How to Make a Fake Smile Look Less Fake

Jeevan Sivasubramaniam Posted by Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Managing Director, Editorial, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.



The difference between a genuine smile and a forced one is all in the eyes--more specifically, in the crinkles on the sides of your eyes. A genuine smile causes your eyes to squint ever so slightly, resulting in those crinkles or momentary crow's-feet in the corners. The thing is, even if we don't all look for this or know to look for it, we can always "feel" a fake smile. Look at photos of people and you can always tell who is forcing a smile.

So how to better fake your smile? Simple, just squint your eyes ever so slightly when you smile. But make sure you're pushing "up" from the lower eyelid, and try to arch your eyebrows slightly too. Just squinting with a fake smile looks devious...and mildly disturbing.