Emotions Revealed summary

Sometimes our emotions can defy logic. If you have a fear of heights, then you probably know that, when standing atop a tall building, even if the roof is skirted by a high railing and a safety net, you’ll always be afraid of falling.

Irrational emotions like these can be extremely powerful, especially if they’re the result of a childhood trauma.

Now that you have a better idea of where your own emotions come from, how do you recognize the emotions of others?

Let’s examine one particular photograph to see what we can determine.

To examine the signs of anger, let’s turn to a different subject.

In 1997, a picture was taken of Maxine Kenny while she was at the trial of the man convicted of raping and murdering her 38-year-old daughter. Maxine, restrained by police officers, shouted insults and tried to attack the man who took her daughter away from her. Her face was the very picture of anger.

Imagine living in a high-rise apartment building and sitting peacefully on your balcony, when all of a sudden a body falls past you on its way down to the ground. Chances are, your emotional reaction would be an expression of either fear or surprise.

But how would an observer tell the difference?

If you’ve ever seen the faces of friends and family welcoming back a loved one from a tour of duty in the military, then chances are you’ve seen the beaming smiles that accompany expressions of true joy.

While someone’s smile is the most recognizable and universal sign of happy emotions, the voice also plays an important part.   

Distinguishing between the truth and a lie can sometimes be a matter of life and death. Imagine being a  psychiatrist who has to figure out if a suicidal patient is telling the truth when he claims to be feeling much better.

In many instances, determining what is the truth and what is a lie is quite difficult.