History of Chinese Physiognomy and Face Reading

This opening section will focus on the history of face reading and its
evolution through time. It is intended to give you a sound
understanding of how, where, and why face reading originated and
why it still exists today.
Briefly, face reading is about analyzing a person's facial features to
understand their character, personality traits, strengths, weaknesses,
and more. Every feature of the face – nose, eyes, mouth, lips, chin,
etc. – reveals something about the person and their unique
attributes. If you look carefully and learn to read facial features
properly, you can unravel hidden stories, some of which could even
be dark, layered secrets of their past. In addition, it also gives deep
insights into a person's fate and future. In many ways, a face
resembles a blueprint that lays out a person's life story, right from
their childhood to their golden years. That said, it is not as easy as it
sounds; you must learn how it is done and keep practicing
consistently to become a master of face reading and analysis.
Aside from learning about a person's story and predicting their
future, you can also determine the state of their health through face
reading. This practice has endured many centuries since Taoist
monk healers used the art of face reading to diagnose underlying
health issues and diseases. This technique's accuracy was so
remarkable that Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM) still employs
it in medical practices today.
Before we discuss the history and significance of physiognomy, it is
first important to understand what physiognomy is and what it
entails.What is Physiognomy?
Physiognomy is the art of deciphering one's character and
personality through their facial expressions and outer appearance.
Stemming from ancient Greek times, the term “physio” means
nature, and “gnomon” means interpreter or judge. Though
sometimes considered a form of pseudoscience, this technique
influenced a great many scholars and teachers throughout Europe
during ancient times. It is often also referred to as the art of learning
about an object or terrain through specific physical attributes. For
instance, physiognomy would explain the genetic connection
between a person's physical traits. If someone had Down syndrome,
it was apparent through their slant eyes and flat face. In time, the
study of physiognomy progressed and was actively incorporated in
other scientific disciplines, such as biochemistry and physiology.Ancient Greek
Physiognomy
While the study of physiognomy was exceptionally popular in
European culture throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the
practice can be traced back to 500 B.C. when Pythagoras, the Greek
scholar, judged his students based on their looks. If they were not
“gifted” enough, he would instantly reject them. The term
“physiognomonia” appeared in the fifth century B.C. in Of the
Epidemics, a treatise written by Hippocrates. It also appeared in a
scripture authored by Antisthenes, another eminent Greek
philosopher.
In one historical finding, Aristotle's assessment of people's traits
based on their face’s size and shape further established the study of
physiognomy. According to Aristotle, people who possessed broad
faces were half-witted, small faces were faithful, round faces were
courageous, and large heads were hostile. He also studied the
noses in particular, as this body part was believed to reveal a lot
about the person. The philosopher believed that people who had a
sharp, pointed nose could easily be provoked, while those with a
thick and bulbous one were insensitive. People with a slender and
hooked nose embodied the might of an eagle, and an obtuse nose
signified the courage of a lion.
In his treatise, Aristotle also clarified the approach to his study of the
general and particular characteristics of the subjects’ individual traits
that conveyed stupidity and genius, along with strengths and
weaknesses. These aspects were then studied individually and
collectively to determine the outcomes. Individual features such as
hair, voice, color, body, and gait were all considered.
These studies and findings slowly evolved and spread to all of
Europe during the 16th century. All kinds of intellectuals, including
scholars, physicians, scientists, and philosophers, set out to find the
connection between a person's face and their personality and fate.
Several classical Latin authors like Suetonius, Juvenal, and Pliny,
the Elder drew inspiration from these studies and conducted their
own research. However, in the late medieval era, these studies were
more astrological than descriptive, which inspired people to use
them in magic and esoteric spells.Other European scholars also dipped their toe in
the study of
physiognomy and contributed their own versions to this discipline.
These scholars were the most well-known figures at the time, of
whom were Sir Thomas Aquinas, Avicenna, John Duns Scotus, and
Albertus Magnus.
Here are the most notable works in physiognomy that date back to
Ancient Greece:
· Physiognomonics by Aristotle – A book divided into two parts.
The first volume focused on human behavior and how nature is
aligned with the human form. The second part tackled animal
nature and behavior, along with the gender roles of animals in
their kingdom.
