Why Do Americans Smile So Much?
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- čas přidán 24. 05. 2017
- Americans tend to smile more often than people in other countries. Olga Khazan digs into a couple scientific findings why - it turns out, American smiles signal excitement, confidence, and also have to do with a long history of immigration.
For more, read Olga's article, "Why Do Americans Smile So Much?"
www.theatlantic.com/science/a...
Authors: Olga Khazan, Jeremy Raff, Alice Roth, Leah Varjacques
Additional Sources:
Invisibilia: Changing Social Norms Could Save Your Life
www.npr.org/2016/06/17/4823391...
NYTimes: Wal-Mart Finds That Its Formula Doesn’t Fit Every Culture
www.nytimes.com/2006/08/02/bus...
Subscribe to The Atlantic on CZcams: bit.ly/subAtlanticYT
I don't smile to be disarming or friendly. I smile to bear my teeth and demonstrate aggressive dominance. Nobody disrespects you if they think you're ready to rip out their jugular.
....ok
What did I just read.
Hahahaha
Natasha Tylosky Lol exactly what I thought
Haha!
Worth mentioning is a smile in the US can also act as sort of a greeting. For example if I'm busy at work and a coworker walks by, we smile to say hi because I'm too busy to actually say hi and have a conversation.
shayne whydoihavetohavealastnamegoogle? She said that...
You sound gay smiling at each other without words unless it’s a women but then again it’s just weird.. haha
Roman lol it's not gay
It's beyond normal
It's like waving if you don't smile back that's pretty lame imo
I assume Roman is not an American
Well in my country we would simply give each other a little nod
We don't smile in Britain because we have to keep up a constant air of dry sarcasm at all times, thus smiling is unacceptable.
And their teeth are pretty bad
good one!
@@austinprice770 😂
@@austinprice770 it's a tiny country mate
The trick is to smile... Ironically
I never realized we smiled so much.
Same. xD
Yeah, I do smile a lot. Mostly when I make eye contact with someone random, so I just crack a quick neutral smile. It makes it less awkward... Unless they just don't smile back, which heightens the awkwardness, at least for me.
We smile a lot and when I was in Japan I smiled all the time and no one smiled back. I felt lonely and dumb.
Ikr! 😂
Jessie G 😂🤣😂 fans news
I'd say it's cultural. We're repeatedly almost daily told since toddlerhood to "smile". It's programmed so much it becomes automatic to most situations like greeting others, etc...
Its a good thing though 😁
yep very much so. forced smiling was something i never took to and it bothers so many people lol
People all over the world smile when they are happy or hear a good joke, not all day long fake smiles without a reason like americans....
@@stephenamaya3301 and fake! Real smiles are ONLY when you are happy or hear a good joke! Rest of them are fake smiles...
Do you americans know the difference between an natural smile and an FORCED one??
I smile at strangers cuz i dont want to seem like a grumpy douche
It just feels polite and normal for me
I get it its part of local norm, but dont you think about why would strangers care about your smile? why do you think they need your smile? why dont you just carry on your own business and leave others alone?
@@larshofler8298 Because we're all part of one nation under God indivisible with liberty, and justice for all
@@badcornflakes6374 bruh
@@badcornflakes6374 USA!
best answer. Naw, I guess we're to polite and confident
Imagine unironically using the word "douche" 🤣🤣🤣🤡🤡
...is smiling a problem?
Smiling for no reason is a bit scary
Yes 😐
in other countries it is I guess
@@ahfei6847 there's different types of smiles. there's the greeting smile which is toothless for me. then the smile you show all teeth which is reserved for my family and friends
My problem is why do people say sorry so often? This isn't stereotypical Canada.
As a Russian, I don't find this video quite accurate.
For instance, It's not true Russians don't smile in photos. It's very common and normal to smile for the camera. It's also common to politely smile while providing a service (but not in an exaggerated manner).
It's just that we greatly value sincerity. Russians instantly spot the difference between sincere and insincere smiles, and a robotic, fake, and overly enthusiastic smile from a complete stranger might just seem creepy. Especially if a person smiles with just their mouth, and not their eyes - then it seems like they're baring teeth. So no, smiling (especially with teeth) as a non-verbal communication doesn't always build trust and cooperation.
I've also noticed an interesting physiological difference - a large part of Americans smile with both rows of their teeth. Most Russians smile only with their lips or by showing only the upper row of teeth.
I agree
Smiling is definitely not the worst thing to export :D
You're right.
