Malcolm Gladwell, an amazing New Yorkerish writer, is almost frightening in his relentless pursuit of truth. This incisive thinker and crisp prose stylist is known for Outliers, Blink, and The Tipping Point. Would he welcome a face reading article? Maybe not. What’s the closest the great Mr. Gladwell has come to reporting on face reading, the 5,000-year-old art of physiognomy?

Oops, Gladwell has interviewed Paul Ekman. A predictable choice really, as Professor Ekman is abundantly credentialled, hard-science-based in his approach… and totally dismissive of real face reading. Instead, Ekman offers extremely elegant expression reading, which he calls “face reading.” Eckman really is great at that.

Just for fun, I thought it might be enjoyable to give Gladwell a dose of medicine he is likely never to request on his own behalf.

Face Reading Tech Support

For reference, fellow face readers, you might wish to use this big face reading link to Malcolm Gladwell, thereby opening up a nice, big photographed version of his face.

Note: Over time, links can go bad. And legally I don’t have the rights to show celebrity photos, so I can’t display them here other than providing links. But you can easily go over to Google, type in the person’s name and the blog post date, then search on images. Click on a good image, preferably current with the time of the reading here at this blog.

All systems of physiognomy are not alike, Blog-Buddies. I will be exploring the power of face reading through my system of Face Reading Secrets®. Currently only one of my face reading how to’s is in print, “Read People Deeper: Body Language + Face Reading + Auras.” It’s a grand way to start, since you can explore one practical category of life at a time.

In Face Reading Secrets®, there is always a talent that goes with an item of face reading data. There is also a POTENTIAL challenge, which I will signify with a question mark. To learn if a challenge is potential or real, during the time of a photo, you Blog-Buddies might want to add the separate skill set of doing either Stage 3 Energetic Literacy with aura reading or doing a Skilled Empath Merge.

To see the difference between left and right, be sure to cross over mentally (as if shaking hands). Gladwell’s right side of his face will be on the left side of your screen.

Face Reading Mr. Gladwell

This mega-talented man has such a fascinating combination of sensitivity and strength. Let’s start with the former.

Face Reading Data #1 Large Eyelid Thickness, VERY full on the right

• How to see the face reading data:

If Malcolm Gladwell were wearing blue eyeshadow, you would see it clearly even while his eyes are open. And you would see more of it on the right eye than the left. Note: He has a double eyelid fold, which provides a context for interpretation.

• Corresponding talent:

In career, even more than his personal life, Malcolm Gladwell moves into a deep level of involvement with the person he is interviewing or writing about. He becomes “us” before snapping back to his personal point of view.

• Potential challenge?

Needing to do a big “snap” back into his objective role as a writer. He may alternate between very deep immersion in the point of view and personality of the person he interviews with moving back and pushing hard with the qualities he possesses related to strength, objectivity, etc. (This potential challenge would primarily be hard on him and his physiological system.)

Face Reading Data #2 Extra-Full Upper Lip

• How to see the face reading data:

If you compare the fulness of upper and lower lips, Gladwell’s upper lip is very full in proportion to the lower one.

• Corresponding talent:

Perceptive communication, based in knowing intuitively and deeply. If you have read any of the above-mentioned books by Gladwell, and I have read them all with great admiration, it will be evident that he supplements this form of verbal sensitivity with meticulous research about objective reality.

• Potential challenge?

Telling folks more inside information than they are willing to hear? This challenge is unlikely with Gladwell. Among other reasons, he has such a preponderance of forceful, strength related facial quirks, a.k.a., extreme talents. (Just keep reading.)

Face Reading Data #3 VERY Huge Eyebrow Density on the right

• How to see the face reading data:

It’s worth opening up one of the face reading photo links supplied in this post, then expanding it, just to get the full impact of a rare asymmetry on Gladwell’s eyebrows. The left one has exceptionally sparse density of hair, while the right one — the face reading data being described here — is power packed, way fuller with propecia dense hair than average.

• Corresponding talent:

In career, not personal life, possessing an exceptional capacity to pay attention to details when conducting an inquiry. You’ll meet few people who are more meticulous in gathering and organizing relevant facts.

• Potential challenge?

Overwhelm when researching and categorizing? Not knowing when to stop research and move over to conclusions?

