Whether old or young, everyone has experienced that unforgettable feeling when they look into someone’s eyes, and an ocean of meaning is communicated through the exchange of one simple smile. There’s more to a smile than a flash of teeth or the upward turning of a pair of lips. It’s an expression that projects love, joy and warmth upon people’s faces and has the power to subside the negative aspects of life even if it’s only for a split second.

What’s the meaning of a smile? No smile is ever the same, therefore every smile has a different meaning. Some smiles may seem brighter than others while others are simply more sincere. Most smiles communicate the message of joyfulness, contempt, and happiness. Many use a smile to say hello or as a sign of respect.  While one person’s smile may communicate on thing another one’s smile may communicate another thing. That’s the beauty of smiling, everyone gives their own smile a unique and different meaning.

“ Behind a smile, there’s always a motive sometimes it’s genuine and sometimes it’s not. A smile can mean a lot of different things. It’s an expression that means more than what meets the eyes,” Junior Kenda Farhat said.

Smiling doesn’t just hold special meanings but it also contains multiple health benefits like lowering your blood pressure and heart rate as well as reducing anxiety. The happiness level that a smile brings to the human brain is estimated to be the equivalent of having 2,000 bars of chocolate.  When human brains feel happy, endorphins are produced and neuronal signals are transmitted to the facial muscles which result in a smile. With the contraction of smiling muscles comes the transmission of signals to the brain which result in the increase of endorphin levels. This initiates a positive feedback loop of happiness. In other words, a happy brain equals a smile and a smile equals a happier brain.

Apart from providing health benefits, smiling can also lead to new friendships and memories. Research published in the journal Motivation and Emotion found that smiling is a key factor in forming new friendships due to the fact that people are more attuned to positive emotions when they’re forming new relationships. A smile isn’t just an easy icebreaker to say hello, but it’s also a priceless gift that welcomes new experiences and memories. 

“ Smiling has given me many friends. It’s led to new conversations and deeper friendships,” Sophomore Jena Wheeler said.

“ I think smiling helps a lot when meeting new people. Not only does it help them feel more comfortable, but it eases tension and can lead to new friends,” Farhat said.

Smiling isn’t just one of life’s most underrated gestures, but it’s also one of life’s most wonderful gifts. Although some people may argue that it’s simply a contraction of muscles, the wonders it holds are much more than that. Sometimes a smile can change hearts or ease the pain of others. One person’s smile can impact another’s life. 

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do,” Mother Teresa.