Credit to belensplaceinthetropix

That Filipino Smile

Foreigners who come to the Philippines are always surprised at how Filipinos just readily smile at anybody they meet. Just as an airline promo or a tourism selling point, you think? Our country has been dubbed as the “Land where Asia wears a Smile”. And fittingly so… But it is not just for tourism that we smile.

Let me explain the Filipino smile as I understand it:

Ø Greeting Smile – Filipinos say hello with a smile without uttering a word. This is the most common Filipino smile. No need to ask “how are you’ without really meaning to and no need to reply just for the sake of replying.
Ø Welcome Smile - Filipinos smile to strangers as a sign of welcome and friendship. A very common hello to a stranger.
Ø Beckoning Smile – is a gentle smile with a nod inviting someone to come nearer.
Ø Shy smile - While there are many gregarious Filipinos who can easily open up conversation with strangers, there are still those who are shy and who are afraid to be the focus of attention. They just smile in self- consciousness dearly hoping to keep the attention away from them.
Ø Embarrassed smile - There are those who smile to make light of the situation even when they are feeling quite embarrassed or to save the others present from an awkward position of being witness to this embarrassment.
Ø Uncomfortable smile - Filipinos can talk to as many friends and relatives about their problems, their fears and anxieties. But in front of a stranger, they smile to hide their discomfort.
Ø Non-committal smile - Some Filipinos who are non-committal in their opinion just smile not indicating assent or dissent in order not to offend. They hide their opinion with a smile particularly on explosive issues… This kind of smile is also used in answering invitations they can't accept immediately, so they smile neither saying yes nor no. When inviting, one needs to follow up a verbal answer to be sure your guest is coming.
Ø Approving smile – An open smile is given for approval while a smirk (hardly a smile) with raised eyebrows for disapproval.
Ø Naughty smile - A smile given to somebody who has been found for some naughty pranks.
Ø Knowing smile – A smile used to tell somebody that he is not what he pretends to be.
Ø Smile to win Argument - Many Filipinos smile to win an argument. They take this stance instead of the aggressive way to ease their own tension so as not to be drawn to a volatile discussion.
Ø Smile of confidence – This is the winner’s smile. Winners unconsciously give out this kind of smile.
Ø Smile of happiness - How do I explain this? A glowing face? It’s the real smile, I guess. The one that reaches up to ones’ eyes. Yes, the eyes do smile.

A lot of things is done or accomplished by Filipinos with a smile. And that’s what makes the Filipino smile different.

While the sun can influence our sunny disposition, it is still the whole make up of our people in what we do in our daily life and in facing up to the problems of our country and our own, that determines the face we show the world. In other countries, like in our neighbors in Asia, where they have as much golden sun, more riches and material things than we do, people just don’t smile readily.

So, I don’t fully subscribe to the theory that it is because of the sun’s influence that we easily smile. Only in some ways maybe. I really believe it’s more of a culture. We just find a lot of things to smile about in the Philippines. The sun, the rains, the mountains, the beaches, the seas, the seafood, the fruits, the flowers, the trees…

But most importantly, we Filipinos smile because we are essentially happy people. The advantage of not having so much in material things in this country is that we don’t miss what we didn’t have, and we are easily pleased with what little blessings we get.

how about the SCHIZOPHRENIC SMILE???

lol..i smile for no reason..i don't see that on the list lol!

I like the smile of confidence.

where is the smile of constipation...when you trieng to push that sh!t out.