Smile as a powerful psychological tool

Functions of a smile

A person’s smile originates in the brain, in its subcortical zone (limbic system). By definition, a smile is a reaction to some external stimulus. If you like something, you get positive emotions. Otherwise - negative.

Each emotion triggers different biochemical processes in the brain. They cause visible changes in the body. A good example is expressive reactions. This is an external expression of emotions, evidence that a person is experiencing some kind of experience, no matter whether they are good or bad.

A smile in psychology is also considered an expression of emotions. If the face of your interlocutor does not express anything, naturally, you will treat him with some distrust. Even slight facial expressions and a slight smile will change the situation for the better and will put you at ease. Is not it?

A smile has other functions.

Communicative

In psychology it is said about smiling that it is one of the ways of non-verbal communication. One of its tasks is to tell others about what emotions a person is experiencing at the moment. And that is not all:

Anyone who smiles automatically inspires confidence in others and instills in them a sense of security.
Smiling and laughter are contagious. Therefore, by smiling, you can set your interlocutor in a positive mood. Often a smile appears on a person’s face even when he looks at photos of smiling people.
Using this method of conveying emotions, you can easily express everything that you are feeling right now. We are talking not only about positive emotions, but also about sympathy, apology, contempt, etc.
A smile communicates what kind of person you are. It can be used to judge sincerity, good nature, and aggression.

Also, a smile is a tool for business communications. Its absence can greatly interfere with communication.

Regulatory and psychotherapeutic

A smile as a defensive reaction in psychology helps to normalize the mental state. Remember when, in a sad mood, you suddenly remembered something good and smiled. Surely, the mood immediately became better.

All due to the fact that at this moment a complex reaction begins in the brain. Neurons trigger the production of substances that are associated with positive emotions. We are talking about dopamine and serotonin, the hormones of joy and satisfaction, respectively. By smiling at such a moment, you calm down and become more confident in yourself. They often say that your soul becomes lighter. Plus, self-esteem and intellectual activity increase. It is easier for you to understand a confusing situation and make a decision.

History of the origin and development of the smile

In the mid-19th century, Charles Darwin was the first to discover that human facial expressions are a continuation of facial expressions characteristic of great apes: with the help of facial expressions, primates conveyed threat, anxiety, fear, and demonstrated peacefulness (5). According to Darwin, a person's facial expressions first expressed readiness to attack, move, defend, and only during the development of a person did facial expressions begin to convey information about the internal state of a person, about his desire to establish communication with other people.

American scientist Paul Ekman, developing Darwin's ideas, believes that emotions are manifested in exactly the same way on the faces of people anywhere in the world, regardless of race, gender, age, or upbringing. All people on earth know how to smile and laugh, since emotions are genetically determined, which was thoroughly proven in his research by K. Izard. Smiling is primarily a brain process that is driven by innate neural programs. Thus, smiling is innate.

Why is a smile so important and useful?

Psychology identifies 12 reasons why you should smile as often as possible. Here are some of them:

As stated above, a friendly smile makes you attractive to other people. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone smiled at each other? This is a direct path to new acquaintances, interesting communication, and making friends.
Improves mood. By smiling, you will undoubtedly look at the situation from the other side, no matter how sad it may be.
You will infect those around you with your positivity. It will be easier for them to communicate with you, trust you, and reveal what is inside them.
A smile is a powerful weapon in the fight against stress. It helps cope with fatigue, bad thoughts and depression.
When a person smiles, the body relaxes. At this point, the immune system begins to work better. This means that the risk of getting colds is reduced. In addition, blood pressure is normalized.
Scientists have conducted a lot of research that has proven that laughter is a medicine. During it, the production of endorphins, serotonins and other substances that eliminate pain increases.
From 5 to 53 muscles are involved in a smile. Thanks to this, the face is tightened and the person looks younger.
Smiling gives you confidence. That is why you need to do this not only in everyday life, but also at work, business meetings or serious negotiations. Try it and you will see how much easier it will be to build trusting relationships and a career with your interlocutors.
The moment you smile, it is difficult for you to think about bad things. Do a simple exercise. Smile first, and then remember something sad. Happened? It must have been difficult for you. All due to the fact that a signal pulsates in the subconscious that everything is fine with you.
A smile shows that the interlocutor is interesting to you, you are ready to open up to him. This is a manifestation of friendliness and kindness. A frown and lack of facial expressions, on the contrary, say that you do not want to communicate, are closed and are dissatisfied with something.
It has long been proven that laughter has a positive effect on health and overall well-being. Most often it is a consequence of the fact that the person smiled.
A smile helps in any field of activity. Wherever you are, it will help you avoid the feeling of awkwardness, feel relaxed, welcome. Agree, you hardly want to return to the place where you were treated unkindly.

