Purpose of Smiling

[evolvedForm]

What is the evolutionary purpose of smiling? Or if there is no direct purpose, why do you think we smile? And when did smiling enter into man's history?

[billygrippo]

maybe after the tooth brush was invented? /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Brom]

I find that smiles are a somewhat interesting form of expression. I've never done any research or anything, but I personally feel that they should convey the opposite message than what they actually do. When pretty much any other animal shows its teeth off, it's usually a sign of intimidation, but in humans it's more of a display of acceptance.

Where did this discrepancy between us and other animals come in? Do our close primate relatives share our meaning of smiles or the rest of the animal kingdom's?

[Hopey]

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What is the evolutionary purpose of smiling? Or if there is no direct purpose, why do you think we smile? And when did smiling enter into man's history?

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I imagine it serves the same purpose as why dogs wag their tails, or why cats purr.

[billygrippo]

a lot of dogs look like they are smiling. most dogs i know are constantly happy too.

[Hopey]

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a lot of dogs look like they are smiling. most dogs i know are constantly happy too.

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I've read before that dogs are one of the only other animals who smile. It might be an adaptation from associating with humans for thousands of years.

[billygrippo]

im not sure they are actually smiling. i think they are just cooling themselvs off. but most dogs do seem really really happy, even after you kick them in the face.

[HLMencken]

[ QUOTE ]
I find that smiles are a somewhat interesting form of expression. I've never done any research or anything, but I personally feel that they should convey the opposite message than what they actually do. When pretty much any other animal shows its teeth off, it's usually a sign of intimidation, but in humans it's more of a display of acceptance.

Where did this discrepancy between us and other animals come in? Do our close primate relatives share our meaning of smiles or the rest of the animal kingdom's?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dogs smile. Or at least when they are excited in a good way they lift their lips exposing their teeth. A very different way than when they show their teeth aggressively. Just like clenching our teeth in anger and curling our lip is not smiling.

my take at least

[diebitter]

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What is the evolutionary purpose of smiling? Or if there is no direct purpose, why do you think we smile? And when did smiling enter into man's history?

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Manwatching by Desmond Morris has a lot on this. I can only remember it partly. I believe a smile is actually a sign of tension (lots of humour is based on tension concerning the breaking of moral codes or expectations), similar to a grimace, IIRR. There's a lot more to it than that, but I can't remember it off the top of my head, sorry.

However, as with any gesture in pack animals (yep, like dogs), it is most likely to show other members of your species how you're feeling (or how you're presenting how you're feeling), and to assist the coherence of the family/tribe unit by showing your emotional state.

[soon2bepro]

smiling is a form of expression

enough said

[evolvedForm]

Thank you, this seems like a very likely possibility. It helps to think of man as a pack animal rather than an individual when thinking about this sort of thing. It makes me wonder about some people being individuals who prefer being alone (like myself), and why people like us evolved in the first place; and further why things like smiling can be used for individual purposes (as in smiling due to a happy thought). /images/graemlins/smile.gif