“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” – Mother Teresa
A genuine, sincere, and effortless smile can do wonders. The types of smiles and their roles are the most underrated and misunderstood facial expressions. They may all have many health benefits. Moreover, since smiling stimulates the production of endorphins, it used to be thought that smiling can increase happiness. However, is it true? We will say. One thing is sure; it is much nicer for us to spend time with someone smiling than someone who is constantly sour. Let’s try to analyze the process of smiling and its role in human life.
Smile is a powerful expression that strongly shapes our emotional state. Image credit: Pikist.com, Public Domain
Say “Cheese”
Say: “Cheese” – we always hear this sentence when we pose for a photo. The effect is sometimes a bit artificial. Not every smile carries the same emotional load. Darwin believed that all our facial expressions relied on instincts. Their evolution was to serve a practical purpose.
What is the evolution of the laughing process against this theory? Darwin formulated the theory that is called facial feedback theory. According to her, the brain only partially triggers expression in response to feeling, reading it from the movement of the facial muscles. Thanks to this, the brain knows what to feel.
We can split the type of smile into two groups: Duchenne smile and non-Duchenne smile. The first is when the corners of our mouths and cheeks are raised, and crow’s feet are formed around the eyes. At the same time, the second one is shown only by lifting the mouth. But this is not the end of the whole gallery of smiles.
The Pan Am smile, also known as the Botox smile, is the casual smile given to aircraft passengers by flight attendants. We can also become its owner when we use aesthetic medicine (in particular, Botox, which paralyzes the facial muscles). As a result of the treatments, our facial expressions may be drastically reduced.
The other type of smile is the uncomfortable smile. It is the kind of smile with which we reveal our embarrassment. There is also a kind of reward smile. The smile motivates others to act; for example, parents of young children reward this smile as they progress in conquering the world. We also smile when we try to be polite to someone (polite smile). However, his expression changes dramatically whenever we pretend to smile and treat someone or something with contempt deep down.
These sarcastic smiles betray our eyes, which are said to mirror the soul. In a situation of embarrassment, our smile is combined with tilting our head down, touching our face, or shifting our gaze to the left. Sometimes even a fiery blush appears on our face. Also, when we are sad or physically hurt, we smile. Such a wistful smile appears on our face, most often to protect our emotions or calm others. Celebrities often use an open-mouthed smile to induce a sense of intimacy with others.
One of the more exciting types of smile is the flirtatious smile, which some belief was used, for example, in the famous portrait of “Mona Lisa”. The heroine of the painting is looking to the side with one eye, and with the other eye, presumably towards the object of her interest. We can recognize the type of smile by observing several elements on the face. In everyday life, it can be helpful to distinguish a sincere smile from a fake one. Our eyebrows lower slightly and wrinkles appear around our eyes in a genuine, natural smile. It is different in the case of a false smile – then almost only the lips are usually involved.
And probably the most famous one – Hollywood Smile. Its hallmark is two symmetrical rows of straight snow-white teeth, all the same in size and shape. It has little to do with natural teeth.
Furthermore, can only people smile? Are animals able to smile? In some ways, yes, for example, dogs make a cute face when they want to receive something from their owners. Humans can also share the emotions that animals have within them, such as sadness or joy. It is undoubtedly a spontaneous reaction, while people learn early to control our emotions.
Physiology of smiling
What happens to our face and body when we laugh? Like a simple smile, and the process is quite complicated. When we smile, the muscles (in particular zygomatic muscles) in our face contract. They give a signal to our brain, which receives it as a reward. Consequently, our blood levels of the substances that make us feel happy and pleasurable – endorphins. They are also our armor in the war with stress.
Other substances, which are released as a result of the brain’s response to laughter, including dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine increases the feeling of happiness. The release of serotonin is associated with reduced stress. When we smile, our brain feels comfortable and happy, while our nerve cells (neurons) activate according to a good and joyful mood. Even when we find ourselves in a not laughable situation, a forced smile also helps us feel happy.
Why is it worth to smile?
Everyone likes to spend time surrounded by people full of energy, joy and with a smile on their faces. Such people are much more likely to be perceived as trustworthy and confident, which can be useful, for example, at a job interview or in establishing new relationships. It turns out that smiling has many other benefits as well. First of all, it is beneficial to our health.
When we smile, our body releases “happy hormones” – endorphins. This helps to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system. This reduces the risk of contracting various diseases, especially those related to the circulatory system. Interestingly, even when we are not in a good mood, but we smile, we can somehow trick our brains. It perceives smiling as a signal that we are happy, so tension is reduced throughout the body and our mood is improved.
We are even able to reduce our body response to stress factors while smiling, while our heart rate decreases and our stress perceptions decrease. Our immune system also benefits from our smile, it strengthens itself. Some even say that smiling leads to longevity.
Gelotology – science and fantastic therapy
A field of science deals with laughter, its analysis, and its effects on our health – it is gelotology. We can also use this term when talking about smile therapy, which, as the name suggests, uses laughter to improve the health and comfort of our lives. It involves doing exercises and tasks that put a genuine smile on our faces.
Norman Cousins initiated it, an American journalist who had degenerative arthritis. The disease was a nuisance to him, so he began searching for the proper treatment for him. Norman decided to test the new method on himself. He checked himself out of the hospital and spent the next few days watching funny comedies. He stated that it had improved his health. It has been known for a long time that laughter and the endorphins produced with it allow us to relax and reduce stress.
In addition, scientists have noticed that people who laugh a lot have an increased concentration of immunoglobulin A – an antibody that protects the body against upper respiratory diseases. Once these results were obtained, laughter therapy was started, which has been shown to help with quick recall, creativity, and concentration. Nowadays, it is practiced in hospitals or companies before demanding tasks.
Summary
It seems that a smile is an excellent tool for showing a natural range of feelings. Even if your lips are laughing, remember that your eyes reveal your true intentions. Regardless of the purpose, smiles play an essential role in systems of interpersonal interactions. A smile is one of the first things we see, so we often make judgments on that basis. One thing is for sure; it is worth smiling every day to sweeten your daily toil.
Leave a Reply