.

2. Meryl is selective and cannot be rushed into making a quick decision. While another feature indicates that she takes information in quickly, this feature indicates that she still needs some time for processing to see how it feels. As a result of the combination of these two features, she may sometimes feel sensory overload and she should avoid letting herself be stampeded into decisions. What are the two features?

3. This feature gives Meryl a natural charisma and it also indicates that she would be very loyal and committed in relationships. People may often tell her more things than she really wants to know because this feature also inspires trust and draws others out.

4. Meryl has always been extremely sensitive and maybe even a little shy. To protect herself she may divide the world into "us" the people she trusts and "them "which includes everyone else. While not immediately trusting when she accepts the other person, Meryl is loyal and devoted to a fault. (Their story brought this fact out. As a child, when Meryl and Charlie were first paired, she was extremely nervous. Her shyness prevented her from looking him in the eye.)

5. Once Meryl makes up her mind to do something or not do it, it takes dynamite to get her to change it. This feature marks a high degree of determination and will. This feature alone may be at the core of why she could spend thousands of hours at the ice rink.

6. Meryl is very self-reliant and self-sufficient. Her tendency is to take on a task and do it herself rather than look around for someone to help her. In fact, when someone offers to help, she is much more likely to resist the offer by declaring, "I'm okay, I've got it,"rather than accepting the offer.

Feature Answers

1. When Meryl's face is divided in 3 parts, she has a Large middle area as found in the Facial Dominance section of my book on page 74. As stated above, quality status and prestige are important to these people.

2. High ears/high eyebrows. (Ear/Eyebrow Combinations page 41). High ears take in information quickly but high eyebrows want some time to consider the information. People with this combination may experience sensory overload. They need time to put the information on their mental framework to see how they really think and feel about it. They hate bring rushed for a response.

3. Abundant lids (Eyelids, Top Lids page 23).This feature marks a capacity for connection and intimacy. They definitely send the message to other people, "Tell me all your problems." Loyalty and commitment in relationship is their strong suit.

4. Straight bottom eyelids (page 24) Meryl's straight bottom lids (especially the one on her left or personal side) show that she may be shy. She protects her sensitivity by maintaining a wary or guarded position with others. This feature indicates that she does not extend trust quickly or easily but once she accepts the other person she can be loyal to a fault.

5. Self-will pad (marked as a wide space between the eyebrows, (Forehead page 12). This feature shows that Meryl has innate self-will. Some people have this same quality that shows up as a pad in that area. In either case, the people with this feature have a tremendous will and they get what they are going after. For Meryl, it was a gold medal at the Olympics and she was never going to give up until she attained it.

6. Thin nose (Nose Width page 30) Meryl's thin nose as measured at the base suggests she is very self-reliant and self-sufficient. She is not expecting anyone to help her out in any way. In fact, when someone offers help or assistance, her tendency is to turn them down and just take care of it herself.

 Here are a few of Charlie's qualities. Can you name the corresponding feature?

1. Charlie may look relaxed and laid back but he is not. His mind is moving constantly and he is not missing a thing that is going on around him. If he nods his head when someone is talking to him, it's a listening gesture and not necessarily a sign of agreement. He is just saying non-verbally, "I got that. Tell me more."

2. Charlie has two features that together say that he is generous to a fault and that he is a provider who puts an umbrella of support over those with whom he bonds and connects. The second feature shows that he comes from a personal space of abundance that allows him to be comfortable sharing what he has with others. Parents who have these features are inclined to provide life-long caring and support for their offspring. What are the two features that show these traits?

3. This feature shows that Charlie's energy flow is abundant and consistent. Like the Energizer Bunny, "He keeps going and going and going." This part of his face sustains him from morning until night and it comes in handy for those long, grueling sessions on the ice.

4. Charlie does not shy away from competition. He rises to the occasion and given a level playing field he feels that he is just as good as anyone else. Furthermore, he is not easily intimidated by criticism and he can take criticism and just keep going. Hint: He has an ability to take it on the chin.

5. This is another feature that shows Charlie's personal power and determination. Once he locks on to his goal, like a bulldog, he does not let go. This feature shows that he has physical stamina and that he seldom surrenders regardless of the odds.

6. Finally, Charlie has a feature that shows his preference to fly under the radar rather than bragging on himself. He wants to always exceed the expectations of others. He will modestly undersell himself. However, when it is their turn to perform, he enjoys "knocking the socks off" of the judges, the audience and the competition.

 Feature Answers

1. Charlie has Recessed eyes (Eyes, Depth page 19). With his eyes set back in his head, Charlie may look relaxed and laid back but his mind is actually moving a mile a minute and he is checking out everything around him constantly at the same time. He is protecting himself with a kind of hyper-vigilance. People with this feature often nod their heads when you are talking with them but it does not always mean they are agreeing with you. Rather, what they are saying on a non-verbal level is, "I've got that, now tell me more."

2. Charlie has a Wide nose (Nose/Nose width page 30). Measured at the base of his nose, this feature indicates that Charlie is a provider. He takes care of those under his umbrella. He also has Very large nostrils, (Nostrils/ Size and shape page 34) which indicates that he comes from a space of abundance and feels that he has more than enough, so it is easy for him to share what he has with those with whom he is bonded. His large nostrils reveal that he has a natural self-confidence. Sharing what he has with those close to him just seems to be the logical thing to do.

3. Wide cheeks (Cheeks, page 43) indicate that Charlie has energy for the long haul. Once he sets a pace, he can keep going at that pace for hours. The fact that Meryl does not have wide cheeks means that she needs a break once in a while. This attribute of Meryl's, Narrow cheeks, probably saved Charlie from overdoing it. A person with broad cheeks can sometimes reach burnout from pushing themselves past their limit. They count on their abundant Energizer Bunny cheeks to keep themselves going. They may not know when to take a break.

4. Charlie's Strong and well-defined big chin (Chins, page 51) is an indicator that he is not afraid of competition. He feels that, if given a level playing field, he is as good as or better than anyone else. Criticism is not something that easily intimidates Charlie. He is more apt to take it for what it is worth and not let it bother him.

5. Our degree of tenacity shows up in our jaws. Charlie has Big jaws (Jaws, page 50)which translate into his skating ability to lift Meryl's 100+ pounds as if she was as light as a feather. Once his heart and mind are set on the gold medal, his determination and personal power will take over to accomplish his dream and make it come true.

6. Finally, Charlie's hair hangs over his forehead which may cause other people to underestimate his intelligence and will power. By hiding his forehead, Charlie's hair covering his forehead does not telegraph his natural mental ability and toughness. (this feature is not shown in the book). Since we are all face readers, if we conceal an important feature, it is easy for others to underestimate us. However, when it is time to step up and perform, Charlie pulls out all the stops and goes for the gold and enjoys the amazement of the crowd.

Previous newsletters may be found posted on my website: www.amazingfacereading.com   Please take a look.

Thank you for your interest. I welcome your comments, questions and observations. You can e-mail me directly at mac@amazingfacereading.com

or my business partner, Ann Marks,

at ann@amazingfacereading.com

Your feedback is valuable. My goal is to develop and use Amazing Face Reading as a tool to see everyone more clearly and compassionately. I really believe we can understand every person we meet on a deeper level.

  

Kind regards,