7 ms·

There are 19 types of smile but only six are for happiness

87 points by pmcpinto 10y ago

sosuke 10y ago
I hoped for samples of each smile. I had a guilty pleasure in watching a short lived fictitious TV series called "Lie to me" which focused on reading faces.
brotherjerky 10y ago
This article desperately needs pictures. I'm sure at some point someone will collect them all and post another version.
- reality_czech 10y ago
  Here's a picture of what they're talking about: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121223042303/battlefield/images/f/fe/UMADYuri.jpg http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121223042303/battlefiel...
red75prime 10y ago
The russian proverb is actually 'laughter with no reason is a sign of stupidity’. 'Смех без причины - признак дурачины'. But, yeah, smiling with no genuine reason isn't usual here in Russia.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
arafa 10y ago
"But we now know that most people – around 71% - can voluntarily contract the inner portion of the orbicularis oculi." I can't find the source for this anywhere online. My experience with over 100 hours of practice in front of a mirror (don't ask) and the research I've read suggests otherwise. And even if you can voluntarily contract your orbicularis oculi, you'll need to have the proper onset/offset times and constant intensities for muscle contraction, which are just as hard to fake and easy for a trained observer to spot. I suggest the "crow's feet" from a Duchenne Smile is still a reliable indicator of feeling happy for all those reasons, if observed appropriately. It was far easier to fake a real smile by thinking of something happy, which is why facial recognition is still much better for emotion detection than lie detection.
- deleted 10y ago
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- deleted 10y ago
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- bryondowd 10y ago
  Wouldn't your experience be at least as likely to mean that you are simply in the 29% of people who cannot do this? I would imagine people who can't flare their nostrils, roll their tongue, move their scalp (maybe this one is just me), or any number of other common but not universal movements would feel the same way you do at being told that these movements are not only possible, but quite common. I'm no trained observer, but looking at myself in a mirror right now, I can fake a smile that appears to me no different from a genuine smile formed while focusing on a happy thought. But I don't think I have a very expressive face in general, in addition to now knowing any key things to look for other than crows feet.
  - arafa 10y ago
    Even if I am in the 29% (which is less likely, statistically speaking) along with my friend who also did the training and couldn't do this voluntarily, that's only one part of my argument. I'd still like to see the source for that data. It would contradict research that I've read. And voluntary movement still won't address onset, offset, and intensity of muscle contractions. In addition, voluntary facial movements will often be unilateral (one-sided) or asymmetric in some facet (stronger on one side than another) as well, among other concerns.
  - evincarofautumn 10y ago
    > move their scalp (maybe this one is just me) You’re not alone! (I can also wiggle my chin without parting my lips or grimacing, which I’ve never seen anyone else accomplish.)
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
inputcoffee 10y ago
For those who want to see weird smile: check out the smiles of the help in Get Out. I think I know how I would qualify those. I have a lot more to say on this but can't avoid spoilers.
losteverything 10y ago
Jack hamm and his books are great for lousy artists/cartoonists like me Muscles of expression https://terahdrawing.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hamm_facialmuscles1.jpg https://terahdrawing.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hamm_facial... https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/07/97/dc/0797dce28fe21c25b19a4dfd5544f6a6.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/07/97/dc/0797dce28... (Last is one of two pages)
- specialist 10y ago
  Nice share, thanks. Gary Fagan founded the Gage Academy of Fine Arts. He's done quite a bit of work on representing facial expressions. His book is "required" reading for portrait arts. His lectures are fun too. http://www.garyfaigin.com/faigin-face-blog http://www.garyfaigin.com/faigin-face-blog http://www.garyfaigin.com/expression-demonstrations.html http://www.garyfaigin.com/expression-demonstrations.html The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Complete-Guide-Facial-Expression/dp/0823004325 https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Complete-Guide-Facial-Express...
pavement 10y ago
True ‘felt’ smiles were first discovered by repeatedly electrocuting a middle-aged man. Everything about that statement is just beyond ridiculous.
- ge96 10y ago
  It was the scientist's genuine smile observing the lab rat grimace in pain.
- avn2109 10y ago
  "To electrocute" means "to kill by electric shock [0]," therefore it's in principle impossible to "repeatedly electrocute" anyone. [0] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute
  - bryondowd 10y ago
    Yes, this annoyed me slightly while reading the article. But, it's typical in common speech to use "electrocute" to mean "to deliver a significant electrical shock". Since there's no concise way to express that concept, and it is probably a more common occurrence than true electrocution, it makes sense that people have adapted the word this way. I expect this is one of those cases of language evolving where this meaning will eventually make it into dictionaries. At least it's more functional than using "literally" in the place of "figuratively".
    - logfromblammo 10y ago
      I have repeatedly tried to push "electrotetanize" for non-lethal, non-injurious electric shocks that are nonetheless strong enough to produce muscle contraction or temporary paralysis. Sadly, it has not been considered cromulent enough to propagandate. So my continuum of increasing exposure to electricity would be charge < shock < zap < prod < jolt < galvanize < electrify < electrotetanize < electrocauterize < electrocute. Keraunos is the Greek root for lightning, and fulgur/fulmen is the Latin root, in case you might want to coin your own term. Fulgurate is a synonym for electrocauterize.
jpfed 10y ago
I have nothing constructive to add, but when I was still a UW-Madison student, I did karaoke with Paula Niedenthal. She absolutely killed.
Semiapies 10y ago
I wonder how valid these 19 tips really are, given the differences in smiles between nationalities. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/07/olympic_smiles_how_to_identify_athletes_nationalities_based_on_their_facial_expressions_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/201...
gwbas1c 10y ago
The article doesn't have clear examples of the 19 types of smiles.
kafkaesq 10y ago
And soon enough, those cameras already popping up everywhere will be pattern-matching your pretty face against all of them, dozens of times a day, with 97% accuracy. And logging these scores to, well, you know where.
Syzygies 10y ago
There are 19 types of morons, but only six feel a compulsion to classify continuous phenomena as discrete.
woodandsteel 10y ago
There are 19 different types of smiles. And a skillful professional actor can voluntarily do every one of them

