Analyzing Surprising Contradictions in Human Behavior and Learning How To Behave

Did you know that when monkeys show their teeth as if they are smiling they are actually reflecting fear and aggression?

Since they are our kin and in the remote past we were wild animals too, their behavior can give us some information about our behavior, although this is just a logical deduction, not scientifically proven.

In an article published by the Brazilian Society of Primatology (the study of primate behavior) it was mentioned that:

“Among humans, the smile usually shows happiness, affection, and other positive emotions, but in other primates (and almost all mammals), showing teeth is aggressive or defensive behavior. In capuchin monkeys, for example, this "giggle" means fear and/or submission. When a capuchin monkey is doing this face he's not happy, he's scared; sometimes terrified!”

If you think logically, you will conclude that showing your teeth doesn't seem to be an indication of friendship.

Teeth pose a threat, especially in a world where carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous animals. This is why you don't conclude that a lion has a friendly attitude when he shows you his teeth. Quite the opposite; you fear being devoured.

So why do humans show their teeth to show joy? This behavior does not match the reality of the animal world on Earth, where every animal that shows its teeth tries to intimidate the animals that threaten it.

An animal may be afraid, but when it shows its teeth it indicates that it is ready to face a fight with its enemy rather than running away. Whoever shows their teeth is violent.

Therefore, we can conclude that in the remote past the human smile probably had a similar meaning, and only much later did it come to be associated with a display of joy.

The Evolution of the Smile

A logical conclusion makes us understand that the smile initially reflected fear and aggression, but over time it started to indicate respect. The fear that each person felt became hidden and gradually despised.

In fact, even today the smile is still a social mask that reflects the fear we have of powerful people or even the fear of being misunderstood by simple people who belong to our social environment.

That's why we smile out of kindness, even when we don't feel happy when we meet certain people.

Indeed, the smile does not fail to reflect real joy when we meet a loved one or when we have a pleasant experience. The smile shows genuine satisfaction when we are happy for some reason, but this display of joy in our historic time is probably the result of a long evolution.

Prehistoric men were certainly afraid when someone showed their teeth, not imagining that in the future this attitude would be associated with a friendly display of joy.

The Contradictory Human Behavior

In the same way, many human attitudes seem to have a meaning totally different from what we conclude, or an enigmatic meaning that we cannot explain. This is because its initial meaning has been transformed over time and has taken on a completely different meaning.

However, if we can see the initial meaning of certain behavior, we can verify its double intention. This aspect is currently being analyzed by studies of body language, which expresses something very different from what we express verbally.

Human behavior is contradictory and false in many ways.

For example, many people laugh when they say something unpleasant to pretend that it's not as unpleasant as it sounds, or to show that they don't get angry at realizing that something isn't how it should be when they complain about something.

This fake laugh is a defense mechanism that everyone can see. Usually, this defense mechanism is used by people who are afraid of displeasing others.

Now that you have discovered the root of the smile and understood that the human being pretends to be happy when in fact he is not happy at all, you will be able to judge human behavior with more insight and will not be deceived by appearances.

In the same way, you can stop having a defensive attitude and laugh when you say something unpleasant because you understand that this attitude reflects weakness, and doesn't make you the least bit likable.