Exporting fake smiling is like exporting bad fast food
you exported a lot of wars with your fake smiles on your faces
I'm American. I smile because it's polite. Also I like to make others feel more at ease, like in serious environments. But mostly I'm American whos free to do as please(if I can afford it ) ; )
Warren Chambers
Quite the contrary I sometimes can't handle corporate happiness especially if I have bad day myself. I won't enter a chain store before I haven't found my soup Nazi for the day.
I prefer to believe that the dog is the one who wrote this.
There are few things likely to make me more uncomfortable than a stranger maniacly grinning at me.
In some cultures smiling means you are up to no good. It is the devil's grin to them.
I love your dog
I love smiling! Smiling is my favorite!
Buddy
Haha I love that movie
Make work your new favorite
Are you Poppy?
you are crazy then
Because I paid a lot for dental care.
Same. Maybe we smile because we aren't afraid to show our teeth? My Dad is mostly British, and has crooked teeth. He doesn't smile much because of that. I was in braces for five years so I make the most of what I have and smile a lot!
Five years in braces. After that, you better believe I'm going to smile!
In my country, people's default faces are mostly neutral and it really seems weird to see people just smile for no reason, making them seem crazy to us or having ulterior motives. It's not like smilling is seen as negative but rather smilling without any apparent reason seems to really weird us out.
My country smiles a lot too, but I found it hilarious when a Brit once said that Americans smiling at strangers makes him even more depressed
I always thought it's just polite. If you are scowling people will think you offended them in some way. It's not flirting or necessarily because they are happy, it's just manners.
But I think it's kinds hilarious other countries think a happy smile is a negative thing. Like... how dare people be happy!
someone
Half German experience here though raised 90% with the Krauts. And whenever I just arrive in the US it always takes a day and ten service industry worker whom i tell an extensive amount of how i am and what my day was like before I reconfigure back that they actually weren't really expecting more than a one liner.
The other side of this of course is German Walmart (the brief time it existed) didn't hire American employees who have that (corporate america) smiling engrained into them... But they told the Germans to do that "smile" (More like Jim Carry in the Truman Show) and it didn't kick in until 3-6 seconds into an exchange and returned into a reflection of his hourly wage on "bye". Neither the customers nor the employees really knew what to make of this, the Germans have base level of customer service engagement that equates to a Comcast technician. For some jobs its indispensable but in general no one can tell you not to have a bad day by the same token if you ever wondered if one can just hang up on a nasty customer… in real life. Yes you can. »Not in that tone« _he said and kept walking right past her._ just glorious.
I grow up in Asia and I find big smiles especially weird when I see them on Asian Americans. Similarly Americans find our shyness just as weird. We didn't grow up in an environment that encourages us to be confident and expressive. Being light-hearted and blunt is impolite and inconsiderate. So it's best to show your maturity and restraint with an apologetic grin. To a certain extent I envy Americans' confidence but also despise them for their seemingly selfish or ignorant happiness. But not all Asians are like this of course. My parents were really strict so when it comes to expressing happiness I'm always very cautious.
milkyway I DON'T LIKE PRETENDING TO SMILE FOR THE SAKE OF PRETENDING FOR OTHERS. FORCING OTHERS TO BEHAVE NOT BASED ON HOW THEY FEEL IS TOXIC.
I'm American but sometimes I'm exhausted by having to smile all the time or be expected to look happy when I'm actually feeling tired and drained. After I lost my grandmother, I was visibly upset and a bunch of people in public (mostly men) told me to smile. I think this part of our culture it's a bit too much sometimes. It can amount to emotional labor for the comfort of others at one's own personal expense.
Nobody has a problem with a happy smile, but with an unsincere one. Also it is us-american manners and us-american politeness, not an universal set of values all cultures share.
Very interesting segment. My German Aunt has been living here in the USA for 50 years and she says that while the smiles seem to be disingenuous in store clerks it's much better than the grumpy, sullen and unfriendly clerks in Germany. She says they act like YOU are bothering them when you come in to shop. I experienced that when I went to a jewelry store in Germany. I had to practically beg the owner to let me buy some coral earrings
Sounds like the German grandmother in the movie, "Lost in Yonkers".
German Americans are growing day by day
I grow up in Asia and I find big smiles especially weird when I see them on Asian Americans after moving here. Similarly Americans find our shyness incredibly weird. We didn't grow up in an environment that encourages us to be confident and expressive. Being light-hearted and blunt is impolite and inconsiderate. So it's best to show your maturity and restraint with an apologetic grin. To a certain extent I envy Americans' confidence but also despise them for their seemingly selfish or ignorant happiness. But not all Asians are like this of course. My parents were really strict so when it comes to expressing happiness I used to be very cautious.
