Physiognomy, also known as physiognomancy, is the practice of interpreting a person’s outward appearance — especially the features of the face — in order to understand their dominant temperament, character, and inner nature.
Etymology
The word comes from the Greek phusis, meaning “nature,” and gnomonia, meaning “interpretation.” In this sense, physiognomy literally refers to the interpretation of nature through visible form.
History
Physiognomy has been practised in many cultures throughout the world. In China, records of master physiognomists can be traced back to the beginning of the Han dynasty, around 202 B.C., although references to the practice and its theories existed even earlier.
In the Western world, physiognomy also has ancient roots. Hippocrates produced an early treatise on the subject, and Aristotle wrote a work on it in the fourth century B.C. titled Physiognomica, or Physiognomics in English.
This work is divided into two sections, which scholars believe may originally have been two separate texts. The first section explores arguments drawn from nature and from different human groups, focusing especially on human behaviour. The second section examines animal behaviour, dividing animals into male and female types. From these observations, comparisons were made between human physical form and character.
Physiognomy was discussed by many important figures in medicine and philosophy, including Plato, Pliny, Galen, and Avicenna. Throughout the Renaissance and earlier periods, it was often connected with other occult or divinatory arts, especially chiromancy and astrology.
By the seventeenth century, however, physiognomy began to separate itself from its more overtly occult associations. It was increasingly presented as a more systematic and observational practice. One of the most influential figures in this development was the Swiss pastor Johann Kaspar Lavater, who lived from 1741 to 1801.
Lavater wrote several heavily illustrated volumes on the subject. His Essays upon Physiognomy were first published in German in 1772 and became extremely popular. They were later translated into French and English, where they became highly influential.
Lavater drew on the writings of the Italian scholar Giovanni Della Porta and the English physician and philosopher Sir Thomas Browne. Browne, in his work Religio Medici, discussed the possibility that inner qualities could be discerned through the outward appearance of the face.
Sir Thomas Browne is also credited with the first use of the word caricature in the English language. He was influenced by Giovanni Della Porta, whose work Of Celestial Physiognomy argued that facial appearance and character were shaped not by the stars, but by temperament. In his pseudo-Aristotelian work De humana physiognomia, published in 1586, Della Porta used woodcuts of animals to illustrate human characteristics. His works were well represented in the library of Sir Thomas Browne.
The popularity of physiognomy continued to grow throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It influenced the descriptive style of many European novelists, especially Balzac. The so-called Norwich connection to physiognomy can also be seen in the writings of Amelia Opie and George Borrow, as well as in the character descriptions found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy.
In February 2009, New Scientist reported that physiognomy was experiencing a kind of revival. Researchers were once again examining what human beings perceive in faces, and whether facial appearance might reveal aspects of personality or even influence a person’s destiny. This modern approach has sometimes been described as a “new physiognomy”: more subtle than its older form, but still concerned with the relationship between appearance and character.
Methods
Traditional schools of physiognomy follow certain guidelines intended to help beginners recognise important features and patterns.
The first rule is to judge nothing in isolation. A single feature should never be interpreted on its own, because one tendency may be weakened, balanced, or outweighed by another. The most important principle is to look for harmony, or the lack of it. Even features considered negative may be softened or transformed when they exist in a harmonious face. Harmony can suggest strength of character and the ability to overcome difficult tendencies.
A beginner is often advised to start with the most obvious feature. The first thing noticed in a face is usually the dominant feature, and may therefore reveal the strongest impression of the personality.
Skin
The skin is considered an important sign because it is the body’s main protection against the outer world.
Fine, delicate skin is traditionally associated with refinement, sensitivity, and vulnerability. A “thin-skinned” person may be more easily hurt and less suited to harsh, competitive, or physically demanding environments. Women with fine skin are said to prefer delicate surroundings, while men with fine skin may possess a gentle nature.
Thick, coarse skin, by contrast, is associated with toughness and resilience. A thick-skinned man might make a good “foot-in-the-door” salesman, because the opinions of others are less likely to affect him. He is well protected, but may also be considered insensitive. A thick-skinned woman is often described as hearty, outdoorsy, plain-spoken, energetic, and physical.
