How to Read Human Nature Part 7

MOUTHS

The Orientals have a proverb which runs as follows: "By a man's eyes, know what he might have been, or may be; by his mouth, knew what he has been, and is." The study of the mouth is one of the greatest interest, and one which will richly repay one for his time and thought. It will be noticed that there is a great difference between the mouth and lips of an individual in childhood, in youth, and in middle-age, which fact shows the truth of the Oriental proverb just quoted. The mouth indeed shows what a man has been and is.

_Small mouths_ generally denote undeveloped, childish, or babyish character, neither good nor bad.

_Large mouths_ denote matured character, good or bad. When firm, they denote force and energy. When half-open, they denote dullness and heaviness. When showing full protruding lips, they denote sensuality and selfish pa.s.sions and tastes. When very large and flexible, they denote the "windy" person who is fond of talking and hearing the sound of his own voice--when one says that another is "big-mouthed" he states a truth which physiognomy bears out.

An _upward curve_ of the corners of the mouth, denotes a cheerful, optimistic disposition and mental att.i.tude. Likewise, a _downward curve_ denotes a despondent, pessimistic disposition and mental att.i.tude. A graceful bow-like curve, shows a well-balanced and "all around"

disposition.

_Tightly closed lips_ indicate a firmness, and often a "closeness" of disposition. _Loosely closed lips_ indicate a lack of firmness, and often a spendthrift tendency. _Lips that touch lightly and protrude slightly_ in a "kiss-like" shape, indicate vanity, love of praise and flattery, and often a desire to be petted.

_Puffed-out lips_ indicate sloth, dullness, lack of energy and ambition, general heaviness. _Coa.r.s.e lips_ indicate lack of refinement, and often grossness. _Particularly full lips_ indicate Amativeness and sometimes Sensuality.

_Slanting mouths_ indicate trickiness, "foxiness" and general unreliability. _Crooked mouths_, or mouths greatly out of symmetry, are held by many authorities to indicate lack of Conscientiousness, and often criminal tendencies.

_Full, red, middle-lips_ indicate love of the opposite s.e.x. _Thin, pale middle-lips_ denote the opposite traits.

_A long upper-lip_ indicates Self-Esteem. _A short upper-lip_ denotes deficient Self-Esteem, but often also a strong Approbativeness. (John D.

Rockefeller has an almost abnormally long upper lip.)

The affectionate faculties are believed to manifest in outer form in the center of the lips, because of certain nerve centers at that place. A fullness and enlargement there denotes strong affection, while deficiency in the affectionate qualities manifest in the opposite direction.

Will and self-control is shown by the relative firmness and "set" of the lips and mouth.

Besides the above mentioned characteristics, the student will soon perceive that there are certain "expressions" of the lips and mouth which, although impossible of expression in words, nevertheless may be almost instinctively recognized by the careful observer. Lips, like eyes, tell their story plainly to the careful and practiced observer. It is a safe rule to _avoid those whose mouths arouse an instinctive distrust in your mind_. Watch closely the mouths of people speaking to you, and you will receive many a plain signal of danger, and many an a.s.surance of safety. The eyes, while full of information, often deceive those not fully versed in their secret code--but the mouth tells its tale in plain, simple, understandable terms, signs and symbols.

CHAPTER XVIII

EYES, EARS AND NOSES

It has been said that "the eyes are the windows of the soul," and indeed they do express a _something_ that is not possible to any other part of the face or body. When unrestrained the eye correctly portrays the innermost feelings and emotions affecting and influencing us, and in many cases we are able to get a clear and un.o.bstructed view of the soul behind the eyes by gazing into them. But, alas! it is possible to mask the expression of the eyes, and to counterfeit emotions and feelings which do not exist within the mind. Men and women trained in the arts of dissimulation and concealment, may, and do, conceal their thoughts and feelings which ordinarily would be reflected in their eyes; and many, especially women, are able to counterfeit feelings which have no real existence in their minds or souls. We have seen women bestowing upon the unsuspecting "mere man," the most artless, ingenuous "baby stare," while at the same time their minds were filled with craft and cunning. We have seen others whose eyes portrayed the most absolute innocence and truth, while their hearts were filled with selfish, base feelings, and their minds with cunning schemes. The trained diplomat and skilled gambler successfully mask their thoughts, and their eyes reflect nothing of their secrets; and, upon occasion, they are able to throw into their eyes any desired expression. The best authorities on Physiognomy hold that the mouth is a much more reliable index of thought and character than the eye--for the eye may lie, while the mouth betrays itself even when attempting the counterfeit.

But, nevertheless, the eyes _do_ betray character, not by their expression but by their shape and form. Habitual mental states reflect in the outer form of the eyes, in spite of the care of their owners not to let them tell the secret of the thought and feeling of the moment.

The story is told _not by the expression_ of the eye, but by the muscles surrounding the eyes, the eye-lids, etc. In fact, the _eye-lids_ supply the greater part of that which we call the "expression of the eye,"

their contractions and relaxations producing the effect.

_Secretiveness, cunning, and closeness_ are denoted by closely drawn eye-lids, a furtive look often being imparted thereby. This position of the eye-lids has been likened to an instinctive inclination to draw the eye-lids together to hide the expression of the eye, but it probably arises from the original trait of the animal to protect his eyes from attack when engaging in a fight, or raid. As an instance of this, it will be found that a feeling of cruelty, or desire to hurt another, will manifest in a compression of the eye-lids, and a tightening of the upper eyelid which a.s.sumes a straight form. _Frankness, truthfulness and honesty_ are, in the same way, indicated by open, free looking eyes.

