Facial expressions greatly touch us and affect our decision about someone. A smile is the most powerful facial expression, a smile makes people see things more positively, and it has a great ability to change a boring topic into an interesting one. But be careful we shouldn’t believe every smile we see. A recent study revealed that liars have automated smile. However, liars don’t smile more than people that are telling the truth, they use their smile to direct the attention from what they are saying.
One might think that the facial expression translates person's feelings, but to some people these facial expressions are just tools to hide what they really feel. So, behind a smile there might be anger and pain as if a smile is a control button. The main question is to what extent we can trust a smile??
Recently, I read a study where a group of students were asked to imagine that they are members of a Disciplinary Counsel, their mission is to determine whether the students cheated or not. They received reports about students who cheated with their pictures. Some students were smiling in the picture while others we showing neutral expressions. All the participants thought that those that are smiling in the picture may not have cheated. So, for them the smile meant that they are reliable.
Not all the smiles that you see are real smiles that express what people really feel, some smiles are fake. A true smile always includes changes around the mouth and around the eyes as well. We have to be smart enough and never allow a fake smile to affect our decisions.
Oh, Sahar, amazing post!
ReplyDeleteSo reflective of what things are really like these days.
However, your post reminds me of a saying for Imam Sha'rawy: "Use you mouth for two things: silence to avoid problems, and smiles to solve problems!" A smile can be used positively, without aiming at tricking;)I've tried it: a smile CAN solve a problem!