Definition: The terrifying skill of decoding a person’s entire emotional state or hidden agenda from a fleeting, almost imperceptible facial tic or momentary shift in body language that lasts less than a blink. These human lie detectors don’t just see the flinch when you ask about their day; they see the specific flavor of dread behind it. Their power stems from hyper-vigilance honed in environments where missing a micro-expression meant emotional landmine territory, allowing them to ask devastatingly accurate, gentle-but-piercing questions that bypass your defenses entirely. It’s like they have X-ray vision for suppressed panic.
Example: “How’s the new job?” Tom asked casually. Ben’s left eyelid did a nanosecond twitch before he chirped, “Great! Busy!” Tom, leveraging his micro-squint, leaned in and murmured, “Yeah? What’s the boss doing that’s making you check LinkedIn every lunch break?” Ben nearly choked on his drink, stunned silent.