This expression may be counterfeited upon occasions, but the counterfeit may be detected by observing the eyes when the owner is off guard.

The _fighting, destructive, motive feelings_ are indicated by _straight lines_ of the lids. _Affection, benevolence, sympathy, and love_, manifest in curving, drooping, full eye-lids, the absence of straight lines being marked. _Amativeness and Alimentiveness_ show in very thick eye-lids, giving a sensual gross expression to the eyes.

_Destructiveness_ manifests in a tightening of the upper lid, and a bearing down upon the eyeball. _Approbativeness_ gives a peculiar "coquettish" relaxation of the upper eye-lid, which is suggestive of the desire to wink in a meaning manner. _Humor_ gives a peculiar contraction to the eye-lids, and at the same time producing the little lines radiating from each outer corner of the eye-lids--the "laughing wrinkles." _Ideality, Optimism, and Mysticism_ impart an open expression to the eyes. _Cautiousness_, when large, also gives to the eyes an open, almost startled, surprised expression.

_Large, protruding eyes_ are held to be indicative of wordiness, talkativeness, and lack of careful thought--the desire to talk for the pleasure of hearing oneself talk.

In connection with the subject of the outer form manifesting in the eyes, we would call your attention to the quotation from Prof. O. S.

Fowler, appearing in Lesson XIII, in which he speaks of certain of the Perceptive Qualities which indicate in outer form in the region of the eye, as follows: "The shape of the eyebrows reveals the size, absolute and relative, of each, thus: When _all_ are large, the eyebrow is long and arching; when all are deficient, it is long and straight; when some are large and others small, it arches over the large ones, but pa.s.ses horizontally over those which are small. This rule is infallible." In connection therewith, we suggest that the student re-read carefully Chapter XIII, which deals with the Perceptive Qualities which manifest outer form in the region of the eye.

EARS

Many physiognomists pa.s.s lightly over the subject of the ears as an index of character, while others seem to specialize on this feature.

The _round ear_ is held to indicate the Vital Temperament. The _oblong ear_, the Motive Temperament; and the _pear-shaped ear_ the Mental Temperament.

_Quality_ is held to be indicated by the relative delicateness in the moulding of the ear, a coa.r.s.e, misshapen ear being held to indicate an uncultivated nature; while a delicately moulded, shapely ear is held to indicate culture and refinement.

A _long, narrow ear_ is held to indicate an ambitious, striving nature.

An ear _pointed at the tip_ (upper part) is held to be indicative of selfishness and general "foxiness."

NOSES

All physiognomists agree upon the importance of the nose as an index of character. The majority of people recognize the sign of a large, strong nose, on the one hand, and a small, weak nose on the other.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21 A, ROMAN; B, GRECIAN; C, CHERUBIC]

In Fig. 21 we see the three general forms of the nose, the Roman; Grecian and Cherubic; respectively. The _Roman nose_ is held to be indicative of Self-Esteem, Combativeness, Destructiveness and Acquisitiveness. The _Grecian nose_ is held to be indicative of Ideality, Conscientiousness, Reverence and other "higher qualities." The _Cherubic nose_ is held to be indicative of feminine qualities, social attractiveness, and emotional qualities. There are of course innumerable modifications and combinations of these three general cla.s.ses.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22 THREE TEMPERAMENTS]

In Fig. 22 we see the cla.s.sification adopted by some authorities, who divide the nose into three general parts, each of which is held to indicate one of the three Temperaments, and the Qualities which are related to each. Thus the hard bony part, including the bridge, indicates the Motive; the tip and end, the Mental; and the "wings" on each side of the nostrils, the Vital. There is much truth in this cla.s.sification, and a careful study of this ill.u.s.tration will aid the student in his understanding of noses as an outer sign of character. In fact, this ill.u.s.tration may be used as a basis for the whole subject of the meaning of noses as outer signs of character.

Large nostrils indicate strong Vitativeness and physical well-being, and often strong Emotive Qualities. Narrow, small, or tight nostrils indicate weak Vitativeness and Vital Force. An authority says: "If the nostrils are wide-apart, the man is merciful. If the nostrils are wide-open, like those of a bull, resemblances to that animal prevail in violent wrath and hard breathing."

The tip of the nose indicates the several mental qualities. The sharp pointed tip indicates an inquisitive, prying, investigating nature--a general "sharpness" so to speak. A blunt tip indicates a lack of "sharpness" and inquisitiveness. The upturned tip, or "pug," indicates a trifling, superficial, gossiping tendency. As a general rule the sharp tip indicates thought, while the rounded tip indicates feeling.

The bony part of the nose, when prominent, indicates the strength of the Motive Qualities, such as Combativeness, Destructiveness, Acquisitiveness, Constructiveness, etc. It generally accompanies the people who push forward and "do things" in spite of obstacles--it is the nose of the great generals, and the majority of great financiers.

CHAPTER XIX

MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS

While the subject of hands may be thought to belong to the study of Palmistry, with which we have no concern in this book, nevertheless we think that we should include herein a brief reference to the several cla.s.ses of the hand as indicative of the outer form of mental states.

That the shape of the hand often reveals information regarding the character of its owner is admitted by the best authorities on the subject. Many persons who discard the theories of Palmistry still regard the subject of the shape and meaning of hands as apart from that study, and believe that an understanding of the indications of the several cla.s.ses of hands is important to the students of Human Nature.

There are seven general types of hands, viz: (1) The Spatulate; (2) the Square; (3) the Artistic; (4) the Elementary; (5) the Mixed; (6) the Philosophic; and (7) the Psychic. Following we give a brief recital of the qualities held to be indicated by each.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23 SPATULATE HAND]