Masks Off. What’s the Real Power of a Smile?

As we leave the pandemic behind, masks are coming off … and smiles are reemerging.

The masks didn’t really keep us from smiling though, did they?  And, surprisingly enough, most of us were still able to detect the smiles of others, even with the lower half of our faces covered. A little crinkle at the eyes tipped us off.

Now that many of us are mostly unmasked, let’s review the value of smiling.

 

Why smile?

No, you can’t smile your way to happiness. (Although research shows that for a very few people, mustering up a fake smile when you’re feeling a little blue can temporarily make you feel better.)

Your smile is more for other people. As you probably know, in American culture those around you use your facial expressions to gather clues about you. It’s a communication device — one that can work magic.

Real smiles are signs of friendliness, joy, compassion and can lead to trust and better relationships. In fact, there are few drawbacks to smiling.

 

The study of smiles

Human smiles have been studied for centuries. Did you know Charles Darwin studied facial expressions and smiles? In the 1800s French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne identified two facial muscles used during smiling — one controlling the outer corners of your mouth and the other, the area around your eyes. Since then, smile studies have captured the attention of scientists, as they researched smiles in various cultures, smiles and trust, types of smiles and, of course, smiles and mood.

The debate has been ongoing on whether moving your mouth into a smile shape can influence your emotions … with disparate findings, according to Maanvi Singh for npr.org. The discrepancies in these findings could be attributed in part to the large variety of smiles out there. They’re not all joyous and they’re not all genuine.

 

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Smiles are in big demand in the U.S.  

We get encouragement from well-meaning strangers if our mouths are in a shape other than a grin. Songs abound with lyrics about smiling. And the smiley face in all it’s evolutions beams at us from t-shirts, buttons and emojis as well as a night sky last year. Stars and performers radiate enthusiasm and joy as they entertain us while smiling.

One theory about the “why” behind Americans’ toothy grins points at our long, robust history of immigration and our early reliance on non-verbal communication. Could that be it? An analysis of high school yearbook photos done by the University of California, Berkeley, shows a gradual shift from serious to lighthearted expressions from the 1900s to the 2010s, seemingly downplaying this melting pot theory.

For me, it was more of a FOMO situation. Growing up in a homogenous, relatively stoic German-Irish American community, smiling wasn’t a priority. (Neither were feelings or hugs.) It wasn’t until college that I really started noticing that the people who were smiling and hugging looked like they were having a better time than I was. (Side note: there may have been alcohol involved.)

It was also around that time, that a man from my neighborhood who always had a smile on his face and was the life of every gathering my parents had, committed suicide. Certainly, his smile may have been more of a mask for hidden pain.

 

The benefits of smiling

We all form first impressions from faces. Flashing a smile influences how people perceive you. Psychologists say a smile makes you appear more friendly, more honest, more attractive and more polite.  This perception influences how other people behave toward you.

Smiles are also contagious. Our brains want to mirror the people we’re with. You’ll notice that usually when you smile at someone, they smile back at you almost instantly. Scientists tell us smiles provide a brain reward to the receiver — a dopamine response making the recipient feel a little better.

Smiling has also been linked to trust in healthcare studies. From clinicians to nurses, patients reported greater confidence in their care when the professional providing it seemed happy and smiling.

 

Of course, none of us want to feel forced to smile (particularly when we’re having a bad day). But there are certainly times when a nice smile can be just the thing. Think job interviews, store exchanges, social situations, customer care and sales. As you start to feel more comfortable uncovering your smile again, think of it as a valuable bit of face real estate to help you connect with others.

 

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