Windows to the Soul

I’ve recently heard a familiar saying, ‘eyes are the windows to the soul.’

The phrase rumbled around in my head for a few days, leaving me wondering its meaning. First, I researched where it originated. I found the phrase’s origin dates to an early proverb. Cicero (106-043 B.C.) says, “The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter.” They’ve also attributed ‘eyes are the windows to the soul’ to William Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, and even the bible.

I thought maybe the saying referred to eye color. Your eye color is a physical trait that makes you unique. I found many beliefs linking eye color to personality traits. Recently, science has determined that all people with blue eyes share a single ancestor. We sometimes see blue eyes as a sign of luck, or the people with blue eyes have a gift for seeing the truth.

Brown eyes are the most common color. Somewhere between 70% and 80% of people have brown eyes. Brown-eyed people are sensitive and empathetic.

One of the rarest eye colors in green. Only 2% of the population have them. We associate green eyes with passion. Myths have related this eye color to witches, magic, and vampires.

They found hazel eyes, a combination of green and gold or orange, in about 5% of the world’s population. Hazel eyed folks experience emotions more intensely. They are risk takers, independent, and brave.

Eyes provide information on our emotional state. You recognize a genuine smile not by the shape of a person’s mouth, but if the smile reaches their eyes. When I see someone who is sad or worried, they have a furrowed brow, making their eyes look smaller. When a person is happy, their eyes are wide and they raise their eyebrows, making their eyes look big and bright. A roll of the eyes shows annoyance or boredom with something I’ve said. If you’ve lived with teenagers, you know what I mean!

Overtime, people can learn to control their eye expression to hide authentic emotion. You can force a smile to reach your eyes. What I found in a Psychology Today article is that the pupils tell us the truth about the emotions and intentions of people.

Pupillary light response is only one reason our pupils change size. Since we have no voluntary control over our pupils, they could betray our authentic emotions. Preparing to take action, whether against a threat or building up the nerve to talk to the attractive co-worker, causes our pupils to dilate. They consider pupil dilatation to be an honest cue to sexual or social interest, where tiny pupils reveal your lack of interest.

We automatically search each other’s eyes and faces for signs of emotion. It’s our non-verbal way of communicating with one another. Whether it’s eye color, pupil dilation, or facial expressions, our emotions are on display. So, connect with the extraordinary people in your life. Laugh with those experiencing joy. Take care of those experiencing loss or sorrow. We only have each other. Let your soul shine brightly.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-eye-color-is-the-most-common-in-the-world.html