Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
They say that Duchenne's smile both the most genuine, that you attract for its sincerity, that you dazzle for its magic and for the positive emotions it transmits. Thus, of all the gestures that the human face can reflect, this is undoubtedly one of the most attractive and surprising. The science of smiles has been studying it for decades, precisely because of its powerful effect.
There are those who define smiles as "lubricators of social relations". However, they are much more than that: the human being comes to the world with this social mechanism imprinted in the deepest area of ​​his DNA. Even blind people smile automatically, without ever having seen a smile. It is a spontaneous tool, which improves the mood, which optimizes relationships and which allows us to transmit emotions, without the need to speak. But what exactly is Duchenne's smile?
"Thanks to your smile, you make life more beautiful."
-Thich Nhat Hanh-
It should be emphasized that this wonderful social gesture has several varieties. Not all smiles are the same and there is one that stands out above the others in a prodigious way. Let's talk about Duchenne's smile. The emblem of authenticity, which was defined by the physician, neurologist and pioneer of photography in the medical field Guillaume Duchenne, in the mid XNUMXth century.
Doctor Duchenne, an expert above all in the physiology of movement, wanted to describe in detail how fake smiles differed from authentic ones and, for this reason, he explained in depth, step by step, Duchenne's smile and how it appears on our face. Let's talk about a gesture which involves specific muscles of our complex facial architecture. An undoubtedly interesting topic with considerable nuances, which is worth investigating.
What does science tell us about Duchenne's smile?
The smile of Duchenne can be imitated and therefore transformed into a fake smile. This with a very specific purpose: to seduce, convince, attract, deceive, etc.
Thanks to a study conducted by Tufts University, Massachusetts, and published in the British Psychological Society journal, we know that, after testing a group of 98 participants, almost 69% could mimic this smile "almost perfectly".
We almost say, why a good expert of the smile of Duchenne may sense that it is false. This is due to the fact that this social gesture presents a nuance that goes beyond the mouth and is imprinted on the gaze: emotional authenticity.
How to recognize Duchenne's smile?
Just as Dr. Duchenne himself explained in 1862, the essential feature of any smile is the lifting of the corners of the lips, which rise with the help of the cheek muscles. THEl smile of Duchenne has a singular and exceptional nuance: it is generated by positive emotions and cheerfulness, which are transmitted through a combination of different muscles.
A smile that originates from the contraction of the major zygomatic and minor zygomatic muscles near the mouth; which in turn raise the corner of the lip. Likewise, and here the singular nuance comes in, small wrinkles are also formed around the eyes, because they contract both cheeks than the orbicularis muscle near the eyes (orbicularis oculi).
How to recognize a genuine Duchenne smile from a fake one?
Paul Ekman is a psychologist recognized for his work in the field of emotions, especially as regards their expression. Thanks to him, we know up to 18 different types of smiles, the emotions associated with each of them and the facial muscles involved in each.
Dr. Ekman tells us that most smiles (including fake ones) respond to the will of the subject. The smile of Authentic Duchenne is the reflection of the emotions of the soul.
This phrase, which may seem poetic to us in some way, manifests an idea that Ekman demonstrated in a study published in a social psychology journal. That is to say, it is possible to recognize it by the expression of the face, but also by the look; because it is there that the most authentic happiness, well-being or complicity is reflected.
Duchenne's smile is controlled by the motor cortex and the limbic system. What does this mean? Basically, that is a gesture that involves the emotional part of the brain. All this leads us to the conclusion that sincere and genuine smiles come from this part of the brain, where positive emotions cause the eyes to contract and give them a special shine.
When a person smiles at us, let's not limit ourselves to just the attractive shape of the lips. We also observe the eyes, looking for the light generated by undistorted positive emotions. We sense sincerity, the look that does not escape, but that embraces.
As Daniel Goleman points out in his book Social Intelligence, sad people with fake smiles abound. If we work on our emotions and invest in well-being and happiness, we will show the world an authentic Duchenne smile.
