TOW #17: "The Naked Face" by Malcolm Gladwell

     Many people do not realize how important it is to be able to read others' body language, much less facial expressions. "The Naked Face" is an essay by Malcolm Gladwell about the research that goes into the Facial Action Coding System, or FACS, and how this research can be applied to real life, whether its through the creation of Pixar movies or through a Q-and-A between a cop and murder suspect. Malcolm Gladwell achieves his purpose of portraying the importance of recognizing certain emotions through facial expressions in "The Naked Face" by using anecdotes and supplying the various pieces of research that went into creating the FACS.
     Malcolm Gladwell is a well-known journalist, author, and speaker. He is best known for his books about various phenomenons and what impact they have on society, such as The Tipping Point and Outliers. "The Naked Face" follows this pattern of social impacts by explaining to readers of The New Yorker and various science enthusiasts the importance of facial expressions. Gladwell includes anecdotes throughout his piece, the most prominent one being about a police officer in L.A., Bob Harms, who happened to be a master at reading facial expressions. He was out with his partner one evening when he spotted a suspicious looking man walking down the side of the road. As the man approached his car, Harms asked the man what he was doing. "I was out for a walk," the man replies. "I have something to show you." Harms then shot the man through an open window. His partner was astonished and asked him why he did it. Harms replied that he knew the man's motives were not good. It was later known that the man had actually been very unstable and he had taken a walk after his failed suicide attempt, carrying a makeshift flamethrower, and he was planning on setting fire to the very car Harms and his partner were sitting in. Gladwell effectively employs this device because it shows how being able to read peoples' faces can be used practically and that it can even save lives.
     Gladwell also includes information about the research that went into the FACS. He mentions that the created of the FACS, Paul Ekman, conducted his research by finding the answer of one of his main curiosities: are these facial expressions universal? He then traveled to countries all over the world, including Japan, Brazil, Argentina, and countries with very remote villages such as Paupa New Guinea. It was found that when the locals everywhere were shown pictures of people with various facial expressions, they understood the emotions and feelings that were associated with the facial expressions. This helps Gladwell achieve his purpose because it emphasizes how facial expressions are recognized globally and thus can be used anywhere.

A chart from the FACS

Read "The Naked Face" here