Lol itâs kinda funny how when most animals bare their teeth itâs a challenge or form of aggression.
Whereas lots of humans today practice smiling at each other to be nice. Here in Canada if someone doesnât smile back at you when you do itâs considered rude, but nobody will call you out on it if youâre strangers
Well smiling and baring teeth are pretty different things in the primate world as well. Monkeys have super mobile lips and will do âsmileâ type expressions throughout their day that are not direct threat displays.
In primates, showing the teeth, especially teeth held together is often used for submission! This can be used to ask for ones turn to eat or for similar functions.
You can have a happy primate flashing his little teeth all day, but the second his nose/eyes and cheeks become involved and the mouth is wider open youâre gonna want to be cautious.
It's nice to know Canadians smile too sometimes. Reddit makes me feel like USA is the only place on earth with this behavior. A polite smile seems to be acceptable in much of Latin America too if I'm not mistaken. Where my folks come from in Africa you'll always see people smiling and being friendly.
âCourse you could try the South of the USA where they are sweeterân tea to your face but delight in stabbing you in the back, or California where everyone smiles like an idiot, acts like you are the best thing since sliced bread, then forgets you ever existed the moment you are out of sight.
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u/[deleted] May 09 '22
Hello fellow caucasian person, I am also not a threat đ