Unravel the mystery behind the curve that sets everything straight. From genuine grins to deceptive smirks, we delve into the fascinating world of smiles, exploring ten distinct types and their underlying meanings. Prepare to decode the silent language of joy, comfort, and sometimes, deceit.
Types of smiles
There are three kinds of smiles: smiles of reward, smiles of affiliation, and smiles of dominance
- Reward smiles: use them to motivate ourselves or other people
- Affiliation smiles: function as social connectors
- Dominance smile: a nonverbal threat, and the body responds accordingly
- The study also found that the sneer raised heart rates among the participants
- People are fascinated by smiles – all of them
Pan Am Smile
This smile gets its name from the Pan Am flight attendants who were required to keep smiling, even when customers and circumstances made them want to throw peanut packets across the cabin.
- Widely regarded as forced and fake, the Pan am smile might have appeared extreme.
Authentic Duchenne smiles make you seem trustworthy, authentic, and friendly
They’ve been found to generate better customer service experiences and better tips
- Smiles vary. They can be used to deceive, to flirt, to maintain social norms, to signal embarrassment, to cope with pain, and to express rushes of sentiment
- In all their ambiguity and variety, smiles are one of the most powerful means we have of communicating who we are and what we intend in social contexts
Even the most experienced law enforcement officials only spot liars about half the time
Nevertheless, there have been studies that revealed smile patterns among people who were actively trying to deceive others in high-stakes situations
- If you’re looking for a foolproof lie detector, the face isn’t it.
Polite smiles help us maintain a discreet distance between people
Lots of social situations call for trustworthy friendliness but not emotional intimacy
- In those situations, researchers have found the polite smile is as effective as a heartfelt one
- A smile provoked by embarrassment is often accompanied by a downward tilt of the head and a shifting of the gaze to the left
