While smiling is perceived as a positive emotion most of the time, there are some cultures that perceive smiling as a negative expression and consider it unwelcoming.

While smiling is perceived as a positive emotion most of the time, there are some cultures that perceive smiling as a negative expression and consider it unwelcoming. Too much smiling can be viewed as a sign of shallowness or dishonesty. In some parts of Asia, people may smile when they are embarrassed or in emotional pain. Some people may smile at others to indicate a friendly greeting. A smile may be reserved for close friends and family members. Many people in the former Soviet Union area consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even suspicious behavior.

In Western society, smiling is a highly valued social behavior and people who smile a lot are perceived more positively. However, Western smile first of all signals politeness and Russians smile only when “there is a reason to smile”. The Russians even have a saying – “only fools smile without any reason”.