Someone’s demeanor is a window into their soul. – Malcolm Gladwell
Facial expressions are one of the critical elements of social communication. Looking at one person’s face, you can detect the mood, the emotions, without even speaking.
Smile is the most influential of human facial expressions. Your smile provides an authentic reflection of how you feel inside. A smile is the universal welcome wherever you meet your neighbor or a client.
Smile with the eyes called the Duchenne smile is what a genuine smile looks like.
The Duchenne smile is a facial movement that involves the two facial muscles lifting the corners of your mouth and raising the cheeks while creating those lines that we call crow’s feet around the eyes. Smiling with your eyes make people respond positively around you and help you develop connections with people.
The Pan-Am smile is the one that you meet all the time. Wherever you enter a store, go to a dr. visit, the front desk lady welcomes you with a smile trying to be polite. This smile doesn’t have any other facial emotions, the face looks impassive, and therefore the smile seems forced.
Here is one of my favorite quotes from the movie Eat, Pray, Love that always brings a smile on my face is when Julia Roberts goes to the toothless palm reader for advice, and her guru said: “Smile with face, smile with mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy. Even smile in your liver.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a smile so important in social communication?
Facial expressions are one of the critical elements of social communication, and the smile is the most influential of them all. Your smile provides an authentic reflection of how you feel inside and serves as a universal welcome, whether you are meeting a neighbor or a client.
What is a Duchenne smile?
The Duchenne smile is what a genuine smile looks like: two facial muscles lift the corners of the mouth and raise the cheeks, creating the little lines around the eyes known as crow's feet. Smiling with your eyes makes people respond positively to you and helps you develop real connections.
What is the Pan-Am smile and why does it seem insincere?
The Pan-Am smile is the polite, routine smile you encounter at store entrances or reception desks. Because it involves no other facial emotion and the face remains impassive, the smile seems forced rather than genuine.
How can I tell if someone's smile is genuine?
Look at the eyes: a genuine smile raises the cheeks and creates crow's feet around the eyes, not just a lift at the corners of the mouth. A smile without any accompanying facial emotion, where the face looks impassive, tends to read as forced.