Friday, October 15, 2010

Sincerity Secret # 39: Tears of Joy

This is a witness to the rescue mission of the 33 miners recently liberated in Chile.  It reminds us of the importance of context when interpreting body language.  If you didn't know the miners were being saved (32 of the 33 were freed when this photo was taken) you wouldn't be able to tell if they were rescued or lost.  This woman  is crying tears of joy.  The "grief" muscles in the center of her forehead are contracted and she is covering her mouth.  People may also cover their mouth when surprised, witnessing something horrific, or witnessing something wonderful.  It is often displayed when profound empathy is being experienced.

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