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Chap. 03 -The Eyebrows

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Rahul Dengada
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Chap. 03 -The Eyebrows

Uploaded by

Rahul Dengada
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Eyebrows

The eyebrows lie just above the supraorbital arches of the eye sockets and
serve a variety of purposes. They protect our eyes from dust, light, and
moisture, but they also communicate how we feel. From an early age we rely
on people’s eyebrows to help us interpret their facial expressions. And in
many cultures, eyebrows are an aesthetic concern: something to be tweezed,
shaped, plucked, colored, highlighted, waxed, stylized, removed, or
extenuated. Like the rest of our face, the eyebrows are controlled by a variety
of muscles ( corrugator supercilii principally, but also the nasalis and levator
labii superioris from our nose), and thus can be very expressive and
communicate exquisitely our feelings.

30. EYEBROW ARCHING/FLASHING (HAPPY) —Eyebrow arching or flashing


conveys excitement (such as when greeting a close friend) or the
recognition of something pleasing. We arch our brows in less than one-
fifth of a second. It is a gravity-defying behavior, as it is performed in an
upward direction, and as with most gravity-defying behaviors, it
signifies something positive. Babies just a few months old light up when
their mother flashes her eyebrows. Here is a great behavior to let others
know we care and are happy to see them. A happy eyebrow flash can be
immensely useful and powerful in everyday situations both at home and
at work.

31. EYEBROW GREETINGS —We flash our eyebrows when we recognize


someone we know and cannot speak up at that moment, or simply to
recognize a person’s presence, with or without a smile, depending on
circumstances. We are quick to notice when this courtesy is not
extended to us, for example, when we enter a store and the clerk makes
no effort to establish any kind of eye contact. We can let others know we
value them, though we may be occupied, with a very simple eyebrow
flash.

32. EYEBROW ARCHING (TENSE) —This occurs when a person is presented


with an unwanted surprise or shock. Coupled with other behaviors such
as a tense face or lip compression, it can let us know someone has
experienced something very negative. It is the tension in the muscles
that control the eyebrows that differentiates this behavior from the
eyebrow greeting described above and it is held for a few seconds
longer.

33. EYEBROW ARCHING (CHIN TOWARD NECK) —We arch our eyebrows with
our mouths closed, chin toward the neck when we hear something we
immediately question or are very surprised to hear or learn. When we
witness an embarrassing situation we also employ this behavior, as if to
say, “I heard that and I didn’t like it.” It is a look teachers often give to
misbehaving students.

34. EYEBROW ASYMMETRY —People use this signal when they have doubts
or uncertainty. One eyebrow will arch high, while the other remains in
the normal position or sinks lower. Asymmetry signals that the person is
questioning or doubting what is being said. The actor Jack Nicholson is
famous for questioning what others say, on- and offscreen, by this
method.

35. EYEBROW NARROWING/KNITTING —The area between the eyes and just
above the nose is called the glabella, and when the glabella becomes
narrow or furrowed, it usually means there is an issue, concern, or
dislike. This universal sign may happen very quickly and thus can be
difficult to detect, but it is an accurate reflection of sentiments. Some
people will knit their brow when they hear something troubling or are
trying to make sense of what they’re being told. The sentiment is
communicated with the >< emoji.

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