My Interest in Physiognomy

How long have you been studying physiognomy?

I have known something about physiognomy and face reading since 2016, but for a while it was fairly superficial knowledge. But in 2021 I traveled to the Kingdom of Jordan to study Arabic, and it was there that I was reintroduced to physiognomy, or as it is known there, al-firasa, by a group of elders from the al-Guddah Bedouin tribe of the Jordanian desert. I noted to them that a fellow student in my study abroad program seemed rather nitpicky in discussions, in a manner that reminded me much of an old friend from back home. One of the elders asked me if this friend had close-set eyes like this student had. I said yes, and asked him how he knew! He then introduced to the art of qira'at al-wujuh (lit. reading faces), AKA al-firasa (physiognomy, lit. discernment), and told me about the meanings of various facial features. We discussed the topic at length, and after my visit with them I began to dive deeper and deeper into the topic, eventually leading to where I am today.

What have you studied in the field of physiognomy?

I derive my knowledge of physiognomy from three primary sources. The first source is books, ranging from the ancient (the Physiognomicae of Aristotle and Polemon, the works of Ibn Arabi) to the modern (Amazing Face Reading by Mac Fulfer, Face Reading Secrets for Successful Relationships by Dr. Peter Reznik). The second source is miscellaneous written and spoken sources, including blog posts, podcasts, pamphlets, videos, and more. This is usually how I get my information on non-Western methods of physiognomy, such as Chinese or Indian. The third and final source is personal experience and observation, sometimes aided by fellow physiognomists. A great amount of the details of my system of physiognomy come from my own insights and experience, such that I provide a level of accuracy and precision that few, if any, can rival.

What other related topics have you studied?

I am very interested in human beings and in what makes each individual unique, and as such I have researched many related topics over the years, with physiognomy lying at the intersection of them all. I have extensively studied, through reading, listening, discussing, and personal observation, the workings of Jungian cognitive functions, as well as the Myers-Briggs personality type system that is derived from Jung's theories. In addition to that, I have also studied the Enneagram personality typing system, a system that I find is a bit less thorough than Jungian cognitive theory but wonderfully complements it in many ways. On the more cultural and historical side of things, I have thoroughly studied the workings of generational identity and intergenerational dynamics, and specifically how generational belonging affects our personalities, beliefs, lifestyles, and attitudes. I have also done similar studies into the same effect but as it has to do with birthplace and regional cultural differences. Last but not least, I have researched human biodiversity and how it intersects with various scientific disciplines, including genetics, physical anthropology, political science, endocrinology, history, and sociology. This has given me a further edge in my work in physiognomy, as it allows me to more easily understand the reason behind differing physical characteristics in individuals.