There are 19 types of smile but only six are for happiness (2) ( ) : http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170407-why-all-smiles-are-not-the-same 27 Duchenne smile fear smile miserable smile DNA ; dampened smile embarrassed smile dampened smile qualifier smile QS compliance smile coordination response smile listener response smile contempt smile Angry-enjoyment smile schadenfreude Fake smile Flirtatious smile [27]By analysing more than 4,800 photographs of athletes competing in the Athens Summer Olympic Games, they found that silver medallists who lost their final matches tended to produce these smiles even if they had been blind from birth. The dampened smile [28] But it s a little bit more complicated than that. As it turns out, genuine, happy smiling hasn t always been as celebrated as it is today. Back in 17th Century Europe, wearing your emotions openly was considered highly improper; it was an established fact that only the poor smiled with their teeth showing. The smile revolution finally kicked off over a century later in Paris, kick-started by French nobles who were having such a good time in the newly opened coffee houses that they brought the smile back into fashion. Dampen [ dæmpən] Kick-start
[29] In many parts of the world, this change of etiquette never happened. One common Russian proverb translates as smiling with no reason is a sign of stupidity, while a government leaflet on working in Norway warns that you ve been in the country too long if you assume smiling strangers are drunk, insane or American. [30] The dampened smile is an attempt to control an automatic, happy one and exists because some muscles, such as the ones controlling the mouth, are easier to suppress than others. The cheeks will be raised but we pull the corners of the mouth downwards or press the lips together, like I shouldn t be smiling", says Zara Ambadar, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh. [31] This is thought to explain why in Japan, where etiquette dictates that emotions are stifled in public, there s a greater emphasis on smiling with the eyes. Intriguingly, this discrepancy even stretches to the way smiles are typed: vertically, with a flat mouth and squinting eyes, as opposed to dotted eyes with a curved mouth. This ^_^ instead of this : ). Stifle [ staɪfl] [32] The urge to smile may be universal, but when it s acceptable to and how it is interpreted depends on cultural rules. As usual, Darwin hit the nail on the head, remarking that though facial expressions have been hardwired by evolution, once acquired, such movements may be voluntarily and consciously employed as a means of communication. hit the nail on the head hardwired Embarrassed smile [33] The embarrassed smile is identical, though the two are easily distinguished if not by the flushed cheeks, then the uncomfortable situation which usually precedes it. Another tell-tale sign is moving the head downwards and slightly to the left. Qualifier smile [34] From the check-out assistant who watched you queue for 10 minutes, only to tell you sweetly that returns are only available on the fourth floor, to the receptionist who explains that the next available appointment is in a year s time, the qualifier smile aims to take the edge off bad news. Qualifier take the edge off
[35] It begins abruptly, raising the lower lip slightly, and is occasionally accompanied by a slightly downwards and sideways tilt of the head. It s perhaps the most irritating of all the smiles, since it often traps the recipient into smiling back. Tilt [tɪlt] [36] It s the spitting image of three others, though they have quite different uses; the compliance smile, often awkwardly deployed by the victims of the qualifier to show that they aren t going to make a fuss, the coordination response smile, which shows agreement, and the listener response smile, which tends to accompany mm-hmm noises and a reassuring nod that you re still paying attention. spitting image compliance [kəm plaɪəns] coordination [kəʊˌɔːdɪ neɪʃn] Contempt smile [37] Another tricky expression to swallow is the rictus of utter contempt. The contempt smile indicates a mixture of disgust and resentment and is disconcertingly similar to a smile of true delight, except for the corners of the lips which appear tightened. Contempt [kən tempt] Swallow [ swɒləʊ] rictus [ rɪktəs] [38] In East Asian culture, which is less centred around the needs of the individual, negative emotions are often concealed with a smile to maintain social harmony. Where I m from in Indonesia, anger is usually not considered socially acceptable. Instead people tend to smile a lot when they re angry, says Ambadar. Angry-enjoyment smile [39] Translating roughly as malicious joy, schadenfreude is the thrill of discovering another s misfortune. [40] For obvious reasons, this deliciously mischievous emotion is best concealed from others. But that s not always easy. If individuals are alone and feel unobserved, they usually express feelings of schadenfreude by so-called Duchenne smiles and Duchenne laughs, says Jennifer Hofmann, a psychologist at the University of Zurich. [41] When we know someone s watching, the best we can do is plaster an expression of anger over the top, resulting in the fixed, creepy grin which has become a staple of horror movie villains. Villain [ vɪlən]
[42] This blended expression is just one of several smiles with a similar formula, such as enjoyable-contempt, enjoyable-fear and enjoyable-sadness. Fake smile [43] Thanks to Duchenne, it s widely held that you can easily spot a fake smile by simply looking to the eyes he believed that the eye muscle only contracts when we really mean it. But we now know that most people around 71% - can voluntarily contract the inner portion of the orbicularis oculi. [44] There is nothing intrinsically genuine about Duchenne smiles and evidence shows that they are easily faked, says Alan Fridlund, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Most of us have a lot of practice. Since smiles tend to accompany greetings, we re used to politely lying about our true feelings saying we re fine, even when we re not with these expressions fixed on our faces. [45] And from currying favour in the courtroom to bonding with your boyfriend s nightmare parents and even landing yourself a better job, there are plenty of good reasons to. Smiles are so universally appealing, a 2013 study found that simply faking one in a shop mirror makes you more likely to buy what you re trying on. Curry [ kʌri] Bond [46] In fact, when judged by their facial expressions alone, people are judged as most truthful when they are lying. As the American humourist Kin Hubbard once said: If you haven t seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you haven t seen her smile her prettiest. [47] How can you tell if a smile is authentic? [48] When we encounter a face in everyday life, our brains instantly compare its geometry to thousands of others that we have encountered, to see which expression it fits. Next we think about the context is a smile expected? Finally, automatically mimicking their face allows us to test how it makes us feel. Mimic [ mɪmɪk] [49] Niedenthal warns against placing too much emphasis on context. It is important not to assume that a smile that you see in a situation that wouldn t make you smile is false. It may be genuine for this person in this culture or situation!
[50] But there are other tell-tale signs. When they re used deliberately, smiles may be too abrupt or too lingering, or occur too soon or too long before the phrase they should accompany. There s more to a convincing smile than squinty eyes and a flash of teeth. Flirtatious smile [51] No list would be complete without a reference to the most famous smile of all that depicted in the Mona Lisa. For all its mystery, categorising this vanishing smile is easy. Psychologists have known for decades that Leonardo da Vinci s masterpiece captures an act of flirtation; his sitter smiles radiantly while gazing into the distance, then risks a sideways glance and an embarrassed smile before quickly looking away again. radiantly [ reɪdiəntli] [52] So the next time someone tells you to smile, remember it s up to you which one you choose.