Depends on which part of Asia. Southeast Asians smile a lot - Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. As you move further north, then the smile subsides.
i apricate asians being reserved, i wish more people were like that. damn near need ear plugs just to walk around my neighborhood with all the bass, fighting, dogs barking, dump trucks, cars with no exhaust etc etc
Oddly enough, I was never able to find friendships with people who are reserved, because I lack the social skills to pick up subtle social cues. I prefer bold and brash, at least I can understand them.
i met an american on a movie set here in germany, and i was kinda overwhelmed by his energy and social skills. never met someone having so much talkative energy. it drained me, but also made me happy. and there is this weird thing americans do, when you agree on something, you get a high five or shake his hand. hahaha
My whole life I was tired of people telling me to smile, I used to say jokingly, "make me", meaning make me laugh, say/do something to get a smile, if you want me to smile... Now as an act of programmed culture it's automatic
I’m sorry :( And I know that feeling
why are you smiling in your pfp then?
In Russia when someone asks you how it's going? When you say good. It's considered weird.
lol what do you say instead?
Andreas Jackson not “good”
"How's it going?" isn't considered as part of a greeting in Russia. If you ask a Russian "How are you?", they are going to tell you how they are, literally. They're going to tell you about how they feel, how their career is going, recent changes in their lives, etc. Whereas if you go to the US, the UK, or France, for instance, "How are you?" is only a formality, no one's really asking you how you are.
Go to Thailand and you will see that smiling a lot is not just american. Also, China is extremely diverse. 1.3 billion people, many ethnicities. I get the point, though. As a foreigner living in the US, I think americans are generally more friendly and smile more than other developed countries.
+NaPaF China has 56 ethnicities.
Yeah, but those ethnicities are becoming more homogenous
91% of the population of China are Han Chinese. The rest of the ethnicities are in the remaining 9%.
Nah, I'd say in China unwarranted smiling can be seen as deceptive and make people uncomfortable. I'm comfortable being more American around younger people my age, but I'd definitely be more reserved in front of adults. There's both a strength and weakness to the soft power communication of the Chinese. Fun topic to disect in general, communication.
Not as much in New England but still friendlier there than Europe
I'm from India and its true we don't smile as much. To smile at a stranger is such a polite gesture that I wish other countries would do the same. Polite gestures to strangers is reminder that we are all in this together that is what it means to be civilized over being tribal and only caring about your relatives.
💯💯
I'm American and I don't really like smiling at strangers.
Dr0pkidd Same
The reasons why Americans smile so much because Americans have mastered the art of living in your bubbles
Ironic that in the countries such as Nordic ones and Germany that rate as the happiest people on earth smile less while America has a much higher rate of depression. In Germany if you smile all the time for no reason they think that person is mentally slow.
it's not that americans are smiling for no reason, it's that americans are finding every reason they can.
Luke Borom America has higher rate of depression because it is a country with higher population, stupid.
No Name Despite population size, wouldn’t the rate be based on proportionate percentages...? A large population size would yield a larger population of depressed people, yeah, but the percentage ratio comparison between both countries should still be relative to each other...
John A Absolutely not, unless you will do so on a state by state basis. The people in some states are extremely better off than people in other states. Each state is like its own separate country. You will probably find that some states have higher statistics of depression or dissatisfaction based on a number of different factors.
No Name Regional variance can apply to every country. I agree that every state can be different, but they’re still a part of the whole country, operating under federal law. Every region will impact overall rate.
What you’re saying is valid, but that’s straying from the original point: the rates of depression between two different countries...
wait.. I grew up in South Korea, but I've never thought smiling looks dumb..
Maybe not, but you have to admit many Koreans walk around with very grumpy faces, especially the old people (I live in SK).
I have noticed a lot of young Koreans are very smiley and sweet
:)
: |
:D
=D
>:=|
8======D~~~ D:
I'm American and I still don't smile. I've always refused. It's dumb and forced. I'd rather just be myself. You can be nice and polite without smiling.
Nah here in Canada I look at someone for about two seconds and then they look back at me and smile
Jay Dua that’s America too
That's because Amercains and Canadians are like Labs and Golden Retrievers. Very simalir but with subtle differences. Unpopular opnion from someone English .
The Canadians I have known and the Canadian women I worked with some years ago made myself and my fellow English colleagues seem painfully awkward and shy . She had to find something positive about the shithole we lived in .