· Polemon of Laodicea, de Physiognomonia (2nd century), in
Greek
· Adamantius the Sophist, Physiognomonia (4th century), in
Greek
· An anonymous Latin author, de Physiognomonia (4th
century)
Sir Thomas Browne
Sir Thomas Browne was an English physician and philosopher who
influenced the discipline of physiology. In 1643, he authored a book
entitled Religio Medici, in which he discussed the possibility of a
person's inner qualities being reflected in their external appearance
and facial features. In part 2:2 of the book, he writes the following:
"There is surely a Physiognomy, which those experienced and
Master Mendicants observe. (...) For there are mystically in our faces
certain Characters that carry in them the motto of our Souls, wherein
he that cannot read A.B.C. may read our natures."
Browne also claims that the eyes and nose communicate without
speaking and that the eyebrows can tell the truth. He posits that a
person's individual features, complexion, and overall constitution
also give away truths about them. He also coined the term
“caricature” to convey political satire in visual form.
Giambattista Della Porta's work on celestial physiognomy was also a
breakthrough in the discipline. The Italian scholar argues that a
person's temperament was responsible for their outer appearance,not the stars
as it was commonly believed. In another one of his
works, he represented the human form with animal woodcuts.
Browne and Della Porta concurred on the fact that a plant's roots,
leaves, fruits, and structure were responsible for the effectiveness of
its medicinal properties, a concept also known as the “doctrine of
signatures.”
John Kaspar Lavater
John Kaspar Lavater was a Swiss writer, pastor of St. Peter's Church
in Zurich, and founder of physiognomics, a movement associated
with religion and anti-rationalist beliefs. He was always the subject of
vivid controversies, most of which related to religion. Lavater was
deported to Basel in 1799 for leading an illegal protest. Upon his
return to Zurich, he was injured in a fight with French soldiers, after
which he died.
Given his interest in religion and “magnetic” trace conditions, he
conducted several studies that he claimed could help trace and
ascertain the divine energy present in all humans. He believed that
the mind and body were in constant interaction, which led to the
awakening of spiritual energy and its influence on a person's body.
His findings can be read in Physiognomische Fragmente zur
Beförderung der Menschenkenntnis und Menschenliebe, his most
notable work, and the reason behind his notoriety.Taoist Mien Siang Ancient
Practice and Finding
the Wu Xing
Mien Shiang (or Mien Xiang) is an ancient Chinese face reading art
that has been in practice since 2700 B.C. during the reign of the
Yellow Emperor. The art of face reading was especially significant
during that era. In fact, it was deemed to be one of the five integral
art forms in China, also known as Wushu. It was and still is
compared to other arts and fields of study involving metaphysics
such as Feng Shui, which is the study of land, and Bazi, the art of
reading one's destiny.
The word Mien translates to face, and Xiang translates to the study
of facial features. Ancient Taoist practitioners believed that a
person's past is clearly apparent on their face, as it was recorded in
the past. As such, you could easily tell a person's story by simply
looking at their face. Many people confuse the art of Mien Shiang
(which is all about face reading) with interpreting one's expressions;
these two are completely different in practice. Mien Shiang can be
conducted on expressionless faces as well. Facial features like the
depth of one's eyes, the prominence of wrinkles and cheekbones,
the length of the nose, and marks on the face, can all be read and
analyzed to understand a person's history and even predict their
future.The Principles of Mien Shiang Include
· Three sections of the face – upper, middle, and lower
· Yin/Yang
· Five main organs of the face – eyes, ears, eyebrows, nose,
and mouth
· Wrinkles, lines, moles, scars, and speckles
· The shape of the face
· Twelve Houses on a face
· Sheng Shiang – a person's sound or voice
· Nei Shiang – a person's chest, waist, shoulders, abdomen,
neck, breasts, back, and forearms, among other body parts
· Gu Shiang – the practice of reading bones, including the skull
· Dong Shiang – a person's basic movement and behavioral
pattern such as walking, crying, sleeping, eating, standing, and
sitting.
Wu Xing is the art of studying the Five Elements, Five Phases, Five
Agents, Five Processes, Five Planets, Five Stages, Five Virtues,
Five Poisons, and Five Ways of different disciplines – from a
person's innate energy to the medicinal properties of a plant. In
essence, any subject can be studied by categorizing it into five
stages of development.
With face reading, Wu Xing can be depicted as the Five Phases or
Five Elements, namely wood, fire, metal, earth, and water. These
elements are distinguished based on different facial features and
represent a specific region of the face, but there is no specific
designation; your face can be represented by one or more of these
elements at a time.The History of its Popularity and Skepticism
As time passed, the study of physiognomy evolved and began to be
perceived as a scientific approach. By the 18th and 19th centuries, it
was considered and used in forensics to identify criminals, but it was
not of much use and partly discontinued thereafter. By the advent of
the 20th century, physiognomy was discarded and has been
relegated to the rank of a mere historical subject ever since.
