There Are 19 Different Types Of Smiles

The first person to discover different types of smiles was a 19th-century French physician named Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne. This man is considered one of the pioneers in neurology and an authority in smile.

Over time, the findings of the Duchenne de Boulogne have been fully validated. This doctor was obsessed with the use of electricity for medical and therapeutic purposes. More specifically, he focused on the study of facial expressions. One of the topics he studied in depth was the different types of smiles.

During the investigations, he came across a man who suffered from facial insensitivity. In fact, the doctor was able to connect a number of electrodes to the man’s face without causing discomfort. Consequently , he was able to identify the different muscle groups involved in facial expressions.

He also managed to identify 19 different types of smiles. Furthermore, he stated that only six of them are really real. In other words, smiles that reflect true joy, pleasure or happiness. The others express quite different feelings. These include fear, anger and contempt. These are the most interesting:

Sad smile

Strange as it may seem, sadness is sometimes portrayed with a smile. In fact, several types of smiles reflect painful emotions. They can occur in situations that are both positive and negative at the same time. Here are some examples of sad smiles:

• The sad smile. Your lips form a slightly asymmetrical smile, but your eyes are filled with sadness. According to a study conducted by the University of San Francisco, it is the typical smile of a winner of a silver medal at the Olympic Games.
• It saved the smile. Sometimes you smile out of fear. It happens when you feel helpless and you can smile to show the other person that you have no hostile intentions towards them. This is also the type of smile you can show to a person you consider to have a higher status than you.

• The lonely smile. This is a barely noticeable smile that is sometimes accompanied by a slight expression of sadness. It only happens when you are completely alone. Therefore, it is not a shared smile.

Social smile

Basically, all smiles are social. Some, however, play a larger role in relationships. These tend to be calculated expressions that always occur based on interactions with others. Within this type of smile we find:

• It subdued the smile. The kind of smile you suppress for some reason. It is a true expression of happiness. However, you may consider a smile inappropriate at this point and therefore hold it back. In these smiles, the muscle strain in restraint is more visible than your smile itself.
• The fake smile. This is the typical smile you show when you want to be nice to others, but you are not genuinely happy. The corners of the lip rise, but the eyes remain expressionless.

• The embarrassed smile. This smile is often accompanied by a tilt of the head and often redness. You can also laugh to remove the tension from the situation.
• The flirtatious smile. This is a suggestive and enigmatic smile. Your eyes narrow a little and you show a mischievous expression. Experts suggest that the Mona Lisa is a perfect example of this type of smile.

Smile and show aggression

Among the smiles that the Duchenne de Boulogne discovered, there are those who have a meaning completely opposite to the real essence of smiling. These smiles express rejection, contempt or even cruelty. Within this type of smile are:

• The angry-happy smile. The smile that happens when you rejoice in the misfortune of others. This feeling is otherwise known as hurt joy or “malicious joy”. The smile is of the type a typical villain shows.

• The contemptuous smile. In this case, you smile, but the rest of your face shows anger. It happens, for example, when someone has ridiculed you and everyone else laughs at you.
• The qualifying smile. This is the smile that tries to take the sting out of bad news. For example, the smile of a salesman who tells you “Sorry, the sale ended yesterday”.

We also have the Duchenne smile. This is the most real. With this smile, not only do your lips reflect upwards, but your whole face reflects true happiness, especially your eyes. This is the most authentic and powerful smile of them all.