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Jun 1, 2004

"A smile is a curve that sets everything straight." --Phyllis Diller

Reading a Smile

Think you're good at reading people? Most people feel they are, but actually fail miserably at it, confusing a half smile with approval when it signals contempt, or accepting an expression of apparent confidence while missing the concealed fear that lies beneath it. Misreading facial expressions and the emotions underlying them is a result of our inability to recognize minute expressions -- micro-expressions that flash across a face for less than a 15th of a second -- that reveal the true emotions a person may be uncomfortable expressing or is simply trying to conceal.