Paul Ekman · FACS · Universal Emotions

Microexpressions

The involuntary, fleeting facial expressions that reveal genuine emotion beneath the social mask — lasting as little as 1/25th of a second and impossible to fully suppress.

Microexpressions are brief, involuntary facial expressions that occur when a person experiences an emotion they are trying to conceal or suppress — or when an emotion is too fast and intense to be consciously managed. Lasting between 1/25 and 1/5 of a second, they are the face's truth-telling mechanism. Pioneered by psychologist Paul Ekman in the 1960s–70s, the study of microexpressions revealed that seven basic emotions produce universally consistent facial expressions across all human cultures.

Section 01

What Microexpressions Are

Duration
1/25 – 1/5 second
Too fast for conscious perception without training. The untrained observer misses them entirely — they register only as a vague feeling that "something was off."
Involuntary
Cannot be suppressed
Microexpressions cannot be fully controlled or faked. They arise from the emotional centres of the brain before conscious processing can intervene — making them uniquely reliable indicators of genuine feeling.
Universal
Cross-cultural
The seven basic microexpressions appear identically across all human cultures — including isolated cultures with no exposure to Western media. This suggests they are biologically hardwired, not learned.
Trainable
Can be learned
The ability to consciously perceive microexpressions can be significantly improved through training. Ekman's research shows that recognition accuracy can rise from ~50% (chance level) to 80–90% with dedicated practice.

Micro vs Macro vs Subtle: A macroexpression lasts 0.5–4 seconds and is the full, visible emotional expression. A microexpression is the flash of genuine emotion lasting under 0.5 seconds. A subtle expression is a partial or low-intensity expression of genuine feeling — often the most common in everyday interaction. All three are part of the complete picture of emotional reading.

Section 02

The Seven Universal Expressions

Paul Ekman identified seven emotions whose facial expressions are universal across all human cultures. Each activates specific facial muscles in a consistent pattern. Learning to recognise these muscle movements is the foundation of microexpression reading.

Happiness
Joy · Pleasure · Contentment
😊
The most easily recognised expression — but also the most commonly faked. The key distinction is the Duchenne smile: a genuine smile activates both the zygomatic major (mouth corners) AND the orbicularis oculi (eye corners), producing crow's feet and raised cheeks. A social smile uses only the mouth.
Key muscle movements
Genuine: Corners of mouth pulled up AND back + crow's feet + raised cheeks
Fake: Only corners of mouth — eyes remain flat and uninvolved
Duration tells: Genuine smiles onset gradually; fake smiles appear suddenly
Sadness
Grief · Loss · Disappointment
😢
The hardest emotion to fake voluntarily — the inner corners of the eyebrows pulling up and together (creating the oblique brow) is almost impossible to produce consciously. When you see this movement, sadness is almost certainly genuine. Often appears as a microexpression when someone is trying to appear stoic or unmoved.
Key muscle movements
Brows: Inner corners raised and drawn together (oblique brow)
Eyes: Lower lids raised, upper lids drooping
Mouth: Corners pulled down, lip corners drawn in
Anger
Frustration · Rage · Hostility
😠
Anger microexpressions are among the most important to recognise — they often precede escalation. The defining feature is brow lowering combined with brow drawing together, creating a glare. Even a fraction-of-a-second flash of this pattern indicates genuine frustration or anger beneath a calm exterior.
Key muscle movements
Brows: Pulled down AND together — creating vertical brow furrows
Eyes: Hard, fixed stare with upper lids tensed
Mouth: Pressed firmly together or open in a rectangle shape
Fear
Anxiety · Apprehension · Terror
😨
Fear and surprise share some features but are distinct. In fear, the brows are raised AND pulled together (not just raised as in surprise). The white of the eye (sclera) shows above the iris. This expression is often masked by a forced smile or neutral expression — the microexpression reveals what is actually felt.
Key muscle movements
Brows: Raised AND drawn together — upper forehead horizontal lines
Eyes: Wide open, sclera visible above iris, upper lids raised
Mouth: Corners pulled back horizontally (not downward)
Surprise
Shock · Astonishment · Disbelief
😲
The shortest-lasting of the universal expressions — genuine surprise resolves quickly into another emotion (fear, joy, anger) as the brain processes what caused it. Surprise lasting more than a second is almost certainly performed. The key distinction from fear: brows raised but NOT drawn together — and the jaw drops.
Key muscle movements
Brows: Raised high and curved — NOT drawn together (unlike fear)
Eyes: Wide open, sclera visible above AND below iris
Mouth: Jaw drops — mouth opens with relaxed lips
Disgust
Revulsion · Contempt-adjacent · Distaste
🤢
Disgust evolved as a protection against contamination — originally triggered by bad food or disease. In social contexts it appears in response to moral violations, offensive ideas or unwanted contact. The nose wrinkle is its most distinctive feature. Disgust microexpressions are common when people are asked to agree with something they privately find objectionable.
Key muscle movements
Nose: Wrinkled (levator labii superioris alaeque nasi)
Upper lip: Raised on one or both sides — "sneer-like"
Cheeks: Raised, pushing up into lower eyelids
Contempt
Superiority · Disdain · Dismissal
😏
The only unilateral (one-sided) universal expression and the most socially dangerous to miss — especially in relationships and negotiations. Contempt signals a fundamental sense of superiority or dismissal toward the other person. Research by John Gottman found contempt to be the single strongest predictor of relationship breakdown.
Key muscle movements
Distinctive: One-sided only — appears on one side of the face
Mouth: One corner pulled up and back — the "half smirk"
Note: No brow involvement — distinguishes it from anger or disgust
Section 03

The FACS System

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS), developed by Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen in 1978, is the scientific framework underlying microexpression research. FACS catalogues all anatomically possible facial muscle movements as numbered Action Units (AUs). Every facial expression — from the subtlest eyebrow raise to a full smile — can be described as a combination of AUs. FACS is used in psychology, clinical research, animation (Pixar's characters are FACS-coded), law enforcement and AI emotion recognition.

