Premeditated Violence

So basically, Lie to Me is one of my favorite shows of all time.

I've only ever seen it (every episode available) on Netflix, but from what I understand it doesn't do too bad for itself in the real world of TV either. The characters run a lab dedicated to detecting lies through facial expressions in order to solve mysteries/get criminals to confess/find missing persons, etc.

It's based on Paul Ekman's real-life study on mapping and reading the facial expressions. Some expressions are believed to be universal to human emotion, regardless of cultural context. Throughout the show, scenes are punctuated by flashing pictures of public figures displaying the same expressions as the characters in the episode.

For example, scorn looks like this:



And guilt looks like this:



And contempt looks like this:



Etc. It's awesome. I hate liars, and I love this show.

Anyway. Now for my story:

I was working out the other day (read: going running for the first time in 2 months), and although it was a little rough, I thought I was enjoying myself. I go to the Provo Rec center, which is pretty small and a little shabby, but I love it all the same. I was on a treadmill right next to a wall with floor to ceiling mirrors. For the most part, I avoided eye contact with myself because working out isn't a pretty color on me.

HOWEVER. I looked at the mirror at one point, and I actually recognized the facial expression I was unconsciously making. I had been exposed to it a few times while watching Lie to Me. It looked a little something like this:



Seriously. The first girl in the frame could have been my work-out face twin.


This still flashed into my mind as I was looking at myself in the mirror, and I scared the crap out of myself and almost lost my balace on the treadmill.

Why, you ask? Aside from being a little shocking in and of itself, this expression, my friends, appears only on the faces of people intending to commit premeditated acts of violence. Like murder.

No joke.

So according to Dr. Ekman, working out makes me want to kill people. Doesn't sound too far off.

The End.

P.S. The internet at my house stopped working, so I have to blog in a lab on campus. My life is really hard.

P.P.S. The kid next to me is presently picking his nose and looking at it. I heart BYU.