'Hard' faces

[Col]

How do some people have 'hard' looking faces?

[WaldoMcFroog]

When a human being is being aggressive, there are certain facial characteristics which we associate with them. These might include small eyes (the human response to agression is to close the eyes slightly in order to make them less of a target to an attacker), lips pulled back from the teeth (bearing the teeth is a sign of agression) etc. Take someone like Ray Winstone - he looks hard because he has quite a heavy brow, jutting chin and smallish eyes. Doesn't mean he is hard, mind you! Take Elijah 'Frodo Baggins' Wood, and his features are soft - huge great eyes, sensual mouth etc. These make us think that he's probably quite soft. Might not be of course! Other features such as a sharp nose and chin might make us characterise someone as spiky etc.