I starting to feel like the traditional chinese believe that you can predict how someone can act just by looking at their facial features is true after all. Seriously, don't you always get the feeling that people with the same face usually have the same attitdue ? Of course I understand that there are exceptions to the rule but that doesn't disprove that there might be some corelation between these 2 factors.
Everyone of have had this experience when you meet someone new, you may have certain expectation or stereotypes of his attitude based on his looks. This is partly because your brain assimilates this person with a person that you previously know that had acted in a certain way. Probably one of the few flaws of our brain that like to subconciously slot things into existing categories instead of making new ones although the basis for it may not be very objective. (of course there is an upside to why it works this way too, though I won't elaborate on it)
Anyway, when the person actually acts like what you expected, it is not suprising but rather very predictable and boring. This phenomenon happens about 50% of the time or more (abritary judgement from my experience) which I feel is enough to disaprove the notion that you can't judge a book by its cover.
So does this mean that your face determines your fate? Does your face determine your personality?
I like not to think so since i don't believe in the idea that fate is predestined. I am living proof that you can change your attitude and behaviour. So maybe we have been looking at it the wrong way. Maybe it is your attitude that shapes your face. Maybe your ruthlessness since young is the one that gave you that wide, square jaw.
Maybe thats why when you see someone with that "chiooon" or "lanci" look (cantonese lingo), you already know you dislike him. Maybe it is one of nature's natural mechanism to enable humans to know who like and dislike easier.
In short, those people who behave in a certain way may have shaped their face in a certain way.
Of course biologist, anthropology and a lot more categories of scientist would probably dismiss this theory as hogwash. Everybody knows that our facial features are determined by our genes.
However, I still think that it is a valid hypothesis worth pondering. It is back to the arguement of "Nature Vs Environment " and which of the factors affect the result more.
If this hypothesis ever helped someone win the noble prize in the next century or so, I hope that person gives credit to me for predicting this possible phenomenon. =)
