In one beautiful poetic work there were such lines “We believe in words slowly, the world repeats them for centuries. In the eyes, the soul shines, inexplicable in words … ". This passage illustrates the rather common belief that looking into the eyes of another, you can see in them his thoughts, character and feelings. However, if someone says that a person has "empty eyes", what does this mean? Let's take a closer look at the meaning of this phrase, and also consider the different ways of interpreting it.
Value of expression
When we talk about empty eyes, in most cases, we mean the figurative meaning of this expression. In the literal sense, it is used only when talking about people with disabilities who, for various reasons, have lost their eyes.
In a figurative sense, this is what they call an indifferent look that does not express anything.
Synonyms
To better understandthe meaning of the phrase "empty eyes", it is best to consider its synonyms.
So, such eyes can also be called "glassy", "lifeless", "indifferent" and "dead".
Sometimes it is acceptable to use the expression "watery eyes" in this meaning.
What does "empty eyes" mean in terms of physiognomy?
In recent decades, pseudoscience - physiognomy - has attracted increasing interest. Her fans believe that by analyzing the appearance of a person and his manner of grimacing, one can learn not only about thoughts, but also about the spiritual qualities and even the state of he alth of such a person.
Physiognomy examines in detail all parts of the face, especially the eyes. Among the description of the types of their expressions, there is also "empty". What does it mean?
It is believed that the owners of such a look are a little stupid. However, thanks to hard work and assertiveness, they are able to reach real heights in their careers.
At the same time, such people are usually not very concerned about finding a soul mate, and therefore do not really care about their appearance.
Among other things, fans of physiognomy believe that an empty look is most often characteristic of women. And where are the feminists looking?
Unlike physiognomists, some psychologists (who also study the empty expression of the eyes) believe that for many of the fair sex, it serves as a kind of weapon.
In other words, those women who know how to make their eyes glassy and indifferent use this property toimitate stupidity or misunderstanding of something when it is not beneficial for them to show their mind. And according to these scientists, empty eyes are more often a way of manipulating others, and not a sign of stupidity.
What kinds of empty eyes are there?
Although the meaning and interpretation of these views vary, as a rule, they can be divided into three groups. Each of them is also the reason why the eyes of their owner are empty:
- Stupidity.
- Misfortune.
- Selfish indifference.
Stupidity
Most often, a blank look tends to be interpreted as a sign of poverty of the mind.
Moreover, usually not only individuals suffering from mental retardation have it, but also just dim-witted people who do not seek to develop in any way.
The latter usually compensate for the lack of intelligence and elementary knowledge with excessive arrogance and self-confidence. In this regard, they only cause irritation in others, and the desire to get rid of such interlocutors as soon as possible.
There is a myth that most blonde beauties of model appearance are girls with empty eyes. That is, they are stupid from birth and compensate for this shortcoming with their appearance. In fact, this is a delusion based on the envy of less attractive women, as well as men who are deprived of the attention of beautiful women.
At the same time, this myth still has a real background. It's a well-known disease called phenylketonuria. It is hereditary and, if left untreated, can lead to damage to the central nervous system.system and the development of mental retardation.
The main risk group for being exposed to it are people with white hair, fair skin and blue eyes. Therefore, most of those suffering from the consequences of phenylketonuria are blond people. Hence the generalizing myth about the stupidity of blondes.
Although the victims of this disease can equally be both perfect blond Barbies and admirable blue-eyed blond Vikings.
So not only girls, but also guys can have a detached look, and the beauty and ideal proportions have nothing to do with it.
Empty gaze as a consequence of psychological trauma
As you know, the eyes are always truthful, and even an experienced liar and swindler can be brought to light if you look at the expression of his eyes well. However, in addition to joy, falling in love, a thirst for money and power, they are also able to tell about the misfortunes that their owner had to endure.
Sometimes, due to a great shock, the human psyche cannot recover without outside (sometimes medical) help. And as a manifestation of this, the individual has an apathetic emptiness in the eyes. Most often this happens due to the death of a loved one, experienced a terrible event, failure in love or bitter disappointment in something.
It can be said that such emptiness in the eyes is a kind of unconscious cry for help. Such a person needs support, moreover, more moral than physical, otherwise heable to completely lose all connection with reality and go crazy.
For this reason, in developed countries, all people who have suffered psychological trauma are required to communicate with a psychologist. This is especially true for combatants who, after numerous deaths of comrades and enemies, find it very difficult to switch to civilian life. Also, surviving victims of various crimes can become owners of a blank look.
In addition to all of the above, a blank look is sometimes a physical symptom of the onset of a depressive disorder, namely its special subspecies - apathetic depression.
It is interesting that such a mental disorder sometimes occurs not because of some shocks in a person's life, but also because of banal chronic overwork. By the way, it often develops in women who have recently given birth. This is one of the types of postpartum depression, the existence of which was denied by domestic medicine for many decades.
Frighteningly blank look
Besides the above, there is another type of empty eyes. Unlike the others, it signals the danger of its owner.
Individuals with this view are those in whom all good things have died or were not even born. They are capable of anything and strive to achieve it at the expense of others. And the eyes are a reflection of their soul.
This empty look can be found in famous criminals, professional killers, lawyers, businessmen, some politicians. As a rule, it also signals a certain disorder, but of a different kind - aboutpsychopathy (psychopathological syndrome, manifested in the form of heartlessness to others, reduced ability to sympathize, inability to sincerely repent of harming others, deceit, unemotionality).
Sometimes the emptiness in the eyes of such individuals can be so dangerous that one who gazes into them can become ill (depending on the situation and susceptibility).
In the old days, the owners of this look were considered witches and sorcerers, and today they are called "energy vampires" like them.
Interestingly, if you look in folklore, it will be difficult to find at least one folk sign about empty eyes. This is due to the fact that such a dangerous look was often confused with such a concept as the "evil eye" (projecting evil onto others, through the look). And although the latter is closer to the expression "evil look", in the old days people who were different from others were not particularly favored, and were inclined to blame them for all the troubles.
Empty scary white eyes in movies
As a rule, when somewhere there are words about people with empty eyes (photo below), many people remember various horror stories or horror films. It is through their efforts that the expression in question is often associated with something otherworldly and mystical.
In illustrations for such works, characters with empty eyes are usually depicted as if their entire sclera is completely filled with black or white colors, without the presence of an iris or something else.
For example, in 2017, a fantastic movie for teenage and adult audiences, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, was released. In it, white empty eyes were a hallmark of negative characters. This feature is also present in the original book trilogy, on which the tape was shot.
Also, blind characters, mediums (for example, in the horror film "The Others") or wargs from the television series "Game of Thrones" often have a similar appearance.
Black eyes with emptiness in movies
If white eyes in cinema and literature are not necessarily a bad sign, then a look with a black void always symbolizes evil.
In most projects, demons or simply possessed people are depicted in this way ("Charmed", "Supernatural").
This look truly inspires horror to all viewers and allows you to create the appropriate atmosphere. Perhaps this is also done in order to emphasize that these cruel creatures do not have a soul or anything human. However, vampires and werewolves in movies and books usually have red or yellow eyes.
Song “I am writing you my letter…”
Considering the meaning of the expression "empty eyes", one cannot fail to mention the popular song "I am writing you my letter …".
She talks about a guy in love who was abandoned by a girl. In frustrated feelings, the young man writes a letter to her and asks himself: “Why are your eyes empty? Why are you staring blankly?”.
The author of this work and the circumstances of its writing are not exactly known. This did not prevent him from becoming popular among lovers of live song with a guitar. In this environment, thisthe musical composition is often referred to as the "song of empty eyes".
