Because the feelings are in part reflected on the face and body, we tend to judge other human beings and their character to a certain extent by facial expression, manner, carriage and dress. A few of the methods used have become organized into specialties, such as the study of the head or phrenology, the study and analysis of handwriting or graphology, the study of the hand chiromancy or palmistry, characterology etc. All of these systems are really “materialistic” in that they postulate so close a union of mind and body as to make them inseparable. But our perceptions may indeed be imperfect. For example, facial expressions and make-up is more influenced by diet, disease and racial tendency than by character. Human beings are interesting mosaic of different characters, and a fine nature in one direction may be injured by a defect in another.
As a matter of fact, judgment of character will never be accomplished through the study of face, anatomy or hand. Equally linguistic communication is a way not only of expressing truth but of disguising it, so these surface phenomena are as often masks as guides. Any educated person, intent on knowing himself or his fellows, will seek no royal road to this knowledge, but will attempt to understand the fundamental forces of character, will strive to trace the threads of conduct back to their origins in motive, intelligence, instinct and emotion.