Were you taught how to smile?
Or were you born with the ability to create a captivating, friendly, approachable face?
I know several people who had to learn to smile and they did so by practicing in a mirror every day.
A smile is more than just lips and teeth -- a smile is delivering brightness in the eyes, alertness in ears that are pulled back just a bit and in rising eyebrows that wrinkle the forehead.
A face is semiotically comprehended in pieces and if some of those parts are missing then misunderstandings are conveyed instead of intent as the receiver wonders if there is an authenticity deficit in the toothless half-smile tempting a sneer or in the strangely smooth and expressionless forehead.
In a business meeting those semiotic misunderstandings can mean disaster and on the street those facial miscues can lead to death.
A smile can make your day. I used to model when I was young and we would practice smiling. Vaseline on teeth helps too.
Hello Simms!
The Vaseline trick is a good one! I guess it helps the lips move more smoothly over the teeth?
Did you not have a good smile before you started to model?
My smile was friendly but not bright enough it seems. I had to make changes in my eye expression and that helped. You have to be careful with smiles. They can get you into trouble.
I guess a "smile is a smile" isn't quite accurate then, eh? I agree there are grins and smiles and smirks and lots of other grayer areas in-between. Yes, smiles can get you into big trouble for purposeful misunderstanding. Did something happen to you?
If you look at a man you don't know and he catches you smiling you can be in big trouble. He'll think you're hot after him when you're just being friendly. A smile can also be seen as arrogance if you aren't careful.
Right! Men can misunderstand kindness:
http://urbansemiotic.com/2006/01/10/men-and-kindness/
Sometimes it's best to practice a "neutral face" that cannot be read instead of whipping your smile into gear!
:grin:
Smiles can kill you on the street -- especially in big cities -- because a smile means you might be happy or content or rich or above those on the street. There's always someone around who is happy to take down your happiness a peg by a tooth or two.
It's kind of sad when you have to keep such well-trained smiles to yourself.:grin:
That's the safest way to interact because you risk less trouble.
It is sad, Simms, that happiness is seen as a threat on the street when the intention is merely an external expression of an inside success. We could all wear masks, I suppose to hide our smirks and smiles and toothless wonders!
:mrgreen:
:sad:
:neutral:
Still have not learned. :) OMG, I just smiled!
Joe!
You maniac!
It's great to see your smiling face here again!
We've missed you!
:grin:
You can read a person like a book by seeing his smile! :D
Katha!
Nice to hear from you today!
You are certainly right about the ability of a smile to reveal the inner workings of the spirit!
it is really sad that we have to hide our expresions because this world is crule and thrives of others displesure