I'm quite a positive person, and I smile a lot. However, as I'm Swedish I don't trust fake smiles. I associate this with dishonesty. . There is no need to smile if you don't want to or feel like it. You can provide a good and polite service without much smiling.
Besides a lot of countries with a lot of smiling has the angriest people, so clearly it is a way of masking feelings.
very true
I’m American and it’s strange to me too. I can’t easily smile without real reason so when someone I’m just meeting or who’s an acquaintance smiles at me it’s really awkward
Don't worry, it means that you are a free person.
The land of the smile is Thailand and the Philippines. People in there smile for fun, not just for social pressure and small talk.
The land of the fake smile too.. THey smile at you so they catch your attention with their teeth instead of the huge knife they are probably hidding at their back...
I personally don't smile much but I constantly get asked by random men passing by to smile, especially when I'm working, which makes me hate doing it even more.
same girl same... i CAN'T and DON'T want to do fake things in life!
The ONLY reason for a true natural smile is to be happy or hear a good joke not when you see a stranger for 5 seconds!
Exactly! At school, we're forced to smile at times, which makes me NOT want to.
I'm from Austria, and I think we should adobt some more smile to our culture. It just makes you feel better and makes you feel good, I enjoy smiling service personal. We all should smile more.
If everyone smiled at once, it would have a world wide impact . Alf, you're a bore, any smiling American would probably have more confidence and courage than you! As these are also highly valued traits in that culture. They smile often, but they also fear relatively little compared to some hush European cultures. Imagine, you can have both! Then again, you're probably just a troll.
Yep, says the emotionless robot from northern Europe, are you even human?
naa I think we are good here. No need to fake smile 24/7.
Hell no. Why should we smile to strangers for no reason. That seems to me like dishonest or coping or weird. Just smile when you are happy, with your friends, when something good happens etc.
@@dn8601 I don't mind the American smile except that if you don't smile back Americans will tend to dislike you. It's used as a hello and if you don't smile back it as if you didn't return their hello even if you actually did verbally greet them.
My brother in law travel all over the world (like for real almost 190 countries. most because of work. others because he love traveling). and one thing he saying all the time: in poor countries people are more friendly and more helpful than in more developed countries (the only exception from this rule Scandinavian countries. by his words).
plus i have a lot of Americans friends and they saying all the time: our "how are you?" doesnt mean we really want to know. so i assume that this famous smile arent so honest. more like habit.
i assume this hole myth came from "service with smile".
I guess he is right based on my experience!!
Do you think those people in the poor countries would treat you as well if they knew you were just as poor as them?
In Ya i assume your brother in law is on a tycoon level of wealth compared to the poor people from other countries, so there might be other reasons theyre smiling and friendly to him...
In Sweden smiling is considered polite, and it encourages positive feelings. I assume it's same in Norway and Denmark!
Theaikro
Yea same in Norway. I also kinda think people are nice to strangers because we have so much free time. I do believe people in the country are nicer than city people, but that's mainly me having bad experiences on the east side of my city...
People in poorer countries (depending on the country) might be extremely happy people, not because of material wealth, but spiritual or social "wealth". I don't know, but i do know that after Scandinavia the happiest people are the people of the Himalayas so yeAh...
I'm an american and its always been strange to me🤷🏻♀️. I'm a normal human. I'm not apathetic or lacking empathy. I'm high in empathy. But this has always been a percieved and even inconvenient uncomfortable thing for me...
Consequently 80% of people in my culture think I'm tired/sick/depressed🙄😅
People who claim to be high in empathy aren't
In my country, people's default faces are mostly neutral and it really seems weird to see people just smile for no reason, making them seem crazy to us or having ulterior motives. It's not like smilling is seen as negative but rather smilling without any apparent reason seems to really weird us out.
I like that people get offended by this.
ikr. like would you rather me give u a dirty look instead lmao
When going on walks I’ll normally smile at the people who walk past me, and since I’m in America they’ll smile back. But when I come across the people who don’t, I get thoughts like “Wow. Is it too hard to even put on a fake smile?” “
If someone smiled me on street without a reason I would think that someone is weird.
It's not about being polite or happy! Northern European countries (especially Norway/Finland) are the countries that come out year after year as the happiest in the world, but here NOBODY smiles for no reason and the reasons for a NATURAL smile are to be happy or to hear a good joke ! This are real reasons to smile, the rest are fake/forced smiles! Here, if you smile at a stranger, he will put his head down and consider you stupid or crazy...
Shut it you yank loser
I never smiled at strangers living in NYC but now that I live in CT, I’ve gotten used to walking down the street and smiling at people and even saying good morning. Such an odd feeling.
