Smile and social communication
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.”
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