Facial Expressing (Animated INTPs?)

[flow]

How expressive are you? Personally, I've always been a very animated person.. I realize it's kind of a conscious decision on whether or not to react, and during troublesome situations I'm very calm and unexpressive...but during everyday conversations I find myself being very expressive (this is of course only around people I know). Luckily, I've surrounded myself with lots of people I care about and love, and so I've found myself to be an animated INTP. Anyone else?

 

[zephryi]

*raises hand* Yup; however, I have the feeling it's due to the overwhelming influence of anime in my circle of friends and being relaxed enough to pick up on that. Outside of my friends, though, it's just my eyes- I usually widen them and nod so people know I'm not staring through them or something. XD

 

[Artifice Orisit]

Almost no facial expression, unless I'm thinking.

 

[Trayal]

I'm actually quite deadpan most of the time, like what is going on in my head never makes it outside.

The only, recent, exception is when I make funny faces at my little one - but that's a conscious effort.

 

[pussinboots]

so animated and introvertly balanced - many have thought for me to be an extrovert.

 

[preilemus]

so animated and introvertly balanced - many have thought for me to be an extrovert.

same. sometimes im not even sure myself because i can get very boisterous around people im comfortable with, and often can become the center of attention. i have a feeling many people would be surprised im an introvert. anyways, im pretty good at facial expressions, and often dont even realize im doing them. ive been told im a very good actor because of how well i can convey expression.

 

[mathy]

Agree with pussinboots and Glovehead. Definitely VERY animated conversationalist. Hands flying, silly face-making.

Just the other night at a party (mind you, after a little too much tequila) I was quite happy joking around with the best of extroverts (including total strangers), animated and lively as could be. (Albeit, just 30 minutes before I was content to sit by the fire, ignore the other partygoers, sip tequila, and read a book.) I confuse myself.

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

I'm very deadpan usually but will make faces at times for effect. Also when I'm not participating in a conversation, I will make eye contact with another who is basically listening and make a face at them.

 

[Weliddryn]

I need to remind myself to soften my expression or smile to remain civil in my interactions with people (and this is a forced occurrence, most of the time). It takes conscious thought and most of the time I am described as being expressionless or angry.

 

[Solfege]

I'm only comfortably expressive around those who know me well. Otherwise, it is very much a conscious effort, as others have stated.

That said, there are a few people, not all of whom are close friends, around whom I can't help but be animated for some unknown reason. Is anyone else energized by certain people this way?

 

[flow]

Absolutely. I find myself most comfortable being around ENFPs, ENFJs, well I suppose I could just say NFs in general make expressing myself effortless and natural. NTs I'm more concerned with what I'm saying, not as much how I'm saying it. SJs and SPs leave me guarded.

 

[DynamicMind]

It really depends, I guess. I'm very animated, but it's sort of a conscious effort most of the time. If I'm around people that I really enjoy it's not very hard, but if I'm being forced to socialize it's just how I communicate without having to talk too much.

If I'm trying to think I'll just sort of zone out...apparently I have a very expressive "thinking face." I've had a few people come up to me at my church and tell me that they find it interesting to watch me work on the audio system because I always have a "frustratedly amused" look.

 

[Ermine]

I'm quite animated and expressive with people I care about and am comfortable with. Otherwise, I'm a total deadpan with the exception of animated sarcasm.

 

[Waterstiller]

Absolutely. I find myself most comfortable being around ENFPs, ENFJs, well I suppose I could just say NFs in general make expressing myself effortless and natural. NTs I'm more concerned with what I'm saying, not as much how I'm saying it. SJs and SPs leave me guarded.

Same here.

If there is more than one person around I'm usually deadpan.

 

[pussinboots]

for me, it depends on the topic of discussion.....i can oscillate very quickly (from animation to blank) with topics that bore and vitalize me, my relationship to the company present don't seem to make an impact.

 

[Kuu]

It depends if I'm on Ti mode or Ne mode.

if I'm Ti, then you'll find more expression in a stone. But if I'm Ne-ing, then people might even mistake me for an extravert! Of course, Ne-ing is a relatively rare occurrence, usually involving close acquaintances and a particularly good week. And a dash of sleep deprivation and/or wine.

 

[chocolate]

It really depends on the situation. I range from deadpan to very silly. If I like the person I'm around and I feel comfortable with them, I get more animated. Or when I'm talking about something I'm excited about -- I can do hand movements, funny looks, move my whole body, etc. My ENTP friend told me I have an 'actor's face' (I'm very expressive around him).

I've heard from some people they think I'm very quiet and shy, and from others I'm very outgoing!

 

[Carnap]

My mom has called me "stoïc" since I've been a child. She always thought it was sort of funny, because I had a dry sense of humor back then, too.

So, I am not so animated. But, when I'm teaching (I used to teach English as a foreign language) I am quite animated. It's like I have teaching in the blood. My friend witnessed it and said she had never seen me like that, it's like night and day.

 

[Jennywocky]

I was very flat-faced most of my life, although depression did not help with it.

The more socially astute/experienced I became, the more animated I became. I'm really animated with my friends now (not just face but body language), not quite so animated with strangers... although I know I really do laugh, smile, and engage others with my eyes even when I don't know them.

It's good... but it also exhausts me.

 

[echoplex]

I can range from legally comatose (usually when around strangers who get too close without first talking or...something) to carelessly animated. Whenever I'm able to regain my sense of humor, the expressions usually return. Sometimes, though, life just isn't that funny. And other times, I am simply too aware of my own expressions, making them no longer enjoyable.

