The human smile has many purposes. It may be a form of reward, affiliation, or dominance. Though it’s a simple facial expression, the power of a smile cannot be underestimated. We often think of smiling as an act of happiness, but in reality, it can have far more complex psychological effects. If you’ve ever met a person with an unintentional smile, you’ll know just how powerful it can be.
The scientific basis of the smile is not entirely clear, but there is some evidence to support the idea that people don’t consciously consider their smiles. A recent study conducted by Paul Ekman and colleagues in Wales showed that the average smile is about forty degrees from horizontal. The direction can vary from twenty-four to forty-eight degrees. Most smiles move towards the helix-scalp junction, although there is a difference between the left and right sides. A famous example of a recognizable smile is that of Jerry Seinfeld, Dennis Quaid, Jennifer Aniston, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
A smiling individual may be more trustworthy than the opposite. Studies have shown that smiling people are perceived as less intelligent than non-smiling people, suggesting that the way we smile influences how others see us. However, it’s not clear if smiling people have more emotional or psychological repercussions than their non-smiling counterparts. Some researchers even contend that a smile can be detrimental to your social and economic status if it is misinterpreted.
The smiles of people from diverse cultures are surprisingly similar. According to psychologists, it is believed that a genuine smile reflects a person’s inner state of happiness and enjoyment. Similarly, it is thought that a person’s facial expressions are biologically based but are conditioned by their cultural environment. In other words, a person with a genuine smile possesses the confidence to deal with any challenging situation. And the same goes for someone with an amused face.
The origin of the smile is unknown. Researchers believe that it is an unconscious social reaction. The smile is a universal human expression that can be attributed to a genetic trait. But scientists disagree and suggest that it is culturally based. The smile can be described as a reaction to social situations and the feelings they create. But there are also many instances of an individual’s smile. The human smile is a powerful psychological tool. But the question is: is it a universal emotion?
The smiles of celebrities can be classified into two patterns: the cuspid and the ectomorphic smiles. The former pattern features the central incisors while the latter ones have ectomorphic characteristics. They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are similar in length. The cuspid smile pattern is most common in people with a wide set of teeth. Some famous examples of cuspid faces include Elvis, Tom Cruise, and Drew Barrymore. In contrast, those with a more narrow profile have fewer incisors.