Damn I can just smile in peace
🤣👏👏👏 thank youu
No. Scowl and mumble like everyone else
Smiling considered stupid? How pessimistic to assume everyone must have as negative and outlook on life as you do.
About as pessimistic as your view on the world is optimistic, ignoring the many places in the world where life is not just hard but rightout miserable, where surviving to live another day is often sheer luck, where there's no rule of law and even the most basic needs are a luxury for most.
It's not the smiling we consider to be stupid, it's the smiling for no reason. Pay more attention to the video you dumb amerifat.
If you see a person smiling, how do you know whether or not they have a reason?
Paget Vido Are you suggesting that pesimists are stupid?
Smiling for a picture is a good example. You don't smile for a picture because your body wants to smile, you smile because you were conditioned by your culture to smile.
I smile usually to let someone know I'm happy to see them. Not on purpose. Just as a hello, even to strangers. No ulterior motive
It's not that it makes a person look dumb...it's just that it makes you look fake & superficial.
Nathan Ezra I think that's kind of sad. I know it's a matter of perspective but I'm a very introverted and I still make a point to smile at people because I'm trying to show them some genuine kindness. Especially if the person looks like they're having a bad day. I had a hard time not smiling when I went to Korea and got a few puzzled faces from people but it's such an ingrained habit that I practice to bring a bit more levity to people's days that I forget.
We americans are VERY fake and superficial! We have entire campaigns against men telling women to smile because of some of the dumb overly smiley grnder expectations here too.
It really depends on the smile. Those giant grins are pretty annoying and forced. But you can have a genuine, friendly smile to a stranger.
I really believe it depends if you are being genuine or not, and connecting with those around you. I smile when initiated, and I'm American. I didn't come off dumb in other countries. So yes fake is dumb.
I've never felt that way.
It's so annoying when a random person would demand "smile" for no reason whatsoever! (which happens only in the USA)
Because we're all dead inside and smiling is the only thing that can mask our collective misery.
Lol this is the truth
lmaoooooo
I love that we smile so much! I do it all the time just going on runs. It creates an awesome environment and makes people feel at home :)
It's not about being polite or happy! Northern European countries (especially Norway/Finland) are the countries that come out year after year as the happiest in the world, but here NOBODY smiles for no reason and the reasons for a NATURAL smile are to be happy or to hear a good ! This are real reasons to smile, the rest are fake/forced smiles! Here, if you smile at a stranger, he will put his head down and consider you stupid or crazy...
As a South African who has visited Germany, the thing about diverse countries smiling more makes a LOT of sense
I don’t know, I’ve always smiled because it felt kind. More welcoming I guess. You can come up to me, im open if you need help, I hope you have a good day etc., but said with a smile. I’ve heard some stories about people who tried but failed to commit suicide saying they looked for a sign not to do it and they referenced a stranger smiling at them. That kinda stuck with me, you never know what kind of day someone is having and smiling at someone brighten their day like giving a compliment could.
It's not about being polite or happy! Northern European countries (especially Norway/Finland) are the countries that come out year after year as the happiest in the world, but here NOBODY smiles for no reason and the reasons for a NATURAL smile are to be happy or to hear a good joke! This are real reasons to smile, the rest are fake/forced smiles! Here, if you smile at a stranger, he will put his head down and consider you stupid or crazy...
I appreciate us Americans smiling. Always makes me feel better seeing smiling faces
I especially like that smile from the movie Psycho, it is very encouraging and friendly🤣😁
@@fgjjdgb3949 oh yes how can i forget that 💀
@@ggthewhale Jeff the Killer is generally the most positive guy on the planet, I have never seen him without his trademark happy smile, as if he does not know how not to smile as soon as he succeeds😂😊
@@fgjjdgb3949 genuine smile (what i initially talked about) ≠ psychopathic smile of smug contentment after committing murder/causing harm
@@ggthewhale Exactly. But you can fake a smile. That's why I've always been worried about the fake emotions.
In Sweden it's polite to smile. If you don't smile it basically means you are angry on something
What do Swedish think about American tourists? Do they out-smile them?
Swedes are like Americans. You guys should be one country.
This is a common stereotype - as an American I don't see fellow Americans walking around with smiles plastered on their faces.
