Around the world each culture has developed its own gestures. For example, the hand sign that is used to say OK in the United States means asshole in other countries and in the Middle East showing the bottom of your foot to someone is a serious insult. However, as a species, humans have developed the smile as a universal sign of happiness. I find it extremely interesting that smiles have developed in separate, unconnected cultures to mean the same thing. It makes sense to me that smiles have the same meaning across the world because humans all originated from the same group of people in Africa who developed as a species over millions of years. However, I find it hard to believe that smiles are written into genetic code. At the same time that is the most likely answer because animals and humans are born with knowledge of how to walk, eat, and survive as an infant.
To me, seeing a smile tells me that the person who is smiling is in a good mood. Sometimes just seeing someone smile puts me into a better mood just like yawns make other people yawn and laughter spreads in a group of people.
Smiles around the World
I don't necessarily find it difficult to believe that smiles are written into human genetic code. If all of our innate physical behaviors and responses are a result of our genetic makeup, then smiles too should be a result of our genes. I think that smiles are a result of not only an innate response to something that makes us happy, but also determined by facial structure. If the human face were structured with different muscles or bone arrangements our "smile" could look very very different.
I agree with the above statement. I think smiles were predisposed to be something we do when we're happy, similar to how natural walking and talking are, although I have no idea how to prove it. But I enjoyed this article because I like thinking it's the same for everyone in the world. Things like the "smiley face" are so universal that we don't even think about it. Or how exciting the first time a baby smiles is.
I thought this entry was very interesting because it is amazing that one simple gesture that you do so many times during the day without even realizing, translates to the same thing for anyone in the world. Even though every culture is different, we are still all are connected by smiling. Just by smiling can brighten your own day or someone else's without even realizing. As stated in this blog entry, something in our culture could mean something totally different in another country.When traveling to different countries its important to learn about their own culture and language so not to disrespect or insult anyone.