87 points by pmcpinto 10y ago

I hoped for samples of each smile. I had a guilty pleasure in watching a short lived fictitious TV series called "Lie to me" which focused on reading faces.

brotherjerky 10y ago

This article desperately needs pictures. I'm sure at some point someone will collect them all and post another version.

reality_czech 10y ago
Here's a picture of what they're talking about: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121223042303/battlefield/images/f/fe/UMADYuri.jpg http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121223042303/battlefiel...

red75prime 10y ago

The russian proverb is actually 'laughter with no reason is a sign of stupidity’. 'Смех без причины - признак дурачины'. But, yeah, smiling with no genuine reason isn't usual here in Russia.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

arafa 10y ago

"But we now know that most people – around 71% - can voluntarily contract the inner portion of the orbicularis oculi." I can't find the source for this anywhere online. My experience with over 100 hours of practice in front of a mirror (don't ask) and the research I've read suggests otherwise. And even if you can voluntarily contract your orbicularis oculi, you'll need to have the proper onset/offset times and constant intensities for muscle contraction, which are just as hard to fake and easy for a trained observer to spot. I suggest the "crow's feet" from a Duchenne Smile is still a reliable indicator of feeling happy for all those reasons, if observed appropriately. It was far easier to fake a real smile by thinking of something happy, which is why facial recognition is still much better for emotion detection than lie detection.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
bryondowd 10y ago
Wouldn't your experience be at least as likely to mean that you are simply in the 29% of people who cannot do this? I would imagine people who can't flare their nostrils, roll their tongue, move their scalp (maybe this one is just me), or any number of other common but not universal movements would feel the same way you do at being told that these movements are not only possible, but quite common. I'm no trained observer, but looking at myself in a mirror right now, I can fake a smile that appears to me no different from a genuine smile formed while focusing on a happy thought. But I don't think I have a very expressive face in general, in addition to now knowing any key things to look for other than crows feet.
- arafa 10y ago
  Even if I am in the 29% (which is less likely, statistically speaking) along with my friend who also did the training and couldn't do this voluntarily, that's only one part of my argument. I'd still like to see the source for that data. It would contradict research that I've read. And voluntary movement still won't address onset, offset, and intensity of muscle contractions. In addition, voluntary facial movements will often be unilateral (one-sided) or asymmetric in some facet (stronger on one side than another) as well, among other concerns.
- evincarofautumn 10y ago
  > move their scalp (maybe this one is just me) You’re not alone! (I can also wiggle my chin without parting my lips or grimacing, which I’ve never seen anyone else accomplish.)
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

