Paul Ekman: Faces Tell a Story

Have you ever wondered if people all over the world feel the same way? Paul Ekman did! He was a very smart man who studied faces. He wanted to know if a smile meant the same thing in every country.

What Did Paul Ekman Do?

Paul Ekman watched many, many faces. He looked at pictures and videos. He traveled to far away places. He went to see people who lived in the jungle. He even looked at people who never saw TVs or movies. Paul Ekman wanted to know if their faces showed the same feelings as people in towns and cities.

Happy, Sad, Mad

What do you do when you are happy? Do you smile? Paul Ekman found out that most people smile when they are happy. It does not matter where they live. A smile is a smile! It means "I am happy!" What about when you are sad? Do you frown? Most people frown when they are sad, even if they live far away from each other. Ekman learned that our faces tell how we feel.

Our Faces Talk

Paul Ekman said that our faces can talk without us using words. He learned that there are some feelings that everyone shows the same way. These feelings are happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and yucky. If someone feels these things, their face will show it! So, next time look at people's faces, you can learn a lot about what they feel.