In this episode of Speak Easy Doctors, Dr. D and Dr. J explore “leaked emotions” and micro-expressions—the tiny, often unconscious facial and bodily cues that reveal what we’re really feeling. Drawing on the work of Anna Wierzbicka, Paul Ekman, and Haggard & Isaacs, they discuss whether emotions and expressions are truly universal or shaped by culture, with a few detours into primatology, anthropology, and sociolinguistics. They unpack how sadness and fear often get hidden behind smiles or flat affect, how our bodies (jaw clenching, tight shoulders, fidgeting) “tell on us,” and how some modalities use these somatic signals in therapy. Ultimately, they invite listeners to see micro-expressions as a pathway to deeper connection—with ourselves and with others.
