More than just delivering happiness: How does a smile shape our emotions?

Smiling, this seemingly simple facial action, plays an irreplaceable role in our daily lives. Whether it is the joy of gathering with relatives and friends, or self-encouragement in the face of difficulties, smiling conveys positive emotions and attitudes in its unique way. Today is World Smile Day, the only festival that celebrates human behavior and expression. Let us walk into the psychological world of smiling and explore the mysteries behind smiling.

01 Have you smiled today?

A smile usually refers to a facial expression with the corners of the mouth raised and the eyes slightly narrowed, which can express positive emotions such as joy, friendliness or satisfaction. There are many different forms of smiles, and each smile carries different emotions and information, reflecting people's true inner state. When studying smiles, French neurologist Duchenne found that when people smile sincerely, their facial muscles will show a specific pattern, which is significantly different from the facial muscle activity when pretending to smile, and is difficult to fake.

From a biological point of view, smiling is closely related to chemicals in the brain. When we smile, the brain releases chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine, which can make us feel happy and relaxed, and can also relieve negative emotions such as tension and anxiety. Therefore, smiling is not just a facial expression, but also a physiological and psychological interaction.

02 Is it said that smiling is contagious? Uncover the emotional connection behind smiling

Have you ever noticed that when you see a photo of a smile, you also unconsciously raise your lips? When a friend tells a joke, you laugh with him/her for no apparent reason before you understand the joke? Don't think it's just an isolated case, there is theoretical research to support this. The mirror neuron theory holds that there is a special kind of mirror neuron in our brain that activates when we observe the behavior of others, allowing us to understand and share the emotions of others. When we see others smile, the mirror neurons are activated, allowing us to feel the same joyful emotions.

Studies have also shown that the neural response of the premotor cortex of the human brain is stronger when it comes to pleasant sounds, which explains why we always laugh with others or imitate others' laughter involuntarily. Some scientists believe that laughter may have appeared much earlier than language, and our ancestors may have conveyed positive emotions such as joy and happiness to other groups through smiles, thereby expressing their willingness to be friendly and live in harmony.

In daily life, a friendly smile can quickly narrow the distance between people and ease the awkward atmosphere; in social activities, especially business occasions, smiling is the easiest and most effective way to express one's professionalism and affinity and to establish good cooperative relationships.

The embodied cognition theory mentions that our body is not only a medium for emotional expression, but also a shaper of emotional experience. For example, a smile can feed back to the brain and induce a positive emotional state. At this time, people may think of themselves as a happy and friendly person. This self-cognition can further affect their emotions and social behavior. The facial feedback hypothesis further believes that facial expressions can affect our emotional experience. When we smile, the activity of facial muscles sends positive signals to the brain, which induces positive emotional experience. This explains why smiling can sometimes make us feel happier.

Therefore, smiling is an important form of emotional expression and plays a key role in emotion recognition and interpretation. When others recognize our emotions, they rely on our facial expressions, especially smiling.

03 Let your smile come from the heart from today on

Laughter is the most beautiful expression and a language that does not need translation. Lu You, a long-lived poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, once wrote the lines "One smile can dispel a hundred worries" ("A Spring Day Outing") and "One smile can relieve aging" ("A Night Walk in Mianyang"). Studies have shown that laughter can increase the number of immune cells and make them more active. Laughter for 5 minutes is equivalent to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise!

Although there are always disappointments in life, you might as well start from now on to pay attention to your emotional state, try to convey emotions with a smile, and let your body feel the positive power. At the same time, you must also learn to stay optimistic when facing difficulties. Difficulties cannot be avoided, but you can choose to face various challenges with a positive attitude.

Smile with sincerity. Only a sincere smile can convey inner joy and kindness. Learn to keep more beautiful things in life through diary, photography, painting, etc., dispel the haze in your heart, so that you can naturally show a sincere smile.

04 Conclusion

Cross-cultural studies have found that although the form and meaning of smiles vary from culture to culture, people are generally able to recognize and understand the positive emotions conveyed by smiles. Except for very few solemn or sad occasions, smiles can well transcend language and cultural barriers and convey friendliness and goodwill.

If you have been healed by a smile, you will definitely want to face every day of your life and everyone around you with a smile. Let us embrace life with a smile and pass on love and warmth!

The pictures and cover picture of this article are from the copyright gallery. Reprinting and using them may cause copyright disputes.

author:

Tang Yicheng, China Science Popularization Expert, Secretary General of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Psychological Society

Wang Xiang Chief Writer, Beijing China Science Popularization Center for Mental Health Promotion

Reviewer: Fan Chunlei, Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Produced by: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., China Science and Technology Publishing House (Beijing) Digital Media Co., Ltd.