It has happened again.  My mother, who was always right, believed that certain facial characteristics were a dead giveaway to what sort of person they were.  “She/He is not to be trusted – their eyes are too close together.” And she was serious.  Or “Look at that high forehead – he is obviously brilliant.”

I wrote a column a few years ago about a new approach to jury selection based on a science called physiognomy.  It could have been taken directly from Mama’s observations years ago. Also called face reading, jury consultants use facial configurations to pick prospective jurors because faces can be read like a map, they say.  And now the theory has been expanded to more than just the face.  Experts on physiognomy say the whole body provides clues to who a person really is.  They can tell what a person is thinking even when they are saying something to the contrary.

They look for people with specific faces who will react in a favorable way toward the client.  My mother would have been a whiz at choosing jurors. As a young person, I thought Mama was completely exasperating.  Now I am beginning to believe Mama was just years ahead of her time.

A woman appears regularly on the O’Reilly Factor who is just such an expert and she judges hand gestures, the upper body, and many other movements to rip away the façade people – especially politicians - have created to conceal their true feelings.

She and all the experts agree that a great leader must have vertical lines on his forehead.  That indicates great powers of concentration.  But can you trust him?  The nose knows.  And so does the mouth.  In fact, the whole head is a dead giveaway – if you know how to read heads.

The next time someone you detest is on television take a look at his forehead, for instance.  The angle of the forehead indicates mental capacity.  Those with high foreheads tell the world they are smart without saying a word.

A forehead that slopes back indicates a quick thinker.  A straight forehead means the person isn’t exactly boring, but there are no surprises coming from him.  A rounded forehead is always on a person who enjoys domesticity.  (If the man or woman you are dating doesn’t have a round forehead - don’t waste your time.)

And the eyes are a feature of great importance.  If set widely apart that person is broadminded. (Wide head – broadminded). Eyebrows that angle up: beware.  They have a vicious temper.  Even the thickness of the eyelids is meaningful. It reveals the level of intimacy allowed.  Heavy lids – yes.  Thin lids – get lost!

Someone with small eyes in a thin face is likely to be precise and exacting.  Closely set eyes mean an intolerant person.  That’s better than being sneaky which was my mother’s assessment.

If the eyes roll up it means disbelief in what is being heard. (Is it any wonder my mother was furious with me when I did that in response to her remarks?) Accompanied by a tightening of the mouth it means frustration and contempt for the person speaking..

Now for noses.  A large one is always on an authoritative person.  Short noses sit on hard working, but sadly insecure people.  If however, the nostrils are flared, that’s good on any size nose because it means they are generous. But for heaven’s sake watch out for pinched nostrils!  They are always on a negative person.

Moving to the lips, full upper lips are on talkative persons.  Makes sense.  They use them so much they are highly developed. Full lower lips are on generous people.  Thin lower lips are to be avoided: it indicates stinginess.

Receding chins mean a passive personality.  Mama’s favorite comment was a weak chin meant weakness in general.  She also said a jutting chin was always placed on a fighter.  Again, to be avoided.  A fat chin is now regarded to mean a big ego.  Everyone looking for romance need look no further than at the philtrum.  That is the name of the indentation between the nose and the lips.  Anyone who has a deep one is definitely romantic.  If the upper lip protrudes they are doubly romantic – but not necessarily only with you.

Lines speak volumes and now mean a person has been though a great deal of adversity.  People can now wear their wrinkles with pride like battle scars.

When a person holds their hand palm up when you are speaking, it means they want you to shut up.  If the hand is held out palm up then it means they are trying to be patient since you obviously are too dumb to understand.

 If the fingers are held tightly together with the thumb and the hand is used in a chopping motion – it has the same meaning as if they had a hatchet in their hand.  For what it’s worth, I unconsciously use this gesture when I am aggravated.  I am compelled to note here it means controlled aggression.  Dear me!

When a hand is clenched into a fist while talking - watch out.  They are on the defensive.  I was surprised to learn a pointed finger means the same as a pointed gun.  That is seen as a gesture of violence.

Crossed arms or legs suggest a symbolic barrier and the person does not believe a word you say.  Any sign of fidgeting reveals an uneasiness and an unconscious wish to be somewhere else. Pulling on the ears or touching the back of the head puts you on notice that they wish you would either quit talking or go away.  Shrugging the shoulders or changing the upper body position means they want you to get off their back.  And all this time I thought people shrugged because their back hurt.

I intend to use all this information when I watch television and in particular when I decide which candidate to vote for.  I’ll be looking for someone with a high forehead, thin lips, steady eyes that are not closely set and a prominent chin.  So far, no one fits that description but George Washington.

And he is unavailable.