It turns out that a smile is a universal tool against a bad mood. She helps to find a common language with any person.

The relationship between a smile and a person’s physical health

A new medical science has emerged thanks to the initiative of the Indian doctor Madan Katarya - laughterology (or laughter therapy), treatment with laughter. Scientists have discovered: a cheerful mood, expressed in a smile, stimulates blood circulation, reduces the likelihood of stress, alleviates pain, activates the body's defenses, relaxes muscles, and improves metabolism. A smile preserves the youth and beauty of the face. Laughter provokes the release of “happiness hormones” into the blood - substances that have an analgesic effect.

Laughter helps people with high blood pressure. Laughter has a beneficial effect on lung function. Breathing becomes rhythmic and deep. Laughter can relieve physical and mental stress. In the early 1980s, the director of the American circus Big Apple Circus, Michael Christensen, first organized regular visits to children with cancer by clowns.

Doctors stated that after the clown’s visit, the effectiveness of treatment increased noticeably. It was from this time that healing clowns began to participate in the healing of patients in a number of medically advanced countries around the world.

Types of smiles and their meaning in psychology

The parameter for classification is lips. They are either compressed or open. Each type of smile has its own meaning and tells about a person, his character, and personal qualities.

Pursed lips

This is how people smile who always have everything under control. They almost never show their emotions, sometimes even suppressing or completely eliminating them. Most often, such a smile is associated with contempt, rather than sympathy.

People who smile with pursed lips have no emotional intelligence and are therefore considered extremely untrustworthy. They can't be trusted. For example, remember famous politicians who, with a smile on their faces, make promises left and right that they have no intention of keeping.

What’s most interesting is that such personalities always have listeners who naively believe all their words.

Open

What does this type of smile mean? This is how open people who you can trust smile. But you shouldn't believe everyone. Remember, a fake smile can also expose your teeth. In this matter, it is important to learn to distinguish sincerity from falsehood.

Mechanical

The lower part of the face does not relax, the lips are tightly compressed, and wrinkles are clearly visible in the corners of the mouth. This smile is like a mask. There is no goodwill or charm in her.

It is worth noting that this type of smile repels the interlocutor. Sometimes it even seems that she will turn into a grin.

False

A fake or malicious smile is not attractive. She disappears from her face as quickly as she appears. You can reveal it by looking your interlocutor in the eyes. If both are shining, we can say that the person is smiling sincerely. Otherwise, it shows contempt or instability in feelings and thoughts.

Smile with your eyes

If your eyes are smiling, you have a person in front of you who feels as free and relaxed as possible. She has no complexes, she does not follow stereotypes. This is a symbol of the fact that a person has complete order in his soul and thoughts.

Flawless

A person who shows his upper teeth in a smile is an egoist who has no moral principles. He goes over his head on the way to achieving his goals.

Predatory

In this case, only the lower teeth are exposed. This suggests that the individual is hot-tempered and generous. He does not try to create some kind of image for himself, but strives to live for the sake of acquiring new knowledge, skills and abilities.

With a zipper

It seems that such a person’s lips are closed with a zipper. Such a smile reveals a person who is insecure and prone to depression. She always remains in the shadows, although she can share interesting and important information with others.

Comprehensive

It is about her that they say that a person smiles “with all 32 teeth.” Usually this is the soul of the company, a person who is always and everywhere in the spotlight. We can say that this is a Hollywood smile.

Half smile

This is how an arrogant person smiles. He skillfully manipulates those around him, trying to seduce them with his charms.

Those who mock others smile at the left corner of their mouth. Such people are extremely sensitive. Their feelings arise unexpectedly.

Cynics smile at the right corner of their lips. This is a tough person who does not allow himself to relax for a minute. An enthusiast is not about him.

