I Hate Smiley Faces but...

At coffee the other day, the discussion turned to smiling, specifically the opinion that Americans smile too much and are often insincere while doing so. I've been reading a book written by a psychologist and smiles were discussed in a very positive light, so I was thinking it's good to live in a country where people like to smile. Dentistry and the teeth whitening industry would suffer terribly without our smiles, both sincere and insincere.

Research indicates that smiling:

• Boosts your immune system. Even a fake smile causes your body to release endorphins.
• Reduces stress.
• Lowers your blood pressure.
• And improves people's perception of you. Smiles make you seem confident.

We seem to have a lot to gain by smiling. Besides, dentistry and the teeth whitening industry would suffer terribly without our smiles, both sincere and insincere.

There are 19 types of smiles divided into two categories: "social" and "genuine". The sincere smiles,  are called Duchenne smiles. As for the smiles with the lesser reputation... Herman Melville called a smile, "... the chosen vehicle for all ambiguities." People, unfortunately, don't just smile to show off their dental work. They also smile when they're embarrassed, flirting, scared, or lying. I wonder if the endorphins still get released.

The way we interpret smiles is also influenced by our cultural perspectives. Americans look at the mouth to decide about a person's emotional state, while Japanese people look at eyes. In the wide world, there are too many ways to be ambiguous, and these misunderstandings of each other's body language can be dangerous.