Author Jean Haner, an anglo-saxon, married into a Chinese family and her mother-in-law taught her everything she knew about the ancient art of face-reading. After Jean realized that her mother-in-law was not just judging people but was, in fact, correct in her opinion of them, she continued her studies with notable teachers in the ancient Chinese principles of face-reading. The ancient Chinese believe that your face reflects who you are, why you think, feel and behave the way you do. Understand the features of one's face and you understand the person with whom you are speaking to -- even before they open their mouth.
Jean's book, The Wisdom of Your Face, is full of practical information. It is a brilliant book about what someone's face is trying to tell you. She explains that every face has patterns that correlate to certain meanings and personality traits. It is important to know that there are no bad features. All features show strengths as well as weaknesses, the lessons learned and the emotions that are being carried.
Below are eight features on our face and a snippet (the book goes into a lot more detail) of what these can tell us about ourselves and others:
Forehead
A person with a flat forehead blazes their own trail, perhaps even something very radical from the rest of the family. A forehead that slants back is someone that is a creative problem-solver and that can think outside the box, who usually tends to be a successful entrepreneur. This would be a perfect candidate in an interview.
Eyebrows
Our eyebrows are where we keep our power. For women, when they severely pluck their eyebrows they take away their power and confidence. As women age our brows naturally thin and are not as "strong" as they used to be where as men's brows get bushier.
Ears
The ears show one's past with every bump and mark on their rim. For women, the right ear is their childhood experience from conception to age six starting at the top of the rim. The left ear reveals seven to thirteen, also starting from the top and ending at the lobe. For men it is the left ear from conception to age six and the right ear for age seven to thirteen.
Nose
The nose is another place where we carry our power. Think of past presidents and other leaders and the size of their noses. Former President Bill Clinton is a good example of this. A large nose does not only represent power and leadership but also ambition and self-centeredness. A fleshy nose, on the other hand, shows that a person loves life and what it has to offer. There is a certain joie de vie about them. They are wonderful people to be around. A person with a turned up nose is someone who is generous with their time, money and affection, but must be careful not to overdo it. A down turned nose says that the person is a good business and finance person. Strong lines that run from the nose to the outside of the mouth tells you this person is following their life purpose.
Mouth
The mouth shows us how happy we are in life. When we are negative or feel disappointed in life and we start saying or thinking negative thoughts more often than happy ones our mouth shows it. Our mouths will start to turn down in the corners. Plus, when we are stressed our lips start to thin out. Negative people tend to have turned down and thin lips, making them hard to work with.
Chin
A prominent chin shows willpower, stubbornness and stick-to-it-ness. On the other hand, a weak or receding chin is a sign of oppression early in life. As an adult, they may feel they have no power because they were never able to stand up for yourself. Luckily, this can easily be resolved by physically just lifting the chin to make it more prominent which, in turn, will bring back some power. Be careful, because it is easy to overcompensate and become too domineering.
Jaw
The jaw is the "root" of the face. People that have a strong jaw, can't be easily pushed over. A large jaw tends to tell someone that they can be too controlling (this person would make a good sergeant). A narrow jaw means being more spontaneous and easily swayed. If you are looking for an investor look at the size of their jowls. These are their money bags!
Wrinkles and Moles
Finally, each wrinkle and every mole means something and tells a story. In Chinese face-reading, moles are considered extra lucky, so as long as the mole is healthy, it never is a good idea to remove your luck! The location of the mole will tell you what area you will have the most strength in.
Jean warns how society views wrinkles and encourages us to see them differently. She states that there are three reasons why we get wrinkles. The first one is that we are supposed to get them. The wrinkles around the corners of our eyes that we call crows feet are actually joy lines. These are good wrinkles. They show the world that we have an open heart and are happy. The second reason is because wrinkles show us that we have learned a lesson. If we get rid of the wrinkles the lesson is lost and we will have to relearn it again further down the road, hence bringing back the very wrinkle/lesson you got rid of. Lastly, wrinkles are gifts. They can be early warning signs on how we lead our life. For example, if we have lived a martyr's life, we will have created deep lines in our face. The good news is that once we recognize this and make inner changes, these type of wrinkles can go away!
So, the next time you find yourself in a meeting, interview or social gathering, take a closer look at the person's face that you just met. You may just learn something about them even before they utter a word.