What Every BODY Is Saying_Navarro, Joe & Karlins, Marvin

THE MIND’S CANVAS 187

When we exhibit a social or false smile, the lip corner stretches side-
ways through the use of a muscle called the risorius. When used bilat-
erally, these effectively pull the corners of the mouth sideways but
cannot lift them upward, as is the case with a true smile (see figure 73).
Interestingly, babies several weeks old will already reserve the full zy-
gomatic smile for their mothers and utilize the risorius smile for all
others. If you are unhappy, it is unlikely that you will be able to smile
fully using both the zygomaticus majoris and the orbicularis oculi
muscles. Real smiles are difficult to fake when we have a sincere lack of
emotion.

Disappearing Lips, Lip Compression, and the Upside-Down U

If it seems like the lips have disappeared from every photograph you
have seen recently of anyone testifying before Congress, it is because

A real smile forces the corners of the

mouth up toward the eyes.

This is a fake or “polite smile”: the corners

of the mouth move toward the ears and

there is little emotion in the eyes.

Fig. 72 Fig. 73