People Who Smile At Strangers When They Make Eye Contact Usually Have These