The strongest is the one who smiles

A smile is not only effective in business communications, but also good for health. It should be used daily both in communication with people and for yourself personally “A smile makes a gloomy day brighter, A smile makes a rainbow wake up in the sky. Share your smile, and it will come back to you more than once!” Mikhail Plyatskovsky Recently I was invited to one of the large Moscow enterprises to participate in a business meeting. It was planned to discuss the details of future cooperation. The security guard at the entrance carefully checks the documents and records the data in a log. Then I am taken to a meeting room. We pass through a reputable office - beautiful expensive furniture, modern design... As they say, everything is on the level. “In such an office,” I thought, “true professionals should work!” A few minutes later, the door opens and two young, attractive women enter - the head of the PR department and the manager who conducted the preliminary negotiations. Naturally, I sincerely smile at those who come in, ready for a friendly, constructive conversation. And the answer, as the song says, is silence. Two gloomy tense faces ready for a brutal battle. The aggressive nonverbal start to our communication continued with cross-examination. Only after this did a discussion begin, for which I actually came... And these people want to promote their products on the market? It is probably unnecessary to say that we had to refuse cooperation with such “professionals”. Why is this the way things are done in Russia? Why is it believed that negotiations must be carried out in a “hitting” style and with the face of a warrior? By the way, I have never seen anything like this in the West, where at any level and under any circumstances there is a smile, positivity, openness, a desire to understand and figure things out. Maybe that's why people live better there than here? After all, a smile is not only effective in business communications, but also good for health. It should be used daily both in communication with people and for yourself personally. Always and everywhere she is our assistant and friend. And as evidence of this, let me cite the statements of classics of psychology, management, and drama ABOUT SMILE. Viktor Pavlovich Sheinov, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of BSU, in his book “Hidden Human Control (Psychology of Manipulation)” writes: “A smile, as a rule, expresses friendliness, the need for approval, openness to communication... When people smile, their the face becomes incomparably better. A smile, according to L. Tolstoy, contains in the face what is called its beauty. There is a direct connection between a person’s mental and physical state and his smile. If your soul is bad, your smile will be painful. If you feel good, smile joyfully. Peace of mind is always reflected in a smile. People appreciate smiles that express affability or friendliness. A smiling face is more likely to endear you. There are always many problems in life. Those people who smile overcome them with less mental and physical losses. The healing properties of a smile Smile not only when you feel good. It has been established that if you force yourself to smile several times when you are in a bad mood, then, despite the forcedness of the smile, you will suddenly feel relief. Well, if the mood is good, then the owner must give smiles left and right - both maintain his own mood and give it to those around him.” Recognized not only in the United States, but also far beyond its borders, the master of communication psychology, Dale Carnegie, in his bestseller “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” devoted many pages to the topic we are discussing. I bring to your attention the most eloquent lines: “Not long ago I attended a dinner in New York. Among the guests was a woman who had received a significant inheritance and was eager to make an impression. She spent a considerable fortune on sables, diamonds and pearls, but did nothing about the expression of her face. It was written on it that she was always dissatisfied with everything and selfish. She did not realize what everyone knows, namely, that the expression on a woman's face is much more important than her clothes... Charles Schwab* told me that his smile was worth a million dollars. And he probably did not even bend the truth, for his personality, charm and ability to please lay at the basis of almost all his amazing successes. And one of his wonderful features was a captivating smile... Actions speak louder than any words, and a smile says: “I like you. You make me happy. I’m glad to see you”... What about an insincere smile? No, she won't deceive anyone. We know that it is artificial, and we resent it. I mean a real, heart-warming smile that comes from within, a smile that is so highly valued. According to the HR manager of a large New York supermarket, he would rather hire a saleswoman who had not completed elementary school but had a charming smile than a doctor of philosophy with a lean face... The ancient Chinese were people wise from life experience. They had a proverb that both you and I should stick on the inside of our hats. It reads: “A person without a smile on his face should not open a store.” Since we mentioned stores, I note that one of the advertisements... contains the following example of artless worldly philosophy. The price of a smile for Christmas: It costs nothing, but it gives a lot. It enriches those who receive it without impoverishing those who give it. It lasts a moment, but sometimes remains in the memory forever. No one is rich enough to do without it, and no one is so poor that he would not become richer from it. It creates happiness in the home, generates an atmosphere of goodwill at work and serves as a password for friends. She is rest for the weary, daylight for the discouraged, a ray of sunshine for the sad, and nature's best antidote to trouble. And yet, it cannot be bought, it cannot be begged, it cannot be borrowed or stolen, since it in itself is not good for anything until it is given away! And if, in the rush of last-minute Christmas shopping, one of our salespeople becomes too tired to give you a smile, would you mind asking us to keep one of yours? After all, no one needs a smile more than those who have nothing left to give! So, if you want people to like you... Smile! Oleg Igorevich Zhdanov, psychophysiologist of the highest category, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Acmeology and Psychology of Professional Activities of the Civil Registry of State Civil Service under the President of the Russian Federation. Based on his own professional experience, the achievements of modern science and ancient Indian teachings, he developed his own health preservation system, to which the book “10,000 days: life management” is dedicated. A smile occupies a significant place in this system: “A pleasant facial expression is very favorable for communication. Finding yourself in a strange environment on an unknown land, you instantly experience the greatest relief when you see sincere, warm smiles on the faces of those around you. And hitherto strangers immediately turn into your friends. A smile is an easy-to-read message for anyone that says: don’t worry, everything is fine, you are accepted here, and nothing threatens you. And you relax, take off your armor of wariness. A Japanese proverb says: “The strongest is the one who smiles.” A smile is an effective tool for positively influencing yourself and others. If the facial muscles “work to smile,” then much more happens than you might imagine: the muscles activate the nerves located in them, and thereby a positive signal is “sent” to the brain.” Vladimir Igorevich Knorring, academician of the International Academy of Sciences (Munich, Germany), professor of the IBDA of the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation, a famous Russian specialist in the field of management. In his management textbook “Theory, Practice and Art of Management,” he explains the need for a manager to be friendly and be able to correctly use such a universal mechanism as a smile: “In his daily life, at home and at work, a person’s spiritual comfort is ensured by his reaction to the environment. peace, the ability to put blocks in the way of negative stimuli. And if a person gets used to being constantly friendly, smiling, “wishing for his neighbor what he wished for himself,” then his life will undoubtedly be happier... Friendliness and human charm make both the person himself and the people around him happier. Friendliness and personal charm are one of the methods of the art of management, one of the effective ways to influence the individual and the team... an indispensable feature of talented and experienced managers. A boss’s kind, interested attitude towards his subordinates should be reinforced not only with a smile or a warm handshake, but also with a sincere desire to contribute to their career advancement... A smile is characteristic of calm, confident people in themselves and in their lives, it beautifies both young and old, it is a mandatory attribute modern manager... You need to learn everything, including smiling... And in general, look around - how few friendly, smiling faces there are and how many gloomy and preoccupied ones... Smile! Krzysztof Zanussi, a world-famous director, in his speech to television viewers, emphasized, speaking about the art of leadership: “A bad boss does not smile.” And I completely agree with him! Because, as it was said in Grigory Gorin’s play “That Same Munchausen”: “A serious face is not a sign of intelligence, gentlemen. All stupid things on earth are done with this facial expression. Smile, gentlemen! Smile!” Finally, let me share one of my observations with you. There is a very effective means of facial rejuvenation, known since ancient times, universal, instant and free - a smile. Smile and you will look better and younger at any age! ______________________________________________________________ *Charles Schwab is one of the richest people in America, founder and CEO of Charles Schwab & Co. The company serves about 6 million active client accounts both in the United States and in a number of other countries. Charles Schwab is said to have brought the stock market to the masses.

