Is Smiling Contaigous?

Sometimes people smile just because. The slogan “Smile at people and people will smile back at you” has actually been proved     true in scientific studies. What makes this true is a process called mimicry. This is the act, practice, or art of mimicking. Studies have shown that people tend to mimic each other’s actions. For example, if someone were to smile at another person, the other person’s natural reaction would be to smile back. The only exception for this is someone who is always grumpy and never smiles at anyone.

            Scientists and researchers at Uppsala University had volunteers look at happy, angry, and expressionless faces. They were told to try to make the opposite expression back. This proved to be very difficult, however, because they simply didn’t have control of their muscles. This resulted in twitching. Some people believe one of the causes of this is a shortcut to the brain that recognizes expressions. If true, this shortcut bypasses the area responsible for conscious processing.

            Some people say smiling lifts people’s spirits. For example, when a parent smiles at their child, it tells the child that their parent loves them. Some people also say that if a teacher smiles at student, it can help them in school. Injured people can have their spirits lifted by being smiled at. Also, doctors can feel like their load is lifted if they are smiled at, but it must be at the appropriate time. During the earthquake in Hati, there were some people smiling. The reason for this was because if they didn’t smile, they would cry. Also, this lifted the spirits of others who were crying and put a smile on their face.

            Studies have also shown that not only is smiling contagious, but it can make you live longer. How does this work? When you smile, it reduces blood pressure. Also, you can prevent the flu and colds by smiling. This is because when you smile, it helps your immune system function better. So, when you make someone...