The facepalm, the impulsive covering of the eyes with the hand, is the healthiest of all gestures and can even prolong life. A team of researchers from Fachhochschule Dortmund almost found this out in a groundbreaking study - if it wasn't an April Fool's joke.
It is one of the most important signs in pop culture: the facepalm. Since its introduction as an emoji by the Unicode Consortium in 2016, the "facepalm" has been one of the most popular language characters and is just as much a part of social media comment columns as it is of messenger chats. Its diverse range of expressions includes bewilderment, shame, embarrassment and various shades of embarrassment at the supposed stupidity or incompetence of another person.
To mark the tenth anniversary of this central gesture of our modern communication, an interdisciplinary group of researchers from Fachhochschule Dortmund led by Prof. Dr. Esther Fürther has now dedicated a study to it with several elaborate series of tests. The surprising result: despite its fundamentally sarcastic, disrespectful character, the gesture has a whole range of positive, even health-promoting effects.
The positive effects
The researchers differentiate between physical and psychological effects. The physical effects include stimulation of blood circulation, gentle training of biceps, shoulder and neck muscles and intensive promotion of hand-eye coordination.
According to Prof. Fürther, the psychological effects include an increase in serenity and compassion as well as the opportunity to understand one's own head and thus literally oneself: "This is a very original approach to the self, which can have a therapeutic effect."
Four main variants
Over the course of its ten-year history, the facepalm has evolved from a singularly defined "That can't be true!" gesture to a culturally complex body vocabulary. Prof. Fürther and her team have extrapolated four basic types from the variety of current uses.
1. the "Epic
| Characteristics | Eruptive and dynamic. |
| Occasion | Absurd behavior, record-breaking nonsense. |
| How-to | Swing your hand powerfully towards your forehead. Open your hand in good time before the impact, which may well be audible. Turn your palm downwards so that it does not cover your eyes and you can continue to stare in bewilderment at the reason for the gesture. Let your hand rest in this position for a few moments to reinforce the statement. |
| Reception | Communicates your assessment of the event wordlessly and yet clearly. Has a down-to-earth, undisguised, sincere and transparent effect. Performed together with others, it strengthens friendly relationships. |
| Effects | Releases inner tensions, relieves the mind. |
| Made famous by | George Kennedy as Captain Ed Hocken and others in the film "Naked Gun: Final Insult". This scene is considered an "epic facepalm" due to the large number of actors involved. |
2. the "Jean-Luc
| Characteristics | Sophisticated, elegant, unmistakable, like a sigh with the whole body. |
| Occasion | Foreign shame. |
| How-to |
Hold your non-dominant hand (left for right-handers and vice versa) loosely open, as if you were gently stroking the head of a newborn baby, and bring it gracefully in front of your eyes. |
| Reception | Performed correctly, it strengthens the facepalming person's claim to leadership. |
| Effects | Relaxation of the neck, calming of the breath. Pop culture statement. |
| Made famous by | Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek. |
3. the "reverse"
| Characteristics | Dismayed, resigned. |
| Occasion | A blatant misjudgment. |
| How-to | Start where the "Jean-Luc" ends: With your hand covering your eyes, slowly pull it outward, sliding your fingertips across your forehead and eyebrows as if to soothe a headache. During this movement, say a sentence that gets to the heart of the matter that has obviously escaped the other person's attention. Choose simple words and emphasize each syllable. End your sentence with a deep look into the other person's eyes. |
| Reception | Arrogant, condescending, lecturing. |
| Effects | Self-aggrandizement by belittling the other person. Psychologically and morally questionable. |
| Known through | Sean Bean as Boromir in "Lord of the Rings": "One does not simply walk into Mordor." |
4. the "D'OH!"
| Characteristics | Harsh, impulsive, out of affect. Self-referential, therefore often without visible cause. |
| Occasion | The sudden realization that one's own action or decision was grossly unintelligent. |
| How-to | If you realize that you have made an avoidable mistake, simply surrender to the feeling that arises. Most people intuitively act correctly in response. Here are the instructions: Channel your anger into your arm and throw your hand against the area around your eyes and forehead. If you want to make the self-criticism particularly clear, deliberately ignore your hairstyle or any headgear. |
| Reception | Ambivalent: Can appear sympathetic to others - but also unrestrained and shameless. |
| Effects | Inner catharsis, coming to terms with yourself. |
| Known through | Homer Simpson in "The Simpsons". |
However, the researchers warn that there are also dangers lurking with the facepalm. During the intensive test series, calluses formed on the flapping hand in some cases, resulting in scratches or small hematomas in the forehead area. The researchers therefore recommend regularly changing the flapping hand and using a good hand cream during intensive facepalming.
Another source of danger is the position of the fingers: an unfavorably splayed thumb, for example, can quickly hit the eye. Inexperienced players should therefore wear protective goggles before starting training.
A boo-boo with power
In view of the many positive effects, the facepalm is a "super move" - analogous to "superfoods" such as edamame or blueberries, which are particularly rich in nutrients. A yoga school in Dortmund has already included the gesture in its repertoire as the "Lalata-Hasta-Mudra" ("forehead-hand gesture", posture of serene regret) and reports promising initial applications.
Can the gesture even increase life expectancy? "The evidence cannot be dismissed - as long as you follow the safety instructions," says Prof. Fürther and recommends: "Treat yourself to a facepalm every day. There are plenty of occasions in life."