You can identify a fake smile by looking at the eyes; a genuine smile involves the muscles around the eyes (specifically the orbicularis oculi), causing crow's feet and a slight crinkling. This muscle movement is often absent in a fake smile.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Key Indicator: The Eyes
- Genuine Smile (Duchenne Smile): Involves both the zygomatic major muscle (which lifts the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which surrounds the eye). Activation of the orbicularis oculi creates wrinkles around the eyes and raises the cheeks. This is often referred to as a "Duchenne smile," named after Guillaume Duchenne, who studied facial expressions. The presence of these wrinkles, often called "crow's feet," is a strong indicator of genuine emotion.
- Fake Smile (Social Smile): Primarily involves the zygomatic major muscle, lifting the corners of the mouth. However, the orbicularis oculi muscle remains largely inactive. The smile looks forced or strained, and the area around the eyes doesn't change much.
Why is the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle Key?
While we can consciously control the muscles that lift the corners of our mouth (zygomatic major), it's much more difficult to voluntarily activate the orbicularis oculi to the same extent as when experiencing genuine joy. This makes it a more reliable indicator of authentic emotion.
Subtle Clues that May Indicate a Fake Smile:
- Timing: A genuine smile appears and fades gradually, whereas a fake smile may appear and disappear more abruptly.
- Symmetry: A genuine smile tends to be more symmetrical than a forced smile, although this can vary from person to person.
- Other Facial Muscles: Genuine smiles often involve other facial muscles as well, resulting in a more relaxed and natural expression across the entire face. A fake smile may look isolated, only affecting the mouth.
- Context: Consider the situation. Does the smile seem appropriate for the context? A smile that seems out of place might be insincere.
In Summary:
The most reliable way to tell if a smile is genuine is to look at the eyes. If the muscles around the eyes are engaged, causing wrinkling and a slight raising of the cheeks, the smile is likely genuine. If the mouth is smiling but the eyes remain relatively unchanged, the smile is likely forced or fake.