PSYCHOLOGY – A reflex of pleasure in the baby, it becomes a refined communication tool in the adult, who can use it for a wide variety of purposes.
In the realm of non-verbal communication (what we express when we don’t speak and which weighs with all its weight in the transmission and reception of a message), the smile holds a place of choice. But… what exactly do we say when we smile?
«First, we share our deepest positive emotions, joy, pleasure, satisfaction, obviously answers Marine Colombel, psychiatrist and author of ÉListen to your emotions to set you free (Marabout). This smile is an innate mode of expression with which the human being is endowed from birth, and even before.» An early reflex confirmed by a 2022 study published in Psychological Science : the fetuses observed on ultrasound display a scowl if their mother has eaten kale, and a mischievous smile when carrots have sweetened the amniotic fluid. Here, no message to convey, and no need to have a spectator: we smile simply because we are happy.
A message for the other
And then there is…
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