I find it really difficult to smile if I'm around someone I don't know or I feel awkward, so everyone in a room is laughing politely and I'm just out here with a straight face. lol
Som Ebody what are you doing here, rozbelaban
laila64 haha what the hell what a coincidence
I can definitely relate to this
2 years late but you and I aren't so different
@@vanz681 :)
I'm American and I smile because I'm a happy person and I like people and want to spread joy😊🇺🇸
fake smiles
@@denisiorga7368 They aren’t ‘fake’ they mean something to us. They make peoples days, they are polite and kind. I don’t understand how someone can call a smile ignorant and rude.
@@Lemondrop157 ngl, I'm American and I gotta agree with Denis on this.
North America (Canada, US, Mexico) and Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines) seem to smile more frequently.
I’m introverted American. I don’t smile lol
Lol
I only smile half the time, and that's when I'm happy or if I'm laughing at a joke.
Good man, just keep it real
@@xpozen8994 woman*
I'm Ukrainian but moved to America when I was young. Whenever I come back to visit my friends are very confused at the "mega-watt" full grins with teeth I show during photos. "Why are you smiling so wide? There's nothing funny happening. It's weird." Russian/Ukrainian people aren't depressed, they're just honest and realistic. They find big grins to be disturbing because they're phony. It's ok to take a picture where everyone is laughing...because you're ACTUALLY laughing! But posing to appear happy is considered very fake, and a fake dishonest person is creepy.
if americans smile so much. what do they do when they are happy?
high five,hoot-n-holler,laugh,hug.sing,dance,
Well narrated, Olga!
I grew up being beaten up almost daily. School was horrible, too. I was strange, and people hated me for it. I eventually started smiling all the time as a defense mechanism.
As the article suggests, other people may think you're touched, but they generally don't physically attack you for it.
As an adult and athlete, my nickname was/is "Smiley." Idk. America is a violent culture. Maybe all of us smile a bit more in order to not get shot, bullied, or attacked. Which just makes me sad.
i used to work with an american and i got confused whenever he smiled broad with out a good reason.
making me think he had no idea where i was talking about.
As an American, I never could understand why people smiled so much when there clearly was no need to do so. Smiling often for no reason just seems weird and stupid.
"There is a connection between a country's instability and finding smiling 'stupid'" Maybe "stupid" here means insensitive, not unintelligent. Here in Japan, reading another's state of being is considered more courteous than imposing one's own.
Then, that person is imposing of his state of being on others.
@@mojojim6458 No, it means you respect the other... Instead of being a dick and disregard what others feel, that's quite violent. Do you ever notice theres a link between American invasion of Iraq and elsewhere and the culture of smiling at strangers? Both based on indifference towards the Other and direct imposition of your own feeling and imagination.
Fully agreed. "Stupid" does mean insensitive, indifferent.
Smiles have been shown by studies to be contagious..is that imposing or caring/loving? Why don't they just read that we Americans are happy and be good with that😂 how is that insensitive
This was really well-done.
Im curious to watch other topics.
New sub
Service with a smile: If I have to pay for that smile it immediately loses all value. From a European perspective, the knowledge that American service/hospitality workers are obliged to smile makes them seem incredibly inauthentic and/ or dodgy. Historical/ cultural underpinnings for smiling a lot are pretty interesting though!
Plastic Soup.... We smile because we genuinely care that you will have a good experience!! Your good experience is our reward and makes our day brighter also!!! These are mostly genuine smiles!!! I feel so much better when a customer leaves happy!!!
No..they were saying they had to coach the German workers to smile because smiling at people doesn't come natural to Germans. Smiling at people like passersby comes naturally to Americans. We have customer service workers sometimes who don't smile or are not very friendly and it's unpleasant. If you smile and are friendly, here you are considered well-suited for customer service jobs where you would give people that warm friendly welcome to stores. Ppl here can generally tell I think if others are being genuine or disingenuous. It usually feels genuine, though not always with customer service reps
Here in the Midde east if you smile to someone you don't know , he will think that you are laughing on him 🤣 . Probably he will ask you : What's the wrong with you ?
Even though people smile alot in America, smiling when you aren't talking to anyone makes you look creepy
One time I was in this restaurant and this beautiful woman in the booth across from me, kept glancing over at me and smiling at me. It was sooooo creepy. Yikes!