 

[spockguy]

In highly superficial interaction (Talking strictly business with someone e.g. buying something at a store) I'm expressive in my facial expression, plus I always say please and thank you, etc. When the circumstances are one-on-one, I'm generally alert and expressive, but within group interactions I'm not yet familiar with, I zone out and become unexpressive and silent, sub-consciously, and with friends I can sometimes be down right manic in my outward emotional appearance.

 

[polarmonk]

It depends. If i'm talking to a serious person about serious things, then I wear a blank face. Some may call this my stoned face.
If i'm talking exitedly about a new idea or with someone with equally crazy ideas, then I wear my crazy face. I find this side hard to control and sometimes embarrassing. I don't like to show too many emotions at once.
Sounds similar to a lot of people here.

 

[XIII]

There are ways to quickly change your pattern of facial expression. They typically require 5-10 minutes twice per day. If interested, ask (I don't want to come off as preaching).

 

[flow]

Oh do tell! Not that I'm particularly upset with my facial expressing...I actually rather enjoy my personality and all of it's quirks.

 

[XIII]

It's a technique from Reichian therapy. You don't need to study the system or buy into its assumptions, though. Just do the exercise and feel what happens.

PART 1: Make a facial expression and hold it for a few seconds. Then Relax all of your facial muscles completely. Then make another expression and hold it for a few seconds. Then relax your facial muscles completely.

Do this for about 5 minutes, or until you've made as many expressions as you want to. Make them extreme, subtle, in between... whatever. If you continue doing this regularly, you'll gain increased control over your muscles and be able to make expressions which you can't now (i.e. tensing one particular muscle which you can only tense in combination with others at the moment).

Part 2: Now squidge your face up tight. Tense every muscle. Pull (with your muscles, not your hands) your cheeks to your eyes. Keep your eyes so tight shut you start seeing white. Now start moving the muscles around while keeping your face very tense. You can do things like move your cheeks from side to side, drop your jaw down and move it from side to side etc. Finally, tense every facial muscle very, very tight and hold... hold... hold...
THEN RELEASE
and feel all the tension leave your face. Feel how your face has transformed.

If you do this twice a day, it will transform how you relate to the world through your facial expressions. You will gain greater empathy, be a little more likeable, and be able to release stress and tension from your face at will.

The above technique is best practiced in combination with two others:

1. Pull your shoulders up to your ears. Pull tham so high and tight that it strains and hurts. Be like a turtle trying to draw itself back into its shell. Feel the tension and heat build... hold it... hold it until it really strains...
NOW RELEASE
and let your shoulders drop down as far as possible. Relax completely.
(great for reducing stress and improving posture)

2. Look into the mirror. Try to express strong emotions using only your eyes. See how the muscles around your eyes move as you do this. Make as many eye-expressions as you can.
(this complements the face exercises very well)


If you want to hear it from an expert, or learn more about the system, I recommend Jack Willis:
http://www.reichiantherapy.net/

 

[Concojones]

My default mode is deadpan, i.e. my expressions are there but so subtle that sometimes they even go unnoticed; social exposure warms me up and makes me more expressive over the course of an hour or two. With certain types of people (haven't figured out which ones) I kind of instantly warm up & become pretty expressive, along the lines of what Flow said:

NFs in general make expressing myself effortless and natural.

XIII, I love your posts! The exercise you've just mentioned is one I had come up with independently (the basic idea, at least) and intend to practise (I believe many actors do similar exercises in front of their mirror; well I know that at least 'Mr. Bean' did - not that he's gonna be my role model tho! )

 

[Concojones]

(accidental post)

 

[Concojones]

(accidental post)



Hmm... a few more of these and I could be senior member!!

 

[Phoenix 966]

Generally I am almost non expressive(when dealing with unfamiliar people), but around my close friends I tend to ease up a lot.

 

[Grove]

Almost no facial expression, unless I'm thinking.

I am animated, and I think I convey more than I wish to in social situations by means of my expressions-- not much of a filter for me. However, I've been told that when I'm thinking I look angry. I'm always surprised by this, after all I'm not angry- I'm just concentrating. When this is my first impression on someone they will later tell me that I am much nicer than they expected. Does anyone else experience this?

 

[brain enclosed in flesh]

I am animated, and I think I convey more than I wish to in social situations by means of my expressions-- not much of a filter for me. However, I've been told that when I'm thinking I look angry. I'm always surprised by this, after all I'm not angry- I'm just concentrating. When this is my first impression on someone they will later tell me that I am much nicer than they expected. Does anyone else experience this?

Yes. For sure. When I was a child, I was always told to smile and stop being upset when I wasn't upset at all, just thinking. Now, especially after I have been alone for awhile, my facial expressions are misconstrued. I find out about this primarily from my husband- he'll walk in the door, look puzzled, and say, "Why are you looking at me like that?" I'll ask him what he's talking about and he'll say, "Like this," and make the face. Typically its a fairly odd facial expression that I have no idea that I ever make, let alone at that very moment. It's even worse if I don't have my glasses on or my contacts in- if I can't see the other person's facial expression in order to mirror it or reply in kind, my face sort of goes awry and does its own thing.

I also get the surprise from others that I am nice, funny. I vacillate between reserved and animated with little self control in regards to my level of animation. Typically, though, I feel embarrassed after I'm animated, regardless of whether people are enjoying the interaction with me or not. I'm always positive that I said too much or screwed up in some way. (See the thread on socializer's remorse.)

 

[Tyria]

I tend to smile when meeting others, but usually to help put others at ease or to make them feel better (if they look like they have had a rough time of things). I am more animated by others than when I am alone.