What micro-expressions reveal about our emotions | Roxani Oikonomou | TEDxSwansea

Key Concepts:

• Micro expressions: Fleeting facial expressions that reveal concealed emotions.
• Universality of facial expressions: The idea that certain facial expressions are universally recognized across cultures.
• Emotional awareness: The ability to recognize and understand one's own emotions and the emotions of others.
• Authenticity: Expressing oneself in a genuine and truthful manner.
• Emotional mismatch: Discrepancy between verbal communication and nonverbal cues (micro expressions).
• Seven universal emotions: Happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, sadness, and contempt.
• Facial Action Coding System (FACS): A system for measuring and describing facial expressions.

1. Introduction: The Power of Micro Expressions

• Roxani, a micro expressions trainer, introduces the idea that genuine human connection occurs when we reveal ourselves, not when we try to impress others.
• She emphasizes the importance of understanding the layer of communication beneath words and tone – the realm of micro expressions.
• The core message is that by increasing awareness of micro expressions, we can enhance emotional awareness and express ourselves more authentically, leading to deeper connections and a more fulfilling life.

2. Universality of Facial Expressions: The Ekman Study

• Roxani references Paul Ekman's 1960s study in the highlands of New Guinea.
• Ekman's research aimed to find evidence for the universality of facial expressions of emotions.
• He presented photos of facial expressions (happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sadness) to a Stone Age culture and asked them to match the photos with corresponding emotions.
• Example: Asking participants to identify the photo that matched the emotion they feel when seeing their best friend.
• This study, building on Darwin's work, demonstrated that facial expressions are not random but universal, automatic responses to emotions.
• "Whether you are greening in Greece or greening in France or greening in Spain the human face speaks the same."

3. Micro Expressions: Revealing Hidden Emotions

• Despite the universality of facial expressions, people often conceal or suppress their emotions due to personal or cultural reasons.
• Suppressed emotions don't disappear but manifest as micro expressions, lasting less than half a second.
• Micro expressions reveal true feelings, even when someone tries to hide them consciously or unconsciously.
• Example: A coach working with a speaker who shared a happy family story, but a micro expression of fear crossed her face, revealing a hidden emotional conflict related to family warnings.
• Integrating micro expressions into public speaking coaching helps speakers gain clarity, reflect, and connect with themselves and their audience.

4. Case Studies: Transforming Lives Through Emotional Awareness

• Sophia (Aesthetician): Sophia, focused on perfect faces, learned to slow down and embrace the emotional weight behind faces, leading to deeper connections.
• Panayota (Nurse): Panayota recognized the importance of facial expressions in a hospital setting, using subtle cues to offer support to patients and families.
• These stories illustrate how slowing down and embracing emotional truth can lead to connection, engagement, acceptance, and understanding.

5. Practical Application: Embracing Emotional Truth in Communication

• The speaker encourages the audience to acknowledge and accept their emotions instead of fighting or hiding them.
• Suggestions: Saying "This is still hard to talk about" or "This event has changed the way I see the world" to give the audience permission to feel something.
• The speaker shares a personal experience of feeling tension and old beliefs during a body language presentation.
• By acknowledging her emotions ("How do you fight me so far?"), she created a connection with the audience.
• The key takeaway is that authenticity and truthfulness are more important than perfection in communication.

6. Modeling Emotions: A Practical Exercise

• The speaker demonstrates how to model different emotions deliberately.
• Anger Face: Lowering eyebrows, pulling them together, and tightening the mouth.
• Dual Face: One side of the face showing a slight smile, the other side neutral (superiority).
• Disgust Face: Pulling up the skin of the nose and wrinkling the nose.
• Surprise Face: Eyes open wide and jaw dropped.
• Long Face (Sadness): Pulling downward the lips and raising the inner part of the eyebrows.
• Alarm Face (Fear): Pulling back the lips laterally, elongating the mouth, and raising the upper eyelids.
• Joyful Face: Lip corners lift up obliquely, and crinkles form around the eyes.
• This exercise helps the audience understand the physical components of different emotions and how they manifest on the face.

7. Three Steps to Expand Emotional Intelligence

• Step 1: Mindset Shift: Recognize that there is no right or wrong, and focus on exploration and potential.
• Step 2: Be the Observer and Performer: Connect with bodily sensations while emotions arise.
• Step 3: Model the Seven Universals: Practice modeling the seven universal emotions and observe how it feels and changes your appearance and energy.
• By following these steps, individuals can communicate more emotionally, authentically, and powerfully.

8. Conclusion: Embracing Micro Expressions for Deeper Connection

• The speaker reiterates that faces tell stories, and micro expressions are windows into the soul.
• By becoming aware of micro expressions, we can influence the way we connect, communicate, and share our truth.
• The invitation is to use facial expressions not as something to hide, but as a tool to connect with oneself and others more deeply.

Key Takeaways:

• Micro expressions are fleeting facial expressions that reveal concealed emotions.
• Understanding and recognizing micro expressions can enhance emotional awareness and improve communication.
• Authenticity and emotional truth are essential for building genuine human connections.
• By practicing and modeling facial expressions, individuals can expand their emotional intelligence and express themselves more powerfully.