How to learn to smile beautifully

The importance of a smile is difficult to overestimate. It is not for nothing that it is considered a tool that, skillfully used, can influence people. The only question is that I don’t know everything about the features of its use.

Insincere smile

You've probably seen tips on how to smile correctly. From TV screens and the pages of printed publications they advise to practice in front of a mirror, watch how exposed your teeth are, create dimples on your cheeks and a mysterious look. But, as practice has shown, they turned out to be ineffective.

The reason is that there is no sincerity here. You put on a mask. Therefore, it’s not a smile, but a grin, like an advertisement for toothpaste. She's cold, formal, fake. This is a whole set of negative epithets. The only thing it lacks is real, living emotions.

The art of smiling: advice from a psychologist

The first and most important advice is to be sincere. When you smile, you should only have positive emotions inside you. This is the only way you will show your openness and be able to win the trust of others.

What else do experts say?

Relax. If you have an important meeting, take a walk in the park before it, take a bath, or just sit in a comfortable position. Think about something pleasant.
Control your thoughts. Free yourself from unpleasant emotions and memories. They will cause irritation, anger, aggression. What kind of sincere smile can we talk about here?
Tune in to a pleasant wave. Remember some pleasant moment from your life. This could be a past vacation, events related to children, family holidays. Discover bright memories hidden in the subconscious.
Maintain the good mood that you managed to create. No need to spoil it with negativity. Don't let yourself or others do this.
Before the meeting, try to form a good attitude towards the interlocutor. If you can do this, you will definitely smile sincerely.

