章 16: Types of Smiling Faces

Tight Lips Smile

The tight lips smile is perhaps the most common form of a smiling, mainly because it's easy to fake and this is what we have in mind when we need to smile politely.

So in most cases you can say it's fake - since when we are truly happy we don't afraid to show teeth.

What can it mean? A lot of things - fear, shyness, politeness, reserved mindset or the masking of true emotions. Whatever the exact meaning is - it has a secretive attribute, in this cases hiding the teeth is equivalent to hiding thoughts.

The Smug Smile

You know that smile – the self satisfied, arrogant and kinda of evil smile.

Signs:

Lips – Usually pressed together and only one side coming up. Can be done with a lips slightly separated. The upper lip may also rise a bit.

Eyes – Can narrow a little to create some kind of suspicious look.

Meaning:

Usually a sign of self satisfaction, arrogance and expression of superiority.

It can also be a sign of doubt and an attempt to dismiss someone's opinion.

If the upper lip rises – it's probably a sign of ridicule.

Interestingly, it can be used in flirting as a sign of humor and playfulness – to try and catch attention and interest from the other side.

Half Smile

This smile is quite similar to the smug, only with a slight adjustment and a different meaning.

Half smile is one of the more confusing expressions we have - simply because it's so ambiguous in its appearance - it's asymmetric.

Now, many smiles are asymmetric, (we mentioned that it's one of the hallmarks of a genuine smile) but when it's really contrasted, when you're unsure if that's a smile or a frown - then that's a problem.

So, what does it mean?!

I. It's one of the main features of sarcasm - "an evil" or "smug" smile. You can also say it's a sign of confidence, or feeling of superiority towards whoever the smile is intended for.

Something to think about: I told you that the smile evolved as an appeasement gesture, a sign of submission rather than threat, so how does this smug mug fits in? In my opinion it simply doesn't - we call that expression a smile, but beside their similar features they have little in common in the meaning or context. It's a conscious disconnect between what is show outside and felt inside.

II. Other meanings involve a mix of contrasting feelings, a shade between happy and shy, sad or a gesture of comfort. You can say it's an incomplete or tired smile, a response to uncomfortable event, this type has a lot in common with the "tight lip smile", both in meaning and expression.

Flirtatious Smile

It's a light smile, very similar to the "half smile" we mentioned earlier. It's attractive because it shows enigmatic features. It's especially attractive in females because it's as if saying "I like what I see, but you'll have to work harder". it's often a sort of invitation for more interaction.

Biting the lips or licking them while smiling enhances the size and fullness of the lips and makes the smile appear more sexy and playful.

An interesting side note - while we men tend to interpret a woman's smile as a sign of desire, a gesture of flattery that's really hard to resist (after all it's a big ego boost), women on the other hand tend to see smiles as support signals. This lack of cohesion in our understanding often leads to very different views on how we see each other.