The biological underpinnings of smiling and why it drives attraction

[o_Owtf]

We've all heard "just smile more" but I do believe that there is deep biological basis as to why it actually helps your attractiveness

First a little bit about how your facial characteristics change when smiling

• It increases your MFR, fWHR, and increases your chin area
• Your mouth widens while smiling which, a wide mouth is dimorphic so this is often good
• It engages your orbicularis oculi giving you more volume in the periorbital region (akin to having more bonemass), which makes your eyes look more hunterish. These muscles are engaged when models take pictures with what they call "squinching", this is much better than the autist ND Zeta version of squinting where you engage the frontalis muscle making you look constipated
• It fills in your zygos making your midface/undereye region appear less flat.
• Showing off nice white teeth is a good halo

These are changes that often look good, but why?

A little bit about the evolutionary psychology behind smiling

A part of why things like the high MFR, fWHR, etc even are attractive in the first place might actually be specifically BECAUSE they are traits associated with smiling.

Smiling is used in many animals as a signal of aggression and dominance, chimps for instance smile to bare their canines when trying to threaten other chimps. Dominance is attractive to female chimps, so male chimps who bare their fangs are deemed as more dominant and therefore more attractive.

In humans, smiling might have a similar role; men with status are more confident -> confident men are less neurotic and therefore smile more -> the smile becomes a signal to women that a man is confident, meaning that they have status. Thus status is not only psychologically attractive to women, but literally also physically attractive, thanks to the associated facial characteristics of smiling being a proxy for it. The signaling of status might also be why women often talk about men having a nice smile, while men don't really care.

 

[o_Owtf]

@vermicel @Nobody88 @dbdrFanboy @vi24v_ @estonianslayerr

 

[dbdrFanboy]

What about the long term problem of nasal labial folds?
Also mirin effort lotta big words hard to read jfl

 

[lemureater]

weird theory but interesting none the less

 

[StellaFanboy]

your brain determines attraction in 0.13 seconds, smiling wont change a thing except a girl calling you a creep. what biology puts as priority is signs of good development - wide face, developed skull, youth and health.

 

[o_Owtf]

weird theory but interesting none the less

Thanks, was just a thought I had in the shower today and I wanted to write it down somewhere

 

[slimester]

What about the long term problem of nasal labial folds?
Also mirin effort lotta big words hard to read jfl

ur pfp makes me horny

 

[dbdrFanboy]

ur pfp makes me horny

30th time I’ve got this variant of comment
Still repping
Also rep me pussy

 

[o_Owtf]

What about the long term problem of nasal labial folds?
Also mirin effort lotta big words hard to read jfl

Thanks bro

Didn't really think about that, maybe hunter gatherers used to die before they got nasolabial folds lol

 

[o_Owtf]

your brain determines attraction in 0.13 seconds, smiling wont change a thing except a girl calling you a creep. what biology puts as priority is signs of good development - wide face, developed skull, youth and health.

This isn't really meant as a looksmax where you smile like a lunatic all day, it's more meant to be a possible explanation as to why women find smiling attractive

 

[estonianslayerr]

Mirin

 

[StellaFanboy]

This isn't really meant as a looksmax where you smile like a lunatic all day, it's more meant to be a possible explanation as to why women find smiling attractive

smiling conveys good mood and if someone smiles at you, you will think they like you.

 

[vi24v_]

Only thing is that smiling makes ur nose flare out apart from that ur completely right, Botox with this makes a lot of sense. Good thread mirin

 

[Nobody88]

The signaling of status might also be why women often talk about men having a nice smile, while men don't really care.

Good thread thanks for tagging me. I think the preference for good smiles can go both ways. I think a girl that has a good smile is definitely an attractive feature especially if you already like them.

 

[o_Owtf]

Only thing is that smiling makes ur nose flare out apart from that ur completely right, Botox with this makes a lot of sense. Good thread mirin

Oh really, does that happen for you? I'll need to check in the mirror tomorrow lol

Thanks bhai

 

[o_Owtf]

Good thread thanks for tagging me. I think the preference for good smiles can go both ways. I think a girl that has a good smile is definitely an attractive feature especially if you already like them.

That's true, although the only time I've thought about it personally is with a specific crush

 

[Nobody88]

We've all heard "just smile more" but I do believe that there is deep biological basis as to why it actually helps your attractiveness

First a little bit about how your facial characteristics change when smiling

• It increases your MFR, fWHR, and increases your chin area
• Your mouth widens while smiling which, a wide mouth is dimorphic so this is often good
• It engages your orbicularis oculi giving you more volume in the periorbital region (akin to having more bonemass), which makes your eyes look more hunterish. These muscles are engaged when models take pictures with what they call "squinching", this is much better than the autist ND Zeta version of squinting where you engage the frontalis muscle making you look constipated
• It fills in your zygos making your midface/undereye region appear less flat.
• Showing off nice white teeth is a good halo

These are changes that often look good, but why?

A little bit about the evolutionary psychology behind smiling

A part of why things like the high MFR, fWHR, etc even are attractive in the first place might actually be specifically BECAUSE they are traits associated with smiling.

Smiling is used in many animals as a signal of aggression and dominance, chimps for instance smile to bare their canines when trying to threaten other chimps. Dominance is attractive to female chimps, so male chimps who bare their fangs are deemed as more dominant and therefore more attractive.

In humans, smiling might have a similar role; men with status are more confident -> confident men are less neurotic and therefore smile more -> the smile becomes a signal to women that a man is confident, meaning that they have status. Thus status is not only psychologically attractive to women, but literally also physically attractive, thanks to the associated facial characteristics of smiling being a proxy for it. The signaling of status might also be why women often talk about men having a nice smile, while men don't really care.

Do you think someone would still get the same benefits if they “smiled” with little to no teeth show? The majority of the facial characteristics would still be affected but I know that when girls say a nice smile it usually requires good teeth/ dental structure.

 

[o_Owtf]

Do you think someone would still get the same benefits if they “smiled” with little to no teeth show? The majority of the facial characteristics would still be affected but I know that when girls say a nice smile it usually requires good teeth/ dental structure.

Yeah, I'm sure of it. I believe it it so much that I've made a habit to maintain a subtle resting smile when socializing.

 

[Nobody88]

Yeah, I'm sure of it. I believe it it so much that I've made a habit to maintain a subtle resting smile when socializing.

Might have to copy that I’ve got a resting bitch face and I got out of the habit of smiling from when I had braces.

 

[o_Owtf]

Might have to copy that I’ve got a resting bitch face and I got out of the habit of smiling from when I had braces.

I do believe in it, give it a try

 

[sonic55555]

they already did a study on smiling and attractiveness, men was found to be more attractive when they DID NOT smile