Did you Know!
That the general public can identify a genuine smile only about 60% of the time. That number may seem high, but that is only ten percent better than chance – 50/50.
So, why would that be the case. Why can’t we, as humans, get that right at a higher percentage… say closer to 100% of the time?
Well, there are several reasons, and, as it is, we are not as savvy with identifying other expressions either. With a system that runs from 43 different muscles, we can display over 10,000 expressions, so it is understandable that there may be some difficulties there.
As it turns out,
A smile is NOT just a smile (nor is that a real lyric – the real lyric is ‘a sigh is just a sigh’. That is called a mondegreen, by the way).
One of the reasons we don’t always recognize a genuine smile is that there are several types of smiles. We happen to use them in a variety of ways, including as a polite gesture, to reassuring others, to entertain, and to mask other emotions we don’t want to share. And don’t think that looking for crinkles by the eyes is a dead giveaway. That can be faked as well, particularly in older people.
In and of itself, just the number of ways we use smiling behaviors makes it a bit difficult. But, there are other reasons that we may have difficulty. These include:
- We don’t pay much attention. Our brains work in a manner which it needs to make quick judgements on what is going on around us with the minimal amount of information. This heuristic way of operation means that it doesn’t always wait for all the information before jumping to a conclusion.
- Mirror Neurons – this is also a brain function that activates when we detect emotions from another human. When that happens, we begin to generate the same responses which is one of the basis of empathy. In effect, when we mirror others perceived emotions, we stop looking for evidence of ‘genuine-ness’ (or to the contrary, as the case may be).
- We are used to ‘fake’ smiles being the norm because of mass media. Commonly called the Pan-Am smile due to the airline which required flight attendants to smile AT ALL TIMES, we have come to regard a facsimile of the smile as the most common and, therefore, the most ‘normal’.
It is likely that most people don’t really think about this or even care, but it is important and worth learning. Why? Better human connection is one, though, a lot of times, we can certainly fall into the ‘ignorance is bliss’ category.
Just think about it. Say you are single, and you meet that special someone. (Or, at least, that special someone right now.) You are engaging in a conversation, or flirting, or whatever, what if you could really tell that those smiles he or she is throwing back at you is actually because they are being polite rather than showing real interest?
What if you are selling something, like a house or maybe a car, and that person is giving you a lot of masking smiles covering up their fears or, even, their intention not to buy from you? Wouldn’t you be better off knowing that ahead of time?
Or, on the flip side, what if that salesperson that is trying to sell you a house or car, keeps giving you smiles to comfort you and allow you to let down your guard. Wouldn’t you like to know if those smiles are genuine or duping?
What about someone that is depressed. A friend or family member. And they keep giving you reassuring smiles that everything is ‘a-okay’ but they really are not. Wouldn’t that be good to know?
My point is… Well, my bet is you can see my point.
Detecting, seeing, and understanding what is going on with someone based on what they are displaying on their faces or in their bodies is both a science and an art. We tend to believe that behavior is simple, but humans are much more complex than that and it behooves us to put a little effort into better understanding them…
…because, at the end of the day, you survive better with them than without.