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Ever Widening Circles

Pixabay

Culture

5 minute lesson

The Universal Language of Our Emotions

Ever Widening Circles

In the quest for finding the universals of human nature, perhaps we need to look no further than the face staring back at us in the mirror. Our emotions may connect us all!

In the 1960’s, psychologist Paul Ekman began to study facial expression and emotion in humans, and his work shed light on what was common about our emotions. So, does your face of surprise or happiness translate the same to anyone around the globe? Let’s see.

Why It Matters

Sometimes we have to remember these places where we are the same.

Your face of frustration is the same as the person next to you. Their huge smile and yours express the same feelings of joy. We are capable of speaking these same languages, and now we are better equipped to listen—or in this case, watch.

Let's Talk About It
  1. What were some of the universal expressions?
  2. Can you think of a time where you’ve looked at someone and known how they were feeling?
  3. Why do you think our expressions are important? What use do they have?

TED-Ed

TED-Ed’s commitment to creating lessons worth sharing is an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas. Within TED-Ed’s growing library of TED-Ed animations, you will find carefully curated educational videos, many of which represent collaborations between talented educators and animators nominated through the TED-Ed website (ed.ted.com).

Thank You

Thank you to the EWCed writing staff! If you want to submit content to EWCed, please let us know.

Citations

“Are There Universal Expressions of Emotion? – Sophie Zadeh.” YouTube. TED-Ed, 03 July 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hr58Yu0yDs>.

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