The last piece of advice concerns situations where it was not possible to develop sympathy for a person. In this case, just don't concentrate on it. Keep thinking positive thoughts and smiling.

The influence of a smile on a person’s emotional and psychological state

We believe that a smile is an indicator of not only physical, but also mental and emotional health of a person. Recently, psychophysical stress has become a common condition for many people. Emotional disorders undermine a person’s mental health, and also reduce the body’s resistance and reduce life expectancy. As part of a project about the phenomenon of smiling, we offered tests to our college students: “Your mental stability”, “Are you susceptible to depression?” (see Attachment).

Go to section: 2. The relationship between smiles and relationships between people in society

Smiles as rewards

The study discovered how this gesture affects the brain. When looking at an attractive face, a person's orbitofrontal cortex is activated. This part of the brain helps process signals from nerve endings that control taste and touch. Interestingly, when participants saw a smiling face on the screen, their brain activity increased. Seeing friendly facial expressions is a kind of “reward”; the brain perceives it as encouragement.

Every time you smile at someone, you create a symbiotic relationship that allows you both to release beneficial brain chemicals, activate reward centers, and make you both more attractive.

A smile is the most important thing for our sense of calm and comfort.

When we can't smile, we feel awkward and restless. This is a very important part of nonverbal communication.

Scientists also described the experience of a woman who underwent a face transplant after being attacked by a chimpanzee. “After the operation, the woman regained her ability to smell and smile. This woman will be blind for the rest of her life, but it's wonderful that she can lift the corners of her lips. This will be important for her life,” the doctors said.

Smiling not only helps people communicate, it can be reassuring and calming, and therefore beneficial in relationships.

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Shy smile

"Embarrassed Smile" is similar to the previous one, but they are easy to distinguish - if not by the reddened cheeks, then by the uncomfortable situation in which it appears. Another telltale sign is that the head moves slightly down and to the left.

Appreciative smile

Imagine the situation: you stand in line for 10 minutes only to be told that you need to go to another floor. Or when they say “thank you, we’ll call you back.” This passing smile is aimed at breaking away from bad news.

It appears suddenly, the lower lip rises slightly and is sometimes accompanied by a tilt of the head down and to the side. This is perhaps the most annoying smile because the recipient of the smile reciprocates it.

Such smiles are used as an apology or provocation of agreement, which is usually answered with an understanding "ahh" or "mmm" and a nod of the head, in the hope of earning a little more attention.

How to determine a sincere smile?

When we encounter faces in everyday life, our brains instantly compare their geometry with thousands of others we've encountered before to retrieve the appropriate expression from memory. Next, we evaluate the context—is the smile expected? Finally, automatic facial mimicry allows us to put ourselves in the place of the person smiling.

Niedenthal cautions against overemphasizing context. “It is important to give up the belief that the smile you see in a situation that does not make you smile is false. It may be authentic to a person in that culture or situation.”

There are other signs too. Conscious smiles may be too sharp or too long, or disappear quickly, or appear long before the phrase they are supposed to accompany. A confident smile is more than squinty eyes and shiny teeth.

The beauty of a child's and woman's smile

The soft expression on the face of a baby, child and woman is as natural as their tenderness, fragility and beauty. They are naturally gifted with these characteristics, they do not need to learn to smile sincerely, they have this skill from birth.

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Secrets and mysteries of a smile

Among the variety of non-verbal means of communication, the smile occupies a special place. This is due not only to the role it plays in communication, but also to its amazing features.

A smile is a facial movement that can involve up to 53 facial muscles. And if you remember that there are 57 facial facial muscles, you understand how complex this movement is and how diverse a smile can be. In addition, the eyes are involved in this facial reaction - their expression is very important for understanding the essence of a smile.

It is traditionally believed that it expresses positive emotions: joy, pleasure, happiness. However, in the process of long evolution, the smile has acquired many types and meanings, and in modern man it often expresses rather contradictory emotions. For example, it is difficult to describe in a few words what feelings a sad, mocking, angry or tragic smile conveys. What does a person feel when he smiles doomedly? Hardly positive emotions. A person’s ability to convey through a smile a variety of feelings that are difficult to describe is one of the mysteries of this complex facial reaction.

