Kinesics is the science that studies body language, that is, what communicates with the body without using verbalization.
Much of kinesthetic communication is learned and used on purpose. For example, accompanying a conversation with certain gestures (such as tapping on the wrist, where the watch would go, to tell someone that they are running late).
However, in many cases our body speaks for us without us realizing it. There are certain involuntary gestures that communicate things that perhaps we had no intention of saying.
Has it not happened to you that, when you meet someone, you think “this person is not trustworthy”? Even though he didn’t say anything weird? Surely his body expressed things that, even if you don’t know it, sent you a message that you didn’t like.
In this context, the smile is one of the most powerful tools of kinesics. With a smile you can express love, happiness, sarcasm and even displeasure. The shape of your smile can say more about you than you think. These are the most common types of smiles… Do you use them often?
Crooked smile
If you smile crookedly, it may be interpreted as a sign of sarcasm.
It is the way of smiling that is associated with a situation that bothers you, and in which you smile out of commitment, although inside you are thinking “fuck you”.
Basically, it’s a fake smile.
Even if you don’t say anything, this smile says a lot about you. About how you feel at that moment, and what the person you are talking to makes you feel. Be careful when you use it! Surely your interlocutor will notice many of these things.
closed smile
When you are in a situation where your opinion will be considered improper, you may smile as a way to release tension. It is the typical smile with closed and tense lips.
When you smile this way, you express “I don’t agree, but I don’t want to argue.”
endearing smile
Unlike the sarcastic smile, if you accompany a crooked smile with an upward look (a la “puss in boots”) you are generating paternal feelings. The other person will have the desire to protect you.
In this sense, something fundamental must be clarified: smiles and looks always go hand in hand.
smile with eye contact
The seductive smile, which is also accompanied by particular looks, is a very common smile and understood by everyone.
When you smile in a natural and sustained way, maintaining eye contact at all times, you are sending a clear message: “I like you”.