The bumps and indentations on the skull were thought to reflect the shape of the underlying brain. These included spirituality, secretiveness, cautiousness, conscientiousness, parental love, and agreeableness. Combativeness, for example, is located behind the ear at the back of the head. In the mid-1800s you might have needed to obtain a phrenological reading in order to obtain a job. The phrenological analysis of the presidential candidates of 1850 was published in the Journal of Man, a journal devoted to phrenology.
Heroes have the more attractive wide eyes and high foreheads.
Phrenology as a science was short lived. If Gall had observed that an individual had a great capacity for memorizing and that he or she also happened to have very prominent eyes, he might conclude that the faculty for memory is seated behind the eyes. Autopsy on the brain could confirm and localize observed medical problems. Today, for example, we label the back of the head the visual cortex. Gall had thought this area to be the seat of such faculties as parental love and self-esteem.