Author: Matt Davis / Source: Big Think
Big Think illustration / Actor Peter Gallagher attends the 24th and final ‘A Night at Sardi’s’ to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 9, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Life is already hard enough, but some people seem hell-bent on making it harder.
We’ve all met people who refuse to accept blame, exploit their relationships, or elevate themselves by knocking everyone else down a peg or two. You might be able to minimize contact with these folks, but it’s impossible to avoid them. They’re narcissists, and they’re everywhere. In America, narcissism isactually on the rise, so maybe it’s a good time to get back into that soothing meditation practice you’ve been putting off.
Fortunately, new research has provided an excellent clue for identifying the narcissists lurking among us: the eyebrows. A study byMiranda Giacomin and Nicholas O. Rule has shown that bushier eyebrows are associated with higher levels of narcissism.
There are a few different flavors of narcissism, but this study examined the classic type: grandiose narcissists. They’re the kind that craves attention, are extroverted, have a high opinion of themselves, and fail to recognize their inner emptiness. According to Giacomin and Rule’s results, this type of narcissist has far more distinctive eyebrows than non-narcissists.
What do eyebrows have to do with narcissism?
Research has already shown that people can judge narcissism by appearance. After all, narcissists tendto wear flashier clothes or apply more extravagant makeup. But evenunadorned and unaltered faces offer a cue for narcissism. This study strove to find out whether it was the whole face that gave the impression of narcissism or a single feature, and if so, to identify which feature was tipping people off.
Eyebrows are one of, if not the most, expressive features on the face. They are crucial to recognizing identities—for example, a study found that people had more trouble recognizing celebrities with their eyebrows removed than with their eyeballs removed (in Photoshop, relax guys). Eyebrows have been found to influence attractiveness and mate selection as well.
“Because grandiose narcissists strongly…
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