Is a smooth forehead a sign of covert narcissism?

Is a smooth forehead a sign of covert narcissism?

There are some trendy videos going viral that claim you can tell if a person is empathetic or a covert narcissist based on the wrinkles in their forehead.

Sounds awesome!

It would be amazing if you could just look at somebody and talk to them, paying attention to their forehead to see if they're truly empathetic or a narcissist.

One person even went as far as to say that someone who gets Botox in their forehead is likely a covert narcissist because they're primarily worried about their appearance.

But could it be true? Is there empirical evidence for this?

The answer is a resounding "no."

There is no evidence to support this. In doing some research around this today, I thought, "Man, that would be so easy to look at somebody's forehead and determine if they are truly empathetic or not."

That would take a lot of the guessing out of the equation.

Here is what the evidence says:

Wrinkled Forehead and Empathy: There is no empirical evidence to support the claim that a wrinkled forehead is a sign of empathy. Forehead wrinkles are primarily caused by habitual facial expressions (like raising eyebrows), natural aging, sun exposure, and genetics. While facial muscle activity is linked to emotional expression and experience, the presence of permanent wrinkles does not indicate a person's level of empathy. In fact, some research suggests wrinkles can sometimes obscure clear emotional signaling.

Smooth Forehead and Covert Narcissism: There is no empirical evidence linking a smooth forehead to covert narcissism. Covert narcissism is a psychological construct defined by behavioral and personality traits such as a hidden sense of superiority, intense sensitivity to criticism, manipulation, and a lack of empathy, among others. These are not physical characteristics, and current diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder (including covert forms) do not include any facial features.

So while it is a clever way to get more views on your TikTok account, there is nothing to support that claim. Yet I would imagine there are some people right now judging their partner as narcissistic because they have a smooth forehead.

This is why it's so important to test the claims. Look for the evidence. And not just the pseudoscience or philosophical evidence; look at the research. What does the research say from testing? Is there a connection? Is it always accurate?

So many times, we decide that somebody says something online and it's a truth because it's going viral.

Here's what I've learned about people.

They don't want the truth. They want confirmation of their truth.

When you feel anxiety, uncertainty, or insecurity, just because you feel it doesn't mean it's true. It's important to investigate it. To really explore it. To get outside, neutral perspectives on your point of view to see if you're seeing it correctly.

Too often, people are making snap judgments based on their emotions and sensations without really exploring whether that perception is accurate or not.

While having emotions can be an alarm system for paying attention to something, it doesn't mean that it's accurate.

They say that we have thoughts unconsciously up to 10 seconds before we have conscious awareness of them. This has been measured and researched.

What that means is if I have an emotion, for at least 10 seconds, my body has already been processing it, pulling up similar patterns, packaging it, and then presenting it to me as if it is a truth, and it brings all the evidence to make its case.

So if I'm not conscious, I can react from that evidence and be fully justified in my experience, all while being completely wrong.

Our minds are powerful and fallible.

Yes, investigate the sensations, but make sure that the knowledge you're drawing from is accurate and objective before acting. Because you may be going off of old memories and old patterns and traumas, and not reality.

This is why I find it so important to pay attention to my alarm system, but to investigate it before acting on it.

Many people don't do this. They feel the sensations and emotions, they see the thoughts tied to those, and they're reacting before they have a chance to really explore it.

To be conscious requires a lot of energy. Therefore, the brain and body prefer non-consciousness over consciousness because of the high cost. The reason we have heuristics is for efficiency.

Of the 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts that we have a day, 70% are negative and only 5% are original. This means that we are making predictions off of our past experiences, not off of present reality.

It is essential that when you're making a decision in your life, you slow down and objectively investigate it to make sure that you're not reacting.

A decision from reaction is completely different from a decision made by objective investigation.

When scientists develop a hypothesis, they don't go out to try and prove they're right. Instead, they start their research by proving themselves wrong.

Then the evidence speaks and tells them if they are seeing it inaccurately and what the truth of the situation is.

Strive to make your decisions empirically. Strive to slow down with your body to investigate and get objective truths before you act. And then make your decision.

I hope that serves you in some way today. It definitely serves me. I strive to make my decisions empirically, but like any other human, I do have times where I react. And then I'm left cleaning up the mess.

If you would like to learn more about how to truly develop yourself into your giant potential and move forward in your life in more powerful ways, please follow along. Check out our program in the bio.

And if a conversation would serve you, please reach out to me and we'll create one.

Go make it a giant day!

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