Understanding the Duchenne Smile: The Power of a Genuine Expression

When looking with a Western gaze, some Japanese customs seem pretty bizarre. You can pay to (just) spoon in a cuddle cafe, and, for the love of god, they try to make babies cry! So, when I recently came across the news that people in Japan are taking smiling lessons, I can't say I was surprised, but I was certainly intrigued. Are they unhappy? I mean, if ate the sperm sac of cod fish, I’d be frowning too (for real, it’s called “shirako” which means “white children.”)

Apparently, once the Covid mask mandates were lifted, people seemed to have "forgotten to smile." How is that possible? In America, we’re always smiling. If we didn't find amusement in our three-ring political circus, we would be immobilized by fear or crumpled in sobbing heaps, no? Research supports that smiling is more prevalent in cultures that emphasize individualism (hello, us) and have lower population density (America has around 94 people per square mile, while Japan has 874 per square mile). Hence, it's understandable that people here smile more often than in Japan. But still, they must smile at adorable animals, right?

Studies involving congenitally blind individuals confirm that smiling is innately associated with expressing joy or amusement across cultures. That confirms it, all cultures smile to express enjoyment. However, some individuals struggle with a different kind of smile, the smile you fake, like when you run into that person from high school at the grocery store.

Can you tell the “real” smile from the “fake” smile?

There is a difference between what we perceive as a genuine smile and a false smile. Psychologists have coined the term, Duchenne smile, after French anatomist, Guillaume Duchenne, who studied emotional expression. A Duchenne smile extends all the way up to your eyes, causing those fun little crow’s feet people love to try and slather (Hi, me) and inject away. This more authentic- appearing smile is distinct from a fake one and goes a long way in strengthening personal and professional relationships.

Not only does smiling elicit more trust and cooperation from others, but it helps us think on a broader level. Moreover, in regards to those who may not be feeling so great, research indicates that smiling positively influences our emotions and reduces stress. Naturally, this leads to increased productivity and greater satisfaction. So, before we toss the crying baby out with the square watermelons (actually a genius idea), perhaps as coaches, we should evaluate how our clients smile and ensure they “do the Duchenne” (I just coined that).

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