Charles Darwin believed that the involuntary expressions of man were directly influenced by his various emotions and sensations. He believed that these expressions grew and evolved by means of natural selection from the expressions and behaviours of animals. He also believed that these expressions, through photographs, would be understood and wordlessly explained by any eyes that looked upon it. He tested this theory by taking photographs of the expressions of people showing various emotions and then taking those photos to small villages (with limited outside contact) and asked those villagers to guess the emotion of the person in the photograph. Every villager guessed correctly – without hesitation.
Emotions are primal. We understand them when we see them in the faces of people we love, and even those we don’t, just like in the animal kingdom, as Darwin had proven. Something that is inately human, is our preference to ignore most of these emotions. We ignore the expressions we see that are filled with rage and look away from faces twisted with grief. We see all of these expressions for a reason, they are built into our design with a purpose. No matter what language or race you are, you will always find understanding – even if it is not acknowledged through words.
I can’t count how many people have said to me that they never know what to say to someone who seems inconsolable. If we are all related through expression, perhaps words aren’t what you need.
What would compassion look like on your face?
-uberscribbler
When the chips are down, asking for help can be risky business. There are some folks, however, who are all too comfortable leaning on others; they are altogether an entirely different story. For must of us though, asking for help is like making a deal with the devil. It means admitting that we are not the rugged, problem solving individuals that society expects us to be. Once we ask for it, we surrender our control; we become weak, needy and incompetent. We have a tendency to act as though it’s a complete and total character deficiency, as if we are letting our guards down to somehow invite hurt and embarrassment in. God forbid our request for help is used against us. We worry about what will be expected of us in return. What price must we pay for this help since modern civilization has adopted a reciprocal relationship system (tit-for-tat) so that we don’t feel indebted to those who answered our call? There is also the fear that we may present our request to the wrong individual and then suffer with a lifelong hovering and patronizing relationship. 
I have spent a considerable amount of time exploring the link between physical healthcare (the body) and psychological healthcare (the mind) as it pertains to the Canadian government healthcare system. All of the mandates from the Minister of Health right on down is about protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. I may need to check the Minister’s handbook for their definition of health to be sure, but I think I’ve managed to establish a gap. 
UberScribbler 