Old Russian women living and shopping in Target will berate you for smiling, even though it's part of your goddamn job, being a Target cashier.
how is it part of a job to be fake
No disrespect, but i really don’t understand why a smile is weird to others. Yes, we are optimistic but i think is creepy having a gloomy face. I see a neutral or serious face as that person thinking their superior or up to no good. Being optimistic doesn’t mean we are not realistic. We are just grateful for what we have. I love meeting new people and not afraid to start a conversation with anyone . I have talk to the cashiers at stores as if i knew them for years. Waiting at the doctors office , i usually talk and laugh with the receptionist or whomever is there. A smile can actually put many in a good mood even if they are having a horrible day. Instead of focusing on the bad stuff in our life, it’s better to laugh and smile and be grateful what we do have. I know many countries are going through very hard situations and will say “ your country does not suffer from lack of food, water, safety “. However, we all experience the feeling of losing loved ones, sickness , tragedies. On the other hand, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, how about being grateful for the things we do have. My parents lived all together with their relatives in one house, about 20 people squeezed inside sleeping on the floor. My dad lost his father, his sister and nephew , all in the same year. My mom owned one pair of shoes with holes in it , was poor ,and my grandpa put a gun to her head because she told my grandpa to stop beating my grandpa. That was her childhood Despite all that, my parents always were positive that one day things would get better and they were right.Smile more people, it’s good for you. Leave the sour face at home, and be happy, laugh and enjoy the small things in life that you do have.
I agree. I've always been taught to smile and be friendly because it could make a person's day- especially people working in places where they serve hundreds of customers in a day and never get a thank-you. When people smile at me it makes me more comfortable. I guess I haven't thought too much about it- I've never considered the fact that smiling might not be normal. :/
Jocey Perez
See if you're not socialized with that habit growing up, it can literally have the opposite effect if I sense a waiter is having a bad day but still takes the smile and chitchat the whole nine yard I just feel endlessly sorry for him. And I don't mean he should take it out on somebody but I don't know how to put this... just break character? In personal settings i go in and out of it as i feel.
While i was in school however i worked at the reception of some budget hotel/hostel that worked by a morning, evening and night shift à 8 hours. When i had exams, say by the end of the month i worked off the required minimum hours in what we called 'double-jump shift'. You start the first shift and whenever a guest enter the foyer you smile but after the first couple of guests my resting facial expression shifted to this subtle static smile, pair that with some monotone/repetitive task like guest check in procedures and my mind goes emotional blank on autopilot for hours on end, then you block a room in the system (only weekdays. Weekends occupancy rate ≅ 100%) have some sleep and then take over again from the guy that released you 8 hours prior. Actually that made smiling a lot easier because the people checking out were always visibly wondering if I was the guy checking them in the night before¹. But by the end of that i literally have to massage that smile off my face and after some time dropped it to only smile when I felt like it or else i would have had to quit.
¹ _my preference hypothetically was to take the afternoon shift for rest as the night shift was just some routine maintenance and usually very quite during the week. But two 8 hour shifts on the same workday... of course was never practised._
No
But what if you're dead inside and hate people?
We smile so that others will wonder what we are thinking. Mwahahhahahha! I smile because of the documentary God Grew Tired of Us and because my brother pointed out we don't have it so bad here.
Non-Americans: "Why do Americans smile so much?"
Americans: "Excited about no wars in Europe."
You mean excited about wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and all those dirty jobs in the Middle East and Latin America? I got you buddy
This is the most ill thought out comment I have ever seen on the Internet.
Thanking you for this. I am V&A trainer and I have something really great to teach to my students now.
I think it's beautiful how much Americans smile. Its strange how positivity can be off putting to some people.
ikr. just accept the fuckin smile. like is it that hard
@@tomato-tu1ow it's called courtesy dude. we smile out of courtesy. something you don't know about obviously
@finlay I guess it can come off as that. but mostly in the US, we smile as a greeting.
Can't see it that way, its empty and fake, without value behind it. Smiling If you don't mean IT is waste of time
@@thepax6390 it’s called being polite
I smile a lot and people have told me I'm always laughing but I never thought much of it :/
I think maybe lots of people smile and don't think much of it.
what a messed up map of India
chinmay verma the fact that the map is messed up makes me question the research put into this video
Its an art style - every country was depicted artistically. They only needed to symbolize the countries not navigate them.
TheFeralRobot dude they just lopped off the entire northeast and j&k. not the same as jagged edges
right ogdigkgy it made me so mad
Super interesting video!!
as an american i get kinda annoyed at americans smiling so much only because most often people see even a netural expression as a frowning one. i often get told by complete strangers to “smile” or get asked “why i look so sad”. i’m not sad or mad thats just my face 😭 plus what if my dog died or something im not gonna walk around smiling lol
Wow the comments on this video are vile and stupid. Also proves people can get triggered over anything.
ikr. like would you rather i give you a dirty look and flip you off instead?