inputcoffee 10y ago

For those who want to see weird smile: check out the smiles of the help in Get Out. I think I know how I would qualify those. I have a lot more to say on this but can't avoid spoilers.

losteverything 10y ago

Jack hamm and his books are great for lousy artists/cartoonists like me Muscles of expression https://terahdrawing.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hamm_facialmuscles1.jpg https://terahdrawing.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/hamm_facial... https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/07/97/dc/0797dce28fe21c25b19a4dfd5544f6a6.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/07/97/dc/0797dce28... (Last is one of two pages)

specialist 10y ago
Nice share, thanks. Gary Fagan founded the Gage Academy of Fine Arts. He's done quite a bit of work on representing facial expressions. His book is "required" reading for portrait arts. His lectures are fun too. http://www.garyfaigin.com/faigin-face-blog http://www.garyfaigin.com/faigin-face-blog http://www.garyfaigin.com/expression-demonstrations.html http://www.garyfaigin.com/expression-demonstrations.html The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Complete-Guide-Facial-Expression/dp/0823004325 https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Complete-Guide-Facial-Express...

pavement 10y ago

True ‘felt’ smiles were first discovered by repeatedly electrocuting a middle-aged man. Everything about that statement is just beyond ridiculous.

ge96 10y ago
It was the scientist's genuine smile observing the lab rat grimace in pain.
avn2109 10y ago
"To electrocute" means "to kill by electric shock [0]," therefore it's in principle impossible to "repeatedly electrocute" anyone. [0] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrocute
- bryondowd 10y ago
  Yes, this annoyed me slightly while reading the article. But, it's typical in common speech to use "electrocute" to mean "to deliver a significant electrical shock". Since there's no concise way to express that concept, and it is probably a more common occurrence than true electrocution, it makes sense that people have adapted the word this way. I expect this is one of those cases of language evolving where this meaning will eventually make it into dictionaries. At least it's more functional than using "literally" in the place of "figuratively".
  - logfromblammo 10y ago
    I have repeatedly tried to push "electrotetanize" for non-lethal, non-injurious electric shocks that are nonetheless strong enough to produce muscle contraction or temporary paralysis. Sadly, it has not been considered cromulent enough to propagandate. So my continuum of increasing exposure to electricity would be charge < shock < zap < prod < jolt < galvanize < electrify < electrotetanize < electrocauterize < electrocute. Keraunos is the Greek root for lightning, and fulgur/fulmen is the Latin root, in case you might want to coin your own term. Fulgurate is a synonym for electrocauterize.

jpfed 10y ago

I have nothing constructive to add, but when I was still a UW-Madison student, I did karaoke with Paula Niedenthal. She absolutely killed.

Semiapies 10y ago

I wonder how valid these 19 tips really are, given the differences in smiles between nationalities. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/07/olympic_smiles_how_to_identify_athletes_nationalities_based_on_their_facial_expressions_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/201...

gwbas1c 10y ago

The article doesn't have clear examples of the 19 types of smiles.

kafkaesq 10y ago

And soon enough, those cameras already popping up everywhere will be pattern-matching your pretty face against all of them, dozens of times a day, with 97% accuracy. And logging these scores to, well, you know where.

Syzygies 10y ago

There are 19 types of morons, but only six feel a compulsion to classify continuous phenomena as discrete.

woodandsteel 10y ago

There are 19 different types of smiles. And a skillful professional actor can voluntarily do every one of them