Volume
Vol. 13, Gathas
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Insight
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1.8, The Study of the Whole
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Vol. 13, Gathas
Insight
1.8, The Study of the Whole
Man's form can be divided into two parts, the head and the body; one part is for action, the other for thought. Therefore the face can explain the attitude of mind and depict the nature and character more fully than the body and its movements. Every little movement of the eyes, the movements of the lips in smiling or in laughter, the movements of the eyebrows or of the head itself explain the condition of the mind. - The ends of the eyebrows turning upwards denotes egoism and shrewdness.
- The puckering of the lips suggests pleasure, as the twitching of the lips shows a tendency to humor or indicates pleasure.
- The rolling of the eyes or a restless movement suggests confusion.
- The movement of the eyes towards the outer corners denotes a clever brain.
- The puffing of the cheeks denotes joy, the drawing in sorrow.
One can get a full conception of the character by studying the full countenance and not a part only. The study of a part always gives only a partial knowledge; complete knowledge is gained only by a study of the whole. Keen observation with the desire to understand helps a person to read the condition of man's mind, his nature and character, yet the view is often colored by the personality of the one who sees. His favor or disfavor, his liking or dislike, stands between the eyes of the one who sees and the one who is seen. Therefore sometimes innocent people have a better understanding of a person than clever people with deceitful minds. There is a saying of Saadi, "O my subtle cleverness, Thou often becomest my greatest deceiver."
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