When we see someone smile, we usually take this non-verbal expression as an expression of happiness. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. Smiling can also be part of seduction, as well as an attempt to mask real feelings. No wonder most of our smiles during the day are fake.
Do you know which types of smiles are most common and how they differ?
A sign of true happiness
Psychologist Paul Ekman, an expert on non-verbal communication, identified the type of smile most often associated with true happiness. It is called the Duchenne smile (according to French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne, who studied facial expressions and focused on the eye area and muscle activation during smiling).
Incorrect interpretation of body language or How communication errors arise
With this type of smile, the main cheek muscle contracts, the corners of the mouth “typically” rise, but an even more typical sign is slightly narrowed eyes, in the outer corners of which small wrinkles appear.
The Duchenne smile is contrasted with the pretend smile, which also has cheek muscle activation and the corners of the mouth rise, but that’s about it. And even this smile has its own label – it is a so-called botox smile.
A seductive smile
One of the other smiles can be the seductive one. If people want to be seductive, and if they are successful at it, their face radiates positivity. Often a light smile thus complements direct eye contact, which turns away for a moment, but still with a smile, he claims for the server Psychology Today Ronald E. Riggio Professor of Organizational Psychology and Leadership and author of several books.
It was Riggio, along with colleague Howard Friedman, an expert on non-verbal communication, who conducted own research on the topic of the seductiveness of a smile.
The perils of fake happiness or When a smile is often fake
A smile expressing discomfort
Imagine that someone says something to you that you don’t like, or that is completely inappropriate – perhaps some hint that makes you the target of jokes from people around. Many people’s reaction at such a moment is to show a smile to cover the shock and often disgust they feel. Such a smile is very slight and lacks all the non-verbal eye signs seen in the Duchenne smile.
Questionnaire
Can you always detect an insincere smile in others?
Not always, but mostly yes
A total of 232 readers voted.
A sarcastic smile
Expressing sarcasm purely in the form of non-verbal cues is almost impossible, according to experts. It usually contains a verbal assessment of something that might sound like a compliment at first “listening”, but the body says something else.
For example, you can tell someone “on their face” that you don’t like them, but your smile will tell the opposite. Or vice versa – you can compliment someone “on the eye”, but a sarcastic smile or smirk means the opposite. The eyes usually reveal the overall intention of the smile. Additionally, a sarcastic smile tends to be a bit “crooked”, which can indicate a split between amusement and revulsion.
What sarcasm reveals about your intelligence
Cuteness can be an innocent game, but it can also be a clever weapon
2024-03-04 05:02:00
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