You may deliberately position your mouth in a lop-sided smile – like Hugh Grant
or Paris Hilton – if you want to show your pleasure as well as show your pain.
One side of the mouth is saying, ‘Yes!’ while the other side is saying, ‘Better not’.The drop-jaw smile.............................................................................
This practised smile, in which the lower jaw simply releases downwards, is a
favourite of politicians, movie stars, and celebrities (see Figure 6-4). Knowing
how contagious laughter is, a person wanting to elicit positive reactions from
his adoring public lets his jaw drop, suggesting playfulness and amusement.Because laughter is more contagious than just smiling, the next time you’re in
company and want to induce a sense of playfulness in your listeners, apply
the drop-jaw smile. By looking unthreatening and as if you’re laughing, the
others pick up on the feeling too.Nancy is known for her sense of fun. Her laughter comes from the depths of her
being, and can fill a room with joy and hilarity. One night she and a group of
friends were having dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. Nancy’s smiling face
and cheerful laughter caught the attention of diners at several other tables, all of
whom picked up on her laughter and joined in. Eventually, a man from another
group approached Nancy and begged her to let them all in on the joke as they
were laughing so hard but didn’t have a clue what they were laughing about.Figure 6-4:
The drop-
jaw smile
conveys no
hint of
appease-
ment or
submissive-
ness.100 Part II: Starting at the Top