Considering the complexity, you might think that learning to smile is very difficult and requires years of practice. But that's not true. Children begin to smile literally in the first weeks after birth, although, of course, many types of this facial reaction are mastered only by adults. Fortunately, our kids are incapable of sarcastic, contemptuous, or evil smiles.

Smiling does not need to be learned, because it is an innate expressive reaction. Even higher animals can smile: dogs, horses, dolphins, monkeys, etc. Expressive reactions arise as a manifestation of experienced emotions. A person has many of them, for example, redness of the skin, dilation and constriction of the pupils, tremors - trembling of the limbs, goosebumps on the skin, etc.

Expressive reactions are reflexive in nature, and a person cannot control them, voluntarily evoke or suppress them. So, we are not able to sweat or blush at our own request; our pupils also completely involuntarily dilate from fear and constrict from anger.

But the smile is unique. It is so important for a person that he has learned to control this reflex reaction. The importance of a smile in a person’s life is confirmed by the variety of its functions.

Smile!

Remember that your smile is not only an indicator of your mood, but also a powerful weapon that will help you more than once in your future life.

A smile will help to seduce, attract, win over, and repel. A real smile seems to light up your face. A pleasant curve of the lips and slightly exposed teeth will help express your feelings and impressions.

Hone your charming smile with various exercises and gymnastics for the facial muscles (psychotonic gymnastics). By training, exercising your muscles and studying the meanings of different types of smiles, you will become the owner of not only the most charming, sincere and attractive smile, but also get your hands on a weapon that can work better than hypnosis. This gymnastics is very simple and very useful.

This is such an interesting psychology and types of smiles. No matter how many variations of smiles there are, remember, if you want to win someone over, use only a sincere, friendly smile: they are the most welcoming, seductive and warm.

We believe that in the future, knowledge about the types of smiles and their meanings will be useful to you; with it, you will easily determine the hidden reactions of people and learn to win over you. Smile more often, only sincerely.

The most attractive smile

This gesture can take many forms: from flirtatious smiles to overt toothy grins. However, there is one type of smile that beats them all when it comes to sex appeal. In one study, photos that featured pleasant faces with their heads tilted received a whopping 71% likes. The smile with teeth scored only 58%.

Although the study didn't specify why tilted smiles are so attractive, the researchers found that direct eye contact can appear threatening. Probably, a bowed head is perceived as a demonstration of benevolent intentions.

Of course, you decide when and to whom to smile or not. There are reasons why people don't want to show friendliness. For example, when they need to isolate themselves from other people. After all, a person does not always feel the need to be more attractive and charm others.

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Child's smile

This type of smile can also be called naive. Pay attention if your interlocutor sends you such a smile. The trace of a child's soul is clearly visible in her. Probably, such a smile can be put on par with a sincere, childishly warm smile. A naive smile can brighten up a gray mood, reduce the intensity of passions, and shelter from anxiety.

Unfortunately, people with a naive smile are easy to manipulate; they are very impressive, childishly trusting and compassionate.

Duchenne's smile

The first steps towards deciphering this multi-purpose expression were taken by the 19th century neurologist Duchesne de Boulogne. He was the son of a French pirate and had a penchant for electrocuting his patients—and became, among other things, the founder of electrotherapy. Duchenne was interested in the mechanics of facial expressions, including how the facial muscles contract to produce a smile. The best way to study this, he decided, was to attach electrodes to a person's face and make their muscles move.

This procedure was so painful that at first Duchesne could only experiment on the freshly severed heads of revolutionaries. Then one day, purely by chance, he met a middle-aged man with facial insensibility in a Paris hospital - that is, he found his guinea pig among people.

In total, Duchesne discovered 60 facial expressions, each involving its own group of facial muscles, and depicted them in a series of gruesome photographs. In the most famous of them, the face of the unfortunate man is distorted by a wide toothless smile. He looks like a happy idiot, with his cheeks lifted and crow's feet around his eyes.

This smile became known as the "Duchenne smile" and became associated with genuine feelings of joy and giddy happiness. This smile is long and tense, although it is associated with the contraction of only two muscles. First, the zygomaticus major muscle, which is located in the cheek, tightens the corners of the mouth, and then the orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds the eye, leads to the characteristic wink.

But here's the rub. "In some places in the world, the perception of a genuine smile does not seem to depend on the presence of crow's feet near the eyes," says Niedenthal.

Which brings us to a question that has puzzled scientists for more than a century, from Darwin to Freud: Are our expressions instinctive and universal, or dependent on the culture into which we are born?