The appearance is determined by the heart: the origin of physiognomy

There is an old Chinese saying: Appearance is determined by the heart. Physiognomy has a long history and has been an important science of identifying people since ancient times. However, today it is regarded as a trick of the underworld. The fault is not in physiognomy, but in the problem of people.

Before the Song Dynasty, physiognomy had a high status. Its status was lowered after the Ming Dynasty due to the addition of divination studies such as the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams. This is the foresight that modern people should have, and it is extremely important.

So, what you want to learn is the emperor's observation of people without any superstitious color? Or is it just some underworld term full of metaphysics?

The study of people was called physiognomy in ancient times. It is a study of physiognomy and also a study of emperors. It is a technique of judging character and fortune by observing the muscles and bones of the human body. It has been highly valued by emperors of all dynasties since ancient times. Whether it is selecting generals or ministers, physiognomy is an important basis for decision-making.

Emperors of all dynasties attached great importance to physiognomy, as we can see from ancient books such as "Zuo Zhuan", "Yi Zhou Shu" and "Wu Yue Chunqiu", and it became essential knowledge for the upper class. For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the art of physiognomy was already quite popular. At that time, Fan Li, a doctor from the State of Yue, pointed out that King Goujian of Yue had a long neck and a bird's beak, which meant that he could share hardships but not happiness. This can be regarded as an application example of the art of physiognomy.

From the late Warring States period to the Qin and Han dynasties, the art of physiognomy had developed to a fairly complete level, becoming a unique discipline that was highly valued by both the court and the people. The "Han Shu Yiwenzhi" once recorded 24 volumes of "The Book of Physiognomy", which became the earliest comprehensive work on physiognomy in China.

At this time, the imperial court had fortune tellers who specialized in fortune-telling to serve as advisors to the emperor in selecting candidates. As a result, many famous fortune tellers emerged among the people, such as the female fortune teller Xu Fu in the early Western Han Dynasty and Sima Hui in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Wang Chong said in the chapter of "Bone Physiognomy" in "Lun Heng": Fate is easy to know, but what's the use of knowing it? Use it in the bones... Observe the signs of the bones to see whether one is rich or poor... At that time, people paid great attention to observing the bones. In the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, people began to move from bone to body shape. Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms said in "Physiognomy": If the appearance is different from the outside, but the Tao is in harmony with the inside, the name will be known all over the world. Isn't it appropriate?

Lu Meng, the best military strategist of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, was a strong and fighting bad boy when he was young. Later he joined the army to serve his country and became a troublemaker in the army. One day, Sun Quan, the King of Wu, sincerely advised him that it was not enough for a person to have strength alone. He must also be knowledgeable and educated and study the art of war in order to become an outstanding general.

Lu Meng understood it deeply, studied hard, and his whole temperament changed. When his former superior Lu Su met him, he was very surprised. The rogue Lu Meng who loved fighting back then had completely changed, and even said that he was no longer the A'mon of Wu.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, physiognomy entered its heyday. Famous people like Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng became guests of honor of the royal family. Moreover, physiognomy had become a complete academic system, including the face, palms, posture, walking, voice, hair, complexion, etc., and had become a complete discipline.

After the Ming Dynasty, simple physiognomy was mixed with the metaphysics of yin and yang, the five elements, the eight trigrams and the heavenly stems and earthly branches. As it was popular among the people for a long time, it gradually degenerated into a street trick that was not worthy of being displayed in a formal setting. Even now, its social status is still low.

In the "Analects of Confucius", "On Government", Confucius said: "Look at what he does, observe where he comes from, and examine where he is at ease. How can a man be thin? How can a man be thin? This is Confucius's experience in observing and learning from people. It also shows the importance of knowing people, which is even more important to know in modern society.

In the chapter "Nan An" of "Mencius", Mencius said: There is nothing better in a man than his eyes. The eyes cannot conceal his evil. If the heart is right, the eyes will be clear. If the heart is not right, the eyes will be evil. Listening to his words and looking at his eyes, how can he be so thin? How can a person be thin? This is Mencius's way of observing people, and it is also the method of observing the eyes in detail in physiognomy.

It can be seen that appearance is determined by the heart. A person's face is a mirror of his character. A person with a sinister heart will never look upright. Lu Meng's change is a good example of physiognomy.

A person's appearance is like his history. It not only records the past, but also hints at his future fortune. Therefore, understanding the art of judging people will be helpful for your career development.

Facial features are the product of one's inner self. Not only can they not be changed intentionally by others, but they will also continue to affect everything about a person throughout the long journey of life.

Chinese physiognomy can be said to have originated from the Book of Changes, and after thousands of years of observation and experience, it was integrated with physiology, psychology, medicine, genetics, and became a discipline through statistical induction. In ancient times, Confucius and Mencius knew about physiognomy, Fan Li commented that Goujian could only share hardships, Zhuge Liang commented that Wei Yan was rebellious and should not be reused, and Zeng Wenzheng would always observe each general before using troops... It can be seen that in ancient times, physiognomy was highly valued by high-level officials. Therefore, physiognomy is by no means superstition as some people think.

Chiang Kai-shek also listed physiognomy as one of the conditions for employing people. If any colonel wanted to be promoted to general, he would be specially summoned and all his movements from entering the door to leaving, as well as his appearance, would be secretly observed. Many colonels lost the opportunity to be promoted to major general because of the slightest deficiency in this aspect. This is a well-known fact in the military, which shows the importance of physiognomy.

Of course, it is not uncommon for charlatans to take advantage of human weaknesses and use physiognomy to deceive people. Therefore, in order to help the readers of this book become experts in people reading, they no longer need to look for anyone to calculate their faces. This book uses a very scientific writing method that has never been seen in any physiognomy book on the market to present the art of people reading in a complete manner. I believe that as long as you understand what is said in the book, you will be able to become a master of people reading.

The above is all the content about "Appearance is determined by the mind": the origin of physiognomy. For more information, please follow the Dream Interpreter's Fortune Telling Network's "Appearances are Born from the Heart" channel!