The Art and Science of Face Reading

The Art and Science of Face Reading

Face reading and discovering one's own innate nature dates back as far as Cro-Magnon cave drawings. Throughout history, reference to facial structures and their corresponding function appear in literature, the arts and medicine. Aristotle was the first person to write a treatise on face reading called Physiognomonica.

From ancient time to the present, face reading has evolved from an art to a science. In the late 1930's Dr. Edward Vincent Jones combined brain and genetic research with the philosophies of physiognomy, the assessment of a person's character based on their facial appearance, and phrenology, the study of human behavior based on the measurements of the human skull, to create personology, the study of facial structures and their corresponding behaviors.

Dr. Jones' work was carried on with a five year research study done by Robert and Elizabeth Whiteside. Their son, Daniel, along with Gordon Stokes and Candace Calloway, refined the information into what is called Structure/Function, the study of how the physical structure of the face, head and body relates to human behavior and function.

Each physical structure is a clue to our innate behavior: who we are, how we relate to others and how individuals see us. Studying facial structures gives us a new perspective on relationships. Respect and understanding is developed for those with whom we want to effectively communicate.

Each individual structure represents one or more of the following:

• A strength;
• An ability;
• An advantage;
• A talent;
• A gift;
• A lesson to be learned.

For example, take the shape of the face. Face shape has to do with self-confidence - innate or learned.

A person with a long, narrow face is by nature cautious. Their confidence and assurance comes from having learned all of the steps sequentially. They experience self-doubt when approaching unfamiliar people and projects. frustration builds with this individual when they are expected to figure something out immediately and without the necessary information. Once they have learned the steps, they have all the confidence in the world.


I always have someone in my workshops who has a long, narrow face. It helps keep me from straying. On the first day of a four day workshop, I asked the class to turn to page 343 in their books. A look of horror came over Lisa (my long, narrow face student). You could see that she was mortified that I not only skipped page one, but also was starting at the back of the book. She was relieved when I asked them to simply take the page out as it was a worksheet for the day!

The opposite face shape is called broad-shield. The width is through the eyes. This person is innately self-confident. They feel that they can handle anything and tend to face challenges head on. They are very direct and will often be in a leadership position. Need a volunteer for a project or committee? Someone with a broad-shield face is likely to jump right in and fill the need. They don't even need to know what the assignment is. Their mind-set is, "I can do anything I put my mind to." They also have a tendency to skips steps in the process, "1, 2 ...6. Who needs steps 3, 4 and 5?"


There are no good or bad traits to have. Each individual's life story is written on their face. All of our experiences, emotional perceptions, natural abilities, communication styles and needs are there for the world to see.