What I learned from Tomkins was that the face is where it all begins. It is broadcasting who we are all the time. Tomkins said it was always "right under our noses!"
Tomkins gleaned much of his thought and research from watching his newborn son during his first year of life. Tomkins happened to be on sabbatical. Tomkins already had much of his theory in mind but in observing his son much congealed. He went on to do an extensive anatomical and photographic analysis of the face and came up with the list I mention in the first post here.
The point is that this is a "hardwired" set of emotive responses in all of us. For a very long time and indeed still many people think we learn our emotions. Tomkins, and before that Darwin, show us that we do not learn our emotions we are born with them. Then very importantly each of us learns what those emotions mean to us.
Part of what "Lie To Me" is showing us is that our emotions are constantly being activated by the environment and "at work" BEFORE we are aware of them and that it takes a lot of work to be in control of them.
What do you think?
drbplynch at aol.com
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