Key Action Units — Upper Face

AUMuscle / MovementAppears in
AU 1Inner brow raiseSadness, fear, worry
AU 2Outer brow raiseSurprise, fear
AU 4Brow lowerer (drawn together)Anger, disgust, sadness, concentration
AU 5Upper lid raiserSurprise, fear, intense attention
AU 6Cheek raiser (outer eye)Genuine happiness (Duchenne marker)
AU 7Lid tightenerAnger, disgust, discomfort
AU 9Nose wrinklerDisgust, anger

Key Action Units — Lower Face

AUMuscle / MovementAppears in
AU 10Upper lip raiserDisgust, contempt
AU 12Lip corner pullerHappiness, smiling (can be social or genuine)
AU 14Dimpler (one side)Contempt (the defining unilateral AU)
AU 15Lip corner depressorSadness, displeasure
AU 17Chin raiserSadness, doubt, stubbornness
AU 20Lip stretcherFear (horizontal lip pull)
AU 25Lips partSurprise, anger, talking
AU 26Jaw dropSurprise, disbelief, shock
Section 04

Reading Clusters

Microexpressions are most powerful when read as part of a cluster — a combination of facial, vocal and body signals that together paint a coherent picture. A single cue is rarely definitive; three or more congruent signals from different channels are highly reliable. Incongruence between channels — when the face says one thing and the body says another — is often the most revealing signal of all.

The 3 Channels
Face: Microexpressions + macroexpressions + subtle expressions

Voice: Pitch, pace, volume, pauses, hesitations

Body: Posture, gesture, touch, movement, proximity
Congruence
When all channels align — face, voice and body all express the same emotion — the communication is authentic and integrated. This is the baseline of genuine, open communication.
Incongruence
When channels conflict — smiling words with a tense body, or enthusiastic agreement paired with a flash of contempt — the incongruence is the signal. The channel hardest to consciously control (usually the face) carries the truth.

Key Body Language Clusters

Openness
Open palms · Uncrossed arms/legs · Leaning forward · Direct but relaxed eye contact · Feet pointing toward speaker
Defensiveness
Crossed arms · Turned body · Touching face/neck · Looking down · Feet pointing away · Creating physical barriers
Confidence
Upright posture · Still hands · Steady eye contact · Measured pace of speech · Occupying space without apology
Deception signals
Note: No single signal reliably indicates deception. Clusters that may warrant further attention: inconsistency between statements · touching the face while speaking · reduced illustrator gestures · microexpressions inconsistent with words
Genuine interest
Slight forward lean · Head tilt · Eye contact with genuine blinking pattern · Mirroring posture · Minimal self-touching · Open orientation
Discomfort
Self-soothing touches (neck, face, hair) · Increased blinking · Pacifying behaviours (rubbing hands) · Reduced eye contact · Feet/body angling away
Section 05

Application in Coaching & Reading

The ability to read microexpressions and body language is one of the most valuable skills in coaching, therapy, negotiation, leadership and psychic/intuitive work. It provides an objective channel of information that bypasses the client's conscious narrative — revealing what is genuinely felt beneath what is said. Used ethically, it deepens compassion and precision simultaneously.

In Coaching Sessions
When a client says "I'm fine with that decision" but flashes a microexpression of fear or sadness — that flash is an invitation to go deeper. The body often knows what the mind has not yet consciously processed. Reading these signals allows the coach to ask the right question at the right moment.
In Intuitive & Energy Work
Microexpression reading and intuitive perception are complementary, not competing. What you sense energetically often matches what the face is saying beneath the surface. Training in microexpressions provides a conscious, rational framework that validates and grounds intuitive impressions.
Calibration — Learning the Baseline
Before reading deviations, establish a person's baseline — how they naturally look, move and speak when relaxed and comfortable. Deviations from baseline are more significant than any single signal. Every person's baseline is unique — context and culture always matter.
Ethical Principles
Microexpression reading is a tool for deepening understanding and empathy — not for manipulation, interrogation or judgment. The ethical reader uses this knowledge to ask better questions, not to draw conclusions. Always hold observations lightly and verify through dialogue. Never use this knowledge to exploit or to assume.
The Contempt Warning
In any relationship — personal, professional or therapeutic — the appearance of contempt microexpressions is the most serious signal to notice. Gottman's research found contempt to be the single greatest predictor of relationship dissolution. Its presence signals a fundamental shift in how one person perceives another that requires direct, honest address.
Developing the Skill
Ekman's METT (Micro Expression Training Tool) and SETT (Subtle Expression Training Tool) are the established training programmes. Watching film and TV with the sound off to focus on facial expressions is a useful practice. Slowing down video of conversations to quarter-speed reveals what passes unseen in real time.