Your Smiling Face Trivia Quiz

Answer: Guillaume Duchenne

The Duchenne smile is named after French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne and is characterised by the activation of the zygomatic major muscle (which lifts the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and crinkles the eyes). It's considered a genuine smile because it involves both voluntary and involuntary muscle movements. Non-Duchenne smiles are not necessarily fake, as there are many reasons that a person may not smile ranging from embarrassment to cultural norms.

"Peace begins with a smile." - Mother Teresa

Answer: Endorphins

Smiling has been shown to release endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormones, which can reduce stress and boost your mood. Endorphins are created in your pituitary gland and hypothalamus, both located in the brain. Endorphins act as painkillers and also produce a sense of well-being, happiness, and euphoria.

"A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range!" ​- Tom Wilson

Answer: Smiling increases emotional well-being

Research has shown that smiling can boost your mood and reduce stress levels, as well as make a person feel more confident and approachable. Additionally, smiling can also have a positive impact on others, making them feel happier and more relaxed.

"Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears." - John Lennon

Answer: Genuine smiles involve both the mouth and the eyes, while fake smiles involve only the mouth

Genuine smiles involve both the mouth and the eyes, while fake smiles involve only the mouth. A genuine smile, also known as a Duchenne smile, involves the activation of both the zygomatic major muscle (which extends from the cheekbone to the corner of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (the muscle which closes the eyelids), while a fake smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle, creating a smile that is limited to the mouth. It is often easier to distinguish between the two by looking at the eyes.

"A smile is the best way to get away with trouble even if it's a fake one." - Masashi Kishimoto

Answer: Smiling makes other people feel happy and relaxed

Research has shown that smiling is contagious, meaning that when one person smiles, it can trigger a smile in others, leading to a chain reaction of positive emotions. Additionally, when people are around a smiling individual, they tend to feel more relaxed and at ease. Smiling makes us feel happier. It is not a cure-all for every situation (that is, don't look to it to remedy overwhelming grief), but in terms of getting us past a small dose of the blues, it can help to lift the sense of sadness being experienced.

"It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Answer: Zygomaticus major

The zygomaticus major is the muscle that is responsible for smiling. This muscle runs from the zygomatic bone (cheekbone) to the corner of the mouth and when contracted, it lifts the corners of the mouth into a smile. The zygomaticus major is part of a group of muscles known as the mimetic muscles, which are responsible for controlling facial expressions.

"A smile cures the wounding of a frown." - William Shakespeare

Answer: No

Smiling is actually thought to use more muscles than frowning. A genuine smile involves the contraction of the zygomatic major muscle, which runs from the cheekbone to the corner of the mouth, as well as the orbicularis oculi muscle, which circles the eye. Frowning only involves the corrugator supercilii muscle, which furrows the brow.

"If someone is too tired to give you a smile, leave one of your own, because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give." - Samson Raphael Hirsch

Answer: To attract mates

Smiling is thought to have evolved as a way for early humans to signal their good intentions and attract potential mates. A smile can indicate that a person is friendly and approachable, making them more desirable as a mate. The origin of smiles dates back at least thirty million years, when early humans diverged from the apes.

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." - Mark Twain

Answer: To raise the cheeks and crinkle the eyes

The orbicularis oculi muscle is a facial muscle that encircles the eyes. When this muscle contracts, it raises the cheeks and crinkles the eyes, which along with the contraction of the zygomatic major muscle creates a smile. The muscle acts to close the eye, and is the only muscle capable of doing so. Loss of function for any reason results in loss of the ability to close the eye, necessitating use of eye drops at a minimum, and surgical closure of the eye in extreme cases.

"Your wrinkles either show that you're nasty, cranky, and senile, or that you're always smiling."- Carlos Santana

Answer: 2 months

Babies spend more of their second month awake and paying attention to all they see and hear around them. They learn that their family cares for them when they are hungry or fussy or tired. They likely feel excited and loved when people smile at them, and one day their own smile breaks out in return.

"You've probably noticed how when someone says hello or smiles at you, your automatic reaction is to say hello or smile back."- Shawn Achor