Hair
Hair is traditionally seen as an indication of the nervous system, vitality, and resilience.
Baby-fine, wispy hair suggests low tolerance and sensitivity.
Coarse hair suggests high tolerance and greater resilience.
Very curly hair suggests a person who runs on nervous energy.
Coarse and curly hair suggests someone who can recover and bounce back.
Lank, lifeless hair suggests poor health, low energy, or lethargy.
Straight, bouncy hair suggests an easygoing and controlled nature.
Chinese Physiognomy
Chinese physiognomy divides the face into three main zones.
The upper zone runs from the hairline to the eyebrows and is associated with intellect.
The middle zone runs from the eyebrows to the tip of the nose and is associated with temperament.
The lower zone runs from the tip of the nose to the chin and is associated with the physical nature.
A person whose three zones are perfectly balanced and equal in length is traditionally regarded as confident, well-adjusted, and effective. However, great achievers and geniuses are rarely considered perfectly balanced in this system. Philosophers and scientists, for example, may have unusually large foreheads. Large, prominent noses are often associated with people who can cope with difficulty; Aristotle is said to have chosen men with long Roman noses as generals for Alexander the Great.
A short lower zone suggests a loner, while a heavy jaw and wide mouth suggest a person who is family-oriented, earthy, affectionate, and physically grounded.
A careful study of the major features, zone by zone, is believed to reveal a great deal of information.
Forehead, Eyes, and Eyebrows
A high, wide forehead indicates intelligence, while a low, narrow forehead suggests a more intuitive nature.
A broad forehead reveals self-confidence and outward-directed energy, while a narrow forehead suggests a more inward or restricted focus.
Uneven hairlines are traditionally associated with difficult childhoods. People with this feature are often described as rebels or neurotics.
Deep but broken wrinkles suggest a lack of perseverance.
Deep wrinkles near the browline suggest emphasis on family and everyday life.
Deep wrinkles closer to the hairline suggest concern with spiritual or intellectual matters.
Vertical lines reveal a worrier.
The eyes are considered especially revealing. The larger the eyes, the more emotional the person is believed to be. Wide-set eyes suggest an easygoing nature, while closely set eyes suggest someone more calculating, exacting, or precise.
In traditional examples, a person with narrow-set eyes might be chosen for work requiring figures and details, while someone with wide-set eyes might be suited to nurturing or caretaking roles.
Laugh lines indicate a good-humoured person.
Eyebrows set high above the eyes suggest a formal, stand-offish nature. Eyebrows set low suggest someone more accessible and approachable.
Nose
The nose is traditionally interpreted as an indication of a person’s interests and approach to life.
The breadth of the nose suggests breadth of vision. A narrow bridge indicates a selective person, while a broad bridge suggests wide awareness, broad activities, and a larger span of interest.
A person with a broad-bridged, even nose may be suited to entrepreneurship, while a narrow-bridged person may be more suited to specialist work.
A long nose indicates tendencies toward the spiritual and aesthetic.
A short nose suggests impulsiveness and a lack of direction.
Wide, flaring nostrils suggest a tendency toward temper.
A bulbous-tipped nose is associated with a kindly, open nature.
Roman noses suggest strong, sharp, acute, and sometimes harsh individuals. They are often associated with powerful businesspeople.
Turned-up noses are associated more with service.
Ears
Ears placed higher than the eyebrows indicate great perception.
Very low-set ears, especially those placed below the level of the eyes, are traditionally interpreted as a sign of dullness.
Ears that protrude forward suggest a curious, forward-oriented individual.
Ears set back against the head suggest someone who is easy to incite, similar to the image of a dog with its ears flattened back.
Small ears are traditionally associated with selfishness.
Mouth
The mouth is considered highly revealing.
Wide mouths indicate generosity.
Full mouths suggest sensuality.
Tight mouths reveal little and suggest reserve.
Thin lips indicate a cool, calculating nature.
Small, fine mouths tend toward selfishness.
A downturned mouth suggests pessimism.
An upturned mouth suggests optimism.
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