Duchenne Smile
noun

- a genuine smile involving both the mouth and the muscles around the eyes, creating crow’s feet wrinkles, considered an indicator of authentic positive emotion.

- a smile that engages the orbicularis oculi muscle around the eyes, producing characteristic eye crinkles, distinguished from a polite or social smile.

Collins Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN 

Named after Guillaume Duchenne (1806-1875), a French neurologist who conducted pioneering research on facial expressions using electrical stimulation. In his 1862 work “Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine” (The Mechanism of Human Facial Expression)

Duchenne identified the distinction between genuine and artificial smiles by observing that authentic joy activates both the zygomatic major muscle (raising the mouth corners) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (creating eye wrinkles).

The term entered psychological literature in the 1980s when Paul Ekman popularized Duchenne’s findings in emotion research.

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THE SMILE SPECTRUM

22 Different Smiles and What They Really Mean

1. Duchenne Smile = a genuine smile involving the eyes (crinkling at the corners) and mouth. It signals true happiness or amusement.

2. Polite Smile = a controlled, closed-mouth smile used in social or formal settings to show courtesy, often without genuine feeling.

3. Social Smile = a friendly, automatic smile used to smooth social interaction, not necessarily reflecting inner emotion.

4. Nervous Smile = a tight, fleeting smile used to mask discomfort, anxiety, or social unease.

5. Embarrassed Smile = a shy, often uneven smile with downward gaze or a head tilt, reflecting self-consciousness or mild shame.

6. Fake Smile = a forced or exaggerated smile that doesn’t involve the eyes, typically masking discomfort or disinterest.

7. Smirk = an asymmetrical or half-smile suggesting smugness, sarcasm, or private amusement.

8. Sarcastic Smile = a knowingly insincere or exaggerated smile used to express irony, disbelief, or mockery.

9. Flirtatious Smile = a coy or playful smile, often paired with eye contact or a head tilt, signaling romantic or playful interest.

10. Sad Smile = a soft smile that tries to mask pain or sorrow, often showing mixed emotions or quiet resilience.

11. Affiliative Smile = a warm, inclusive smile used to create connection, ease tension, and build trust in groups.

12. Dominance Smile = a confident, lopsided smile, sometimes with a lifted chin, used to signal superiority or control.

13. Reward Smile = a broad, approving smile that shows encouragement, pride, or delight in response to someone’s action.

14. Relieved Smile = a relaxed smile that appears after a tense moment, often with a sigh or softened posture.

15. Loving Smile = a tender, sincere smile that shows affection, warmth, or emotional closeness, often shared between partners or family.

16. Triumphant Smile = a big, bold smile that expresses pride or victory, often accompanied by raised eyebrows or a confident pose.

17. Pleading Smile = a gentle, hopeful smile used to seek approval, forgiveness, or sympathy.

18.. Contemptuous Smile = a one-sided or sneering smile expressing disdain, scorn, or moral superiority.

19. Wistful Smile = a bittersweet smile, often reflecting nostalgia, longing, or emotional reflection.

20. Bite-Back Smirk = a mischievous smile held back slightly, suggesting withheld laughter or a clever thought not yet spoken.

21. Closed-Mouth Smile = lips turned upward but sealed, showing restraint or polite interest without full emotional engagement.

22. Giggle Smile = a light, breathy smile often accompanied by a laugh or shy reaction, showing amusement or bashfulness.

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SYNONYMS 

authentic/genuine/happy/radiant beam (expression, smile), beam brightly (with joy), beaming (smile) break into a smile, bright/brilliant/loving/honest/natural/radiant/real/sincere/true/warm smile, burst into a smile, crinkly-eyed smile, crow's feet smile, dazzling grin, delighted expression, DUCHENNE SMILE, ear-to-ear smile, eye-crinkling smile, eyes that smile (twinkle), felt/glowing/heartfelt/honest/infectious smile, happy expression, joyful grin, like a ray of sunshine (sunshine after rain), orbicularis oculi smile, rainbow after rain, ray of sunshine, real deal smile, smile like you mean it, smile that reaches the eyes, smiling eyes, smiling with the eyes, sparkle in the eye, sunshine on a cloudy day, twinkle in the eye, warm hug smile, wholehearted smile

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“Face-to-face meetings offer the best circumstances for recognizing DUCHENNE SMILES,… the lower resolution of virtual calls makes face-reading more challenging.”

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