why do people smile at me?

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i never did undrstand why wen you pass a stranger why they smile? is this a fake smile? is it a come on? why do people mostly females do this? i never smile back . but it leaves me wondering what is this smirk all about

I have some guesses, but they may not be accurate. There is probably information online about this.

Females (usually) grow up with smiles and happiness, even I did. I was sort of "taught" to smile; all my friends smiled. I smile at people at my job because I was trained to. As for everyone else, I believe there is some kind of "social rule" to say, "Hi," or to smile when you make eye contact with a person -- even a stranger. My job training ensured that we are the "first" to greet them or the "first" to smile, which I think implies that other people already smile on eye contact. It happens a lot while I'm at work: if I make eye contact in passing, then the other person tends to react.

I hope this helps you.

I have always had a poker face and people seemed to think I was angry when I interacted with them. In high school, my mother suggested that I try smiling at people. It felt terribly awkward, but I did it as an experiment. Immediately people were friendlier and I didn't get into unexplainable conflicts anywhere near so often.

I have kept the habit up and I find my interactions with people are a good deal easier because of it. Maybe I carry it too far, but I usually smile at people even in times where it is not generally expected. If I am biking and I pass another cyclist, I usually smile. Most people smile back.

If it helps, you might think of smiling as a way of indicating you are willing to be friendly and mean no harm. You don't have to understand the logic of the action to give and get the benefit of it. You might try, as an experiment, smiling at people you pass on the street. It might feel awkward at first but you might discover for yourself why people smile.

Hope this helps,

Lars

That's exactly why people smile at strangers. It's a nonverbal expression of harmlessness and benign goodwill.

If you look at someone and don't smile, they take it to mean you are angry and thinking ugly thoughts directed at them, which immediately causes them to expect hostility and possibly even violence. As a result that apprehension colors any subsequent interaction with them and they tend to be uneasy and defensive, which makes conflict much more likely, if not inevitable.

They want to be friendly.

I wish more people smiled at me. I mostly just get funny looks.

Generally people smile when they make eye contact. It's non-threatening and if you make eye contact with someone and don't smile, us neurotypicals think it's a bit odd. Smiling is sometimes just a way of acknowledging someone in a friendly way.

It's usually nothing more than that.

Dogs can smile. My Border Collie grins with her teeth. I find it very awkward if it's not natural. A genuine smile is with the eyes and people can usually tell if it's false.

If I look at somone they sometimes seem to stare back with a perplexed look. I'm always the first to look away. Holding on to an eyes locked gaze is like overriding the body's instinct to drop a hot cup of coffee thats burning my hand.

I've noticed that smiling behavior is inversely proportional to population density.

Don't smile (or expect smiles) in cities. Don't be aloof in a small town.

Anyone else find this as well?

I find people are likely to smile when I walk my dogs in the countryside where it is quiet but never smile in busy areas. I hate walking past someone heading in the opposite direction on the pavement (sidewalk). It's the eye contact again. I just try to watch their feet so I don't end up walking into them head on. How do I make something so simple seem like hard work?

they want to ask you a barrage of unimportant questions about your life. most people are nosy as hell boy, tell them to get lossed

Because they love ya

No yeah, I get the same thing, I too don't know how to smile back. Usually my smile looks something like this..

I think it's a non-verbal way of saying "Hey how you doing? " Though I'm not sure since I don't ask. Does help me feel that they're less of a threat though whenever I'm smiled. It sort of gives me a clues as to who my "friends" and "foes" are. Naturally I assume whenever someone rolls their eyes at me is an as*hole or thinks low of me.

In my experience, this has indeed been the case. Usually if someone on the street in the city smiles at me, it's because they're either about to ask me for money or they want me to join up with some cause or other. In the town where I grew up though, it's pretty common to smile and say hello to random strangers as they pass by. Thinking about it now however, I'm not really certain if it's considered rude or not if you neglect to do this.

People in the street mostly smile because they want to be accepted. A smile says it's ok to be there.
I think it's a primitive way of letting each other know that you accept the presence of the other person.

It gives some kind of humanity to the street view. Everyone thinks something different and you can only guess what by-passers think of you. When you smile you get a little bit more information. They seem to like that you are there and don't think you're a bother to them.

If you don't give a smile back, people will think you are annoyed with them.

At least that's how I feel about it

So I shouldn't smile at them?