Read (Hidden) Emotions – The Science Behind a New Skill

by Dan Seidman

Gain access to information about others which you’ve never before known.

This is an elite and new emotional intelligence skill. How is that? It is important to know what someone is thinking and feeling when your goal is to build constructive relationships through leading, coaching, selling or hiring. People often attempt to suppress their emotions. But there is “leakage,” known as micro expressions, which occur in 1/2 of a second.

These potent skills are based on 40+ years of research by Dr. Paul Ekman. He has identified 7 universal emotions that can be recognized in anyone, regardless of country, culture or ethic group. Even people blind from birth reveal these expressions.

In the past, training on this science has been kept to law enforcement and military intelligence. Organizations who use these detection skills across the globe include the Interpol, CIA, FBI, TSA, Scotland Yard, Emirates Airlines and more.

Then Hollywood embraced this when Lord of the Rings won the Academy Award for Visual Effects using the science by digitizing faces for creatures like Gollum. You might have experienced this knowledge yourself, if you’ve seen the Fox TV show Lie to Me, or the Pixar movie Inside Out. Dr. Ekman was the science advisor for both.

Today, this elite law enforcement training has been re-designed so business professionals can adopt these potent techniques be better enabled to manage the feelings of others. Whether you lead, sell, coach or hire, you can see an increase in your EQ, influence and communication skills.

When I was first exposed to this, I was surprised at how short the learning curve was to begin seeing feelings in faces. You want to ask yourself, what value exists when I know what emotions are being revealed in others?