ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Physiognomy

Physiognomy is a word that means we look at someone's face and body to predict what kind of person they are. Imagine you meet someone for the first time and you are not sure if they are friendly or mean. If you look at their face, their eyes, their nose, their mouth, and their body shape, you may decide if they are happy or sad, mean or nice, scary or funny.

People who study physiognomy, think that there are certain features that show if someone is untrustworthy or trustworthy, smart or dumb, honest or dishonest, or some other thing. They believe that if you look closely at someone's face and body, you can tell what kind of person they will be.

But, the problem with physiognomy is that it is not very accurate. Sometimes a person can look angry when they are not, or they can look happy when they are sad. Many people also think that it is unfair to judge someone based on their appearance.

So, while it can be interesting to study physiognomy, it is important to remember that a person's character is more than just what they look like.