Malcolm Gladwell’s relatively prolific output suggests that, in recent years anyway, he has managed to overcome this challenge. Really, his signature style in nonfiction is to find patterns and conceptualize reasons that reframe details in a most fascinating light.

Face Reading Data #4 VERY Angled Chin Bottom

• How to see the face reading data:

Behold the shape at the bottom of Malcolm Gladwell’s chin. It is like a triangle. Note that truly angled chin bottoms are extremely rare.

• Corresponding talent:

Life choices, writing choices, based on staying in control. This talent helps Gladwell in his career to heft the sizeable amounts of information he collects as a nonfiction writer and wrest those details into a larger context that he creates.

• Potential challenge?

In his personal life, having this strong a need to control — could it create relationship difficulties? Can there be true sharing of power?

Face Reading Data #5 Macho Knob

• How to see the face reading data:

Like a doorknob, this is a shape on Malcolm Gladwell’s chin. This item of face reading data is created by muscle, and new physiognomists can be surprised to discover that this face reading data can change enormously over the years.

Of course, face readers discover loads of significant changes to the physical face. This isn’t necessarily about genetics or heredity but free will. And if you survey different systems of physiognomy, I doubt you will find anyone in this field who places stronger evidence on how faces change over time. (Blog-Buddies, you may know that one of my out-of-print books, currently, is “Wrinkles Are God’s Makeup,” a how-to that I researched with near Malcolm Gladwellian intensity, taking 9 1/2 years to write and publish it. Currently a small number of copies can still be purchased by workshop students for workshops held here in Sterling…)

• Corresponding talent:

Forceful use of rage to muscle Malcolm’s way through challenges and obstacles.

• Potential challenge?

Being more forceful than he knows, causing him to sometimes shoot ants with cannons?

Face Reading Data #6 VERY Muscular Jaws

• How to see the face reading data:

Look past the VERY wide jaws — a separate face reading characteristic with its own fascination but, really, I have to end today’s blog post somewhere.

It’s worth using one of the above face reading photo links in order to open and enlarge this picture just to see this unusual characteristic: Big, muscular padding. Akin to flexed biceps only these are, of course, at the sides of his face rather than the length of his arms. And as even novices to physiognomy are aware, these face parts aren’t called “arms,” regardless of their degree of muscular development.

• Corresponding talent:

Can this man push himself? Heroically. The determination is akin to a bodybuilder’s strength, only applied internally.

Expect great things from this man.

Oh, wait, he has already done great things. Okay, expect more great things from this man. And not because face reading involves fortunetelling. As you Blog-Buddies know, I am not a psychic, and I work in the realms of the present, applying skills of literacy to what shows at the time — such as when Gladwell posed for this particular photograph.

• Potential challenge?

Not knowing the force of his rage? Being more effective (when angry) than he knows?

Exceptional determination. Force of will akin to a body builder’s but applied mentally and/or in action.

What, you thought a man can effortlessly become one of the very top nonfiction writers in English, or easily rise to the top of the heap at the fabled “New Yorker” magazine?

Being harsh with himself? Forcing himself to accomplish ever more, more, more?

Sure hope that isn’t so. I am so in like with Malcolm Gladwell, admiring him so much, and wishing his face (and the rest of him) every happiness.

Conclusion, reading Malcolm Gladwell’s face

Some of you at this blog are professional writers like me and can, therefore, share in admiration of this master craftsman.

Others of you Blog-Buddies have simply read one or more of his magnificent bestsellers.

Either way, Malcolm Gladwell is such a standout. If we knighted our superstar writers in America, he would undoubtedly be called “Sir Malcolm Gladwell” by now.

But even if you have never read a word yet of Gladwell’s impeccable prose, you can admire him through this face reading. What a combination, within one very human and male nervous system, of sensitivity, grace, and finesse… vying with rigor and power.

Each face, to me, shows such perfection. But this physiognomist must confess: I have read this particular face with more than the usual relish. Reading Malcolm Gladwell’s face doesn’t explain his talent — only he is responsible for that. Instead, physiognomy can help all of us to savor this truly amazing man.

Incidentally, Gladwell has a blog which you might enjoy sampling from this Face Readee’s Link.