Smile

The Pam Am Smile

June 15th is Smile Power Day.  This sad world could use more sincere smiles, so share some today.

Pam Am Airlines once trained their flight attendants to put on a fake smile to hide just how upset their customers made them.  It didn't work.

The "say cheese" smile does not use the eyes, so it doesn't trigger the limbic system (the part of the brain that controls basic emotions.)

The Duchenne Smile

The Duchenne smile is controlled by the the emotional center of the brain. This smile is named after French neurologist Gillaume Duchenne.  It's guaranteed to give those who see it a little rush of serotonin. It involves smiling with your mouth and eyes and has some involuntary contractions in it, so it’s hard to fake.  It's easy to spot a fake smile because it doesn’t use the eyes.