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349 Yes thats a normal day in Europe
@@zanikusari1008 lmao
Literally so true Americans will literally walk and non American will be triggered
@@yourneighborhoodwierdo8349 Nah, there's a misunderstanding here. What most people say is weird and freaky (and/or looks fake) is how often and how big the smiles are. Like, small smiles with the occasional big one is perfectly fine. But sometimes americans just have that big, unmoving smile from ear to ear and that... is quite freaky
Why do you have such an interest in us?
We just smile because were optimistic, and because we want to comfort the people around us. Whilst also doing so because it makes us feel good if something bad happens. We dont have anything wrong with us. XD
Sometimes scarily optimistic .....
I didn't even know this was a thing until this video, I always thought it was a common courtesy like holding doors open for the people behind you.
Nice video!
Please please please do a segment on deja vu!What is it? Why it happens? Regions of the world it is reported most?
Wait a minute...haven't I seen your post before?
rendezvous
Americans smile because they are American.
As an American I will say the American smile when first making acquaintances and in general when conversing is often fake and manipulative for this reason. They expect you to smile back and if you don't, they often deeply resent it and you as a person. If you don't smile back because it's just not in your nature to smile and even though you are being friendly and showing interests, Americans will be very off put and strongly dislike you.
Smiling is cool; but what I do not like about American culture is how people talk about their personal business so openly to strangers. Bruh, don't you have friend?
i smile when im happy and sad or just neutral.. yeah
I'm bothered by smiles and overly friendly demeanor. When I see somebody smile: I can't help but find them annoying or even a tad frightening if they give the vibe that they're suppressing an urge to punch a wall because of pent-up anger or frustration. I relate much better to sad faces.
Vainglory 2KW8Ω I actually relate more to the smiling wallpunchers. We're just trying to provide you GREAT SERVICE.. WHY DONT YOU SEE THAT!!!? 😁😁😁😬😁😁😁😬😁
I just smile to cover up that I’m sad
It works
thank you so much
I usually only smile when greeting people, or give a half smile when I make eye contact with a stranger on the street.
Cuz “A smile means friendship to everyone” thanks Disney 😡
This video made me smile. Or maybe it was just Olga...
I smile because I want to make people to like being around me because if I smile I think I seem funner to be around.
I took my husband to the doctor for a colonoscopy yesterday and a nurse kept marching through the waiting room demanding that everyone smile. "What's wrong, y'all? SMILE!!" There was happy Christmas music blasting. I could only conclude that it is borderline illegal to look unhappy in public in America, even if you're about to have a colonoscopy.
Why did Bush let 9/11 happen?
John Smith For the oil, bitches.
I smile at strangers because I feel it's polite. Also, sometimes people need someone to acknowledge their existence.
It's not about being polite or happy! Northern European countries (especially Norway/Finland) are the countries that come out year after year as the happiest in the world, but here NOBODY smiles for no reason and the reasons for a NATURAL smile are to be happy or to hear a good joe ! This are real reasons to smile, the rest are fake/forced smiles! Here, if you smile at a stranger, he will put his head down and consider you stupid or crazy...
@@denisiorga7368 Americans don’t ‘fake’ smile though, they have MANY reasons for smiling. Smiling in the US is a way of communication, or to be polite. Believe it or not, MOST Americans like to make others feel good, they like to raise others spirits and smiling often helps with that. Smiling also simply acknowledges each others existence. And even if it was a fake smile, which SOMETIMES I’m sure it is, it’s been scientifically proven that putting a smile on your face regardless of your mood can make you feel better and happier. Pretty cold if you ask me. So I don’t understand why people from other countries call it ‘fake’ because it really isn’t.
Because they are hospitable people
People think I'm smiling even when I'm not.
The Housemartins 'The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death'
AudiophileTubes ...because
it's Happy Hour Again!
As a Chinese exchange stident, agree with the second exchange student, but the first one on stability does not make sense. Japan, a example used in the video, has the same stability if not more than the US, so the at argument that stability in US explain why they smile more than Japanese does not hold up. My American female friends always post with the same exaggerated smile with they arm on their waiste. This is considered very old school and lame in China, so we avoid doing it. Our parents or grandparents, however, smiles and do this kind of gesture a lot. It is often a result of culture value at that
moment that determine how much a country smile.
France also works with your argument- they don't like the American smile either. I think it's just different cultural values from country to country. Fun fact, Russians have started smiling more over the past few years (at least in customer service).
Good and interesting video.
I was told when I was very young that if I smiled, people would think I was happy. As a teenager, I continued to smile a lot and others started claiming it was a 'Jessie cat' smile. (meaning a false smile) Loved this article however. Truly makes sense.