The Enigma of Blushing: Why People Turn Red and What It Reveals About Emotions

Introduction to Blushing

Blush is a makeup technique that has been in use for centuries to enhance the appearance of the cheeks. It is a form of makeup that gives a healthy, glowing complexion and adds color to the cheeks. With a wide variety of colors and formulations, blush can be applied in multiple ways to achieve different looks. It is not just a cosmetic enhancement but also a unique human expression.

Blushing as an Emotional Signal

Many people blush when they are in awkward situations or when they are nervous around someone they like. This phenomenon is beautifully captured in the lines from Edmund Spenser's 'Faerie Queene': 'Withal she laughed and she blush'd withal, /That Blushing to her Laughter gave more grace /And Laughter to her Blushing, as did fall.'

Evolutionary Significance of Blushing

Charles Darwin's Perspective

Blushing, as Charles Darwin notes in his The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), is a uniquely human expression. Darwin devotes a whole chapter to explore its evolutionary significance. He summarizes his conclusion on pp 335-336, stating, ‘Finally then I conclude that blushing - - whether due to shyness--to shame for a real crime--to shame from a breach of the laws of etiquette--to modesty from humility--to modesty from an indelicacy--depends in all cases on the same principle this principle being a sensitive regard for the opinion more particularly for the depreciation of others primarily in relation to our personal appearance especially of our faces and secondarily through the force of association and habit in relation to the opinion of others on our conduct.’

Blushing as an Emotional Expression

To blush is to signal a particular emotional state. It is an evolved mechanism intended to communicate one's feelings to others. What is also noteworthy is that we blush only on the most visible part of the body, the face. This makes sense because nobody would see a blush on the back. Moreover, we have no control over it. As Ray Crozier writes in 'The Puzzle of Blushing', 'Blushing is a ubiquitous yet little-understood phenomenon. It is a visible change in our most conspicuous feature yet it can occur when we least want to be noticed and indeed can draw attention to our behavior. We redden when we make a faux pas but also when we are praised or thanked. A blush is involuntary and uncontrollable—an actor might simulate a smile, laughter, or a frown but not a blush.'

Blushing and Trust

Interestingly, there is some research suggesting that people who blush are more likely to be trusted. The study in 'Emotion' (2011 Apr 112:313-9, doi: 10.1037/a0022774) supports this notion. Darwin and others concluded that the functionality of emotions is to increase the probability of an individual's survival and/or reproductive success. Emotions help to establish or maintain cooperative and stable relationships. Blushing, which induces trust, plays a significant role in this evolutionary context, particularly during the mating game. It serves as a signal that the partner is trustworthy and not deceptive or likely to abandon them.

Conclusion

Blushing is not just a cosmetic procedure; it is a complex and fascinating phenomenon that reveals much about human emotions and social dynamics. From an evolutionary perspective, it enhances our ability to communicate our feelings and strengthens our social bonds. As a universally recognized sign of emotion, blush provides insights into our emotional states and the complex relationships we form with others.