That said, it was still used in various cultural works such as romantic
novels, short stories, and literature dramas. Edgar Allan Poe's short
stories and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray briefly use
physiognomy in their plots.
The face reading techniques that are followed and practiced today
greatly differ from those employed a few centuries ago. The
evolution and changes in ancient face reading techniques are also
quite remarkable. You can still come across lengthy scriptures for
effective face reading techniques in ancient Chinese classics and
notice how these patterns of interpretations evolved.
In the 20th century, a French psychiatrist by the name of Louis
Corman coined the term morphopsychology, which contends that the
internal workings of people's bodies and other vital forces join to
develop various face shapes. For instance, the expression of instinct
is visible through round, full-bodied shapes, whereas selfpreservation is expressed
through flat or hollow shapes.
Several studies related to physiognomy have been conducted in
modern times. Some research in the 1990s has established that
honesty, warmth, and power were three personality traits that could
be assessed using face reading. Another study on hockey players
also revealed the correlation between a player's penalty minutes and
their wide faces. Fast-forwarding to 2010, physiognomy was
primarily considered as a part of machine learning to introduce facial
recognition in artificial intelligence. Just by looking at a person's face,
researchers could appraise their level of strength and prominent
characteristics.
In 2017, yet another study shed light on an algorithm that could
supposedly predict or detect a person's sexual orientation, whichwas eventually
proven to be dangerous and false. Evidently, it was a
topic of heated discussion and controversy.
Due to increased individuality and vulnerability in modern individuals,
the practice of physiognomy is often considered discriminatory and
insensitive, but this technique has been applied to understand
human evolution and people's emotions in its authentic form.
Because of these scientific and emotional implications, this
pseudoscience is still practiced across the world, but with a more
practical and prudent approach.Physiognomy as it is Perceived Today
In today's world, plastic and cosmetic surgery have become quite
popular. Many people might be asking themselves, "Will the face
alterations caused by enhancement surgeries impact face reading in
any way?" Cosmetic surgery is never the answer when you are
unhappy with a certain face feature. To improve your exterior, you
must work on the interior. For example, recurring facial acne and
spots can be caused by a bad diet or an underlying health issue. By
switching to more wholesome foods and treating the condition, you
can get rid of these spots and discoloration, which will eventually
give you a clear face. In parallel, you should learn to face and handle
your insecurities. Working on your mental well-being and thought
process is bound to bring subtle yet encouraging improvements in
self-image. Other aspects that could alter your facial features could
be experiences, behavior, tolerance, and your overall attitude.
As an art, the practice of face reading is relatively easier compared
to techniques such as palm reading, since it is not as obvious and
can be practiced without the person (or other people) noticing. In
fact, whenever you meet someone, you might be reading their face
instinctively, by unconscious reflex. You cannot figure out a person's
character and intentions with just one meeting, which is where face
reading can prove helpful. This is particularly beneficial in formal
meetings or high-stress situations. For example, suppose you are
meeting a potential business partner. There, you can determine
whether they will be loyal, trustworthy, or capable of running a
business and driving it to success.
Similarly, you can assess a person's character based on a date
(birthdate) and ascertain whether they are fit to be your permanent
partner. It applies in almost every setting.
A major issue, which was also prevalent in the past, is the way of
living. Regardless of a person's nationality, culture, ethnicity, and
social standing, everyone is expected to conform and live a certain
pre-established way. The attributes a person is born with are
conditioned by their elders, society, religion, and the media’s
expectations. Most of us are stuck in this loop, trying to live
differently and detach ourselves from the environment we were borninto. You
either get a reward for behaving in an “acceptable” way or
are punished and ostracized if you do not fit in. While certain
behaviors are expected for the sake of morality and tradition, many
individuals simply decide to change their outlook on life entirely.
As a result, most of us do not feel like “ourselves”; a part of us is
missing. There comes a time in everyone's life when we feel lost and
grow unkind towards our own selves. The expression of self-love
gets lost along the way. Since your face is an open book to your
soul, past, and destiny, you get to learn who you truly are and what
you are destined to become. You get to know why you are this way
and acquire the ability and power to change yourself for the better. At
the same time, you also come to understand the people around you
and why they show a certain behavior towards you. Ultimately, this
helps you become the best version of yourself and empowers you
with feelings of empathy and acceptance; you not only accept and
love yourself but also let others be who they are and who they want
to be. Down the line, you will no longer feel anger or hatred towards
others, which will also help balance your mental health and grant you
inner peace.