Be careful where you...smile!

A smile is a non-verbal form of communication to express a range of emotions, intentions, or even a person's social status.
Generally, smiling individuals are well-received and perceived more positively and favourably than those who do not even grin. These smiling individuals are seen as happier, more attractive, competent, and friendly.

Several studies confirm that positive perceptions of smiling individuals seem to be universal but according to a psychological research, a smiling individual may be judged as less intelligent or less honest than the same non-smiling individual in some cultures. Kuba Krys, a psychologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences, recently published a paper about "uncertainty avoidance".

According to his findings, anecdotal evidence suggests that in countries smiling can be seen as less welcome and even 'duplicitous'. For example, a well-known Russian proverb says: "Smiling with no reason is a sign of stupidity."
And since Dubai is a melting pot of various cultures, we've asked some residents what they can say about this matter

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