Universal Smile A smile in India (left) means the same thing as a smile in Lithuania (middle) or Kenya (right). Facial expressions associated with basic emotions like happiness, disgust, and anger are strikingly similar across cultures (Ekman & Friesen, 1971).

left: Design Pics Inc. Alamy; middle: Wojtek Buss/age fotostock/Robert Harding; right: M Lohmann/agefotostock