Looking at pics in the news....what is it in a smile that betrays a person's true spirit?

[HereSince1628]

College Station, Tx rightwinger




Janesville Wisconsin rightwinger

[enlightenment]

1. Smiles that don't reach the eyes

are feigned. True smiles always involve the orbital muscles around the eyes (the Duchenne smile).

Everyone fakes it sometimes - some people more often than others. It doesn't necessarily mean anything unless that's the only way they smile. A more likely comparison photo (since I assume the point here is to point out Ryan's fake smile in comparison to the Texas shooter's fake smile) would be a montage of Ryan photos showing his smile.

Percentage wise, is it more fake than real?

Of course, that would involve looking at a lot of pictures of Paul Ryan - and that's cruel and unusual punishment.

*smiling - all the way to my eyes*

[PatSeg]

19. That's also the way Romney smiles most of the time

Thin little grin and blank, vacant eyes.

[Fawke Em]

26. I don't like to smile to my eyes.

I squint too much and look like a chipmunk with no eyes in pictures.

I know... trivial, but it's a pet peeve of my own face. I like my eyes, ironically, so when I see them all squinted up, it annoys me.

Not saying you're not right about the two menaces pictured in the OP, but some times people don't put on their "whole smile" for reasons like mine.

[enlightenment]

28. Absolutely.

I'm not saying there is something wrong with a 'fake' smile - simply that psychological studies have shown that a 'genuine' smile involves the muscles around the eyes - that squinty thing (I think I look like a total dork when I smile that way, so you're not alone . . .)

A planned/false smile doesn't involve those muscles - and people immediately perceive it as fake. It doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not a full-fledged, genuine, done without thought involved, smile.

The emotion that is involved with a genuine, full-on, light up the room grin doesn't involve thinking about what it looks like, I guess.

[Bluerthanblue]

2. I think it is the eyes

o People can smile with their eyes and not their mouth, and their 'essence' still comes through.

There are others who smile broadly with their mouths, but their eyes say something different.

People's eyes tell alot.

[HopeHoops]

3. I don't know. The one on the top looks sort of normal. The lower one looks evil.

[HereSince1628]

6. Interesting... I had the same impression

[nolabear]

4. Ryan makes an awful photo. He looks like a Gomer.

When he moves the sociopath charisma comes through but in that photo he looks like he's thrusting his head forward in that Gomeresque fashion and his upper plate's missing.

[lunatica]

5. Paul Ryan looks like he forgot to put his dentures in

And they're both pretty much lipless so that's something that's similar.

[Lasher]

7. Smiling Ryan

Smiling Ryan is indifferent.

[Dreamer Tatum]

8. It's not the smile. It's the politics. I wish people would being so goddamned stupid.

Seriously. If either of those men were avowed Democrats, this board would admire their smiling faces and apparently affable natures.

When you can reverse the conditioning with acceptable error, let me know. "This man looks evil because I know he is a Republican" is schoolyard shit.

[HereSince1628]

9. I guess the poleez has spoked

[Dreamer Tatum]

10. If my choice is between "poleez" and "goddamned idiot"

I choose "poleez."

[HereSince1628]

11. Your welcome.

[DURHAM D]

15. Alert Fail. (On the OP)

« Newer | Return to My Inbox | Older »DU Mail Message from Automated Message
12:30 PM
Automated Message

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

At Tue Aug 14, 2012, 12:26 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

Looking at pics in the news....what is it in a smile that betrays a person's true spirit?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021130247

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

If it wasn't OK to compare Obama to killers (like in the recent billboard) then I don't think it says much for the Democrats to be doing the same thing with Ryan.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Aug 14, 2012, 12:30 PM, and the Jury voted 2-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Really?
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT and said: this is specious and over the top. Ryan has terrible policy positions but his smile means nothing and this kind of speculation and faux association is a distraction
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT and said: I can't stand Ryan Ayn Rand, but comparing these pics is wrong. Belittles the losses of those in TX, makes us look bad.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given

[ananda]

12. It's the eyes.

They're not smilling.

[DonRedwood]

13. I was offended by the billboard comparing Obama with killers

and this is pretty much the same thing.

Ryan is a schmuck and his policies are horrible but comparing him to a cop-killer/murderer lowers the discourse of DU.

[Skidmore]

18. There is a certain type of laughter and a certain type of smile that is used when it is

inappropriate to the circumstances. Nothing is funny about what is happening nor is it the place for either. I had a boss once who used to laugh and smile at inappropriate times. At first, I attributed it to nervousness but that didn't quite fit either. After observing for some time, I realized that those were the times to be cautious. It was her way of communicating that she did not want the person she was engaging with to perceive her as a threat for what was coming after. I always pay attention to smiles and laughter, especially when someone is grinning in my face with a knife in hand.

[Graybeard]

27. Romney and the inappropriate laugh.

Romney does this all the time. Watch him when he is asked a question that he doesn't want to answer. Or when he has no answer.

[CabCurious]

44. I agree... this crosses the line

And I LOVE political satire and jokes... but this is not funny.

[Faux pas]

14. Cold dead reptilian eyes match the

cold blooded agenda.

[reformist2]

16. Ryan looks sane, but he's aging badly. I suspect he's a workaholic.

[HereSince1628]

17. Frankly, I don't see anything that makes either look other than sane.

I agree with what was noted above...

I think the top picture is a genuine smile. I think the bottom picture is a fake smile.

Regarding age...several articles over the weekend said he looks boyish.

[reformist2]

21. Wow. The guy in the first pic would freak me out, even if I didn't know what he did.

[renate]

20. I will totally (yet with embarrassment) admit that I have preconceived notions out the wazoo

If I know a politician is liberal I'll look for things to like about his or her smile or demeanor, and if I know he or she isn't, I'll think the smile looks smug. I'm not proud of that, but I'll admit it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Over the top... and I mean this WAY OVER THE TOP

[HereSince1628]

33. I'm open to discussion about this, indeed I'd LIKE discussion about this.

Please look at it. Closely. It asks what of a person's character is shown in a smile.
The OP presented pictures of 2 people who self-identify with movements on the American political rightwing and asks a question about what we can learn from the facial expression presented in each.

The HONEST answer to that is that each of us brings to the interpretation of a picture most of what is interpreted from that picture.


Let's be real, DUers have been making all manner of comments on how they can see mental illness in the pictures of mass murderers.

People can't actually SEE mental illness in a still picture. At best they can see odd postures, dress, etc.


I presented two pics. One of an alleged multiple murderer.

One of a person who has been accused by DUers as being a Granny-starver.

I would remind everyone that starving results in death.

Please nadinb, Explain to me how a post of pictures with NO statement attached is more over the top than allegations that Ryan is a Granny-killer?

More graphic, I understand. More over the top? That's a mystery to me

[gkhouston]

36. Go for the cheap shot, and then fall back to, "I'm just trying to have a discussion" ploy?

FAIL.

[HereSince1628]

37. You will see exactly what you wish to see.

Indeed, that is rather the point of this exercise.

on edit:

To be perfectly fair, I will also see exactly what I wish to see.

That -IS- the way this works.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. I have never said you can see insanity through the eyes

Also, I do not know if the shooter was a right winger, neither do you.

There are many things to critique Ryan for, like his hunting, this is not one of them.

Sorry, over the top, as in way over the top.

[HereSince1628]

41. Actually, yes, DUers do, he posted on social media his affiliation with the tea-party patriots

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. I said "I", which is not the we, but MYSELF

That said, perhaps I am dense, but I have yet to see that post. Link.

(And regardless STILL OVER THE DAMN FRACKING TOP)

[CabCurious]

45. It's crossing the line. You wouldn't accept this with Obama's image.

[gkhouston]

23. We need to bring back the unrec feature. n/t

[FSogol]

25. Yup. Unrec. n/t

[HereSince1628]

34. Please read post 33

[Berlum]

24. scary sick suckers (R)

[ailsagirl]

29. 'One may smile and smile and be a villain'

But that does NOT apply to our President, who has the best. smile. ever.

[nolabear]

30. A MAJOR mea culpa. I literally didn't realize he was being compared to a killer.

Yes, it's a terrible comparison to make and I am sorry I joked about it.

[cali]

31. what nonsense

I find posts like this one truly counterproductive and it's hypocritical to cheer these comparisons. Remember the billboard comparing President Obama to James Holmes?

[HereSince1628]

35. Please read post 33

[bongbong]

32. The Dead Zone

Every time another bunch of America-Haters (AKA repigs) runs for office, I think of Stephen King's novel, and how the repigs want to blow up the world like the novel's pres. candidate.

[4th law of robotics]

39. So it's acceptable to associate homicidal maniacs with politicians based on vague physical

similiarites?

I guess then you would have no problem with the people who labeled Obama a terrorist based on that one picture of him in "Muslim garb" (photo shopped next to some Taliban in slightly similar clothing).

[HereSince1628]

40. see post 33

[CabCurious]

43. extremely inappropriate