SUBTEXTthe fear smile, the lips are stretched to form a rectangular shape
Muscles that pull the lips horizontally in fear will sometimes lift
the corners of the mouth in the mockery of a smile, what we call
a grimace. In this smile, the eyebrows are raised and pulled together
and the eyes are widened.
Another negative but felt smile is one that shows contempt.
The corners of the lips are tightened, and usually one side is
lifted slightly while the eyebrows are slightly raised. In the smile
of someone who is miserable, the lower lip is pushed up by the
chin muscle and the corners of the mouth are pulled down. The
brows are lowered.
These are a few of the real or felt smiles we use. A false
smile, on the other hand, is often used as a mask to hide what
one is really feeling. In this smile, the person tends to press the
lips together, tighten the corners, and push up the lower lip.
A false smile, according to Dr. Ekman, is often asymmetrical
(although some normal smiles are lopsided, too). Only one side
of the mouth is involved, and it isn't accompanied by any movement
of the muscles around the eyes. Another crucial cue is timing.
False smiles may end abruptly or decrease in steps, but in either
case the timing is inappropriate.
To sum up the facts about false smiles:
- In pretending fear or sadness, there is no accompanying fore-
head expression. - In pretending happiness, the eye muscles are not in-
volved. - To discover pretense in any emotion, look for asymmetrical
expressions, too abrupt an onset of the smile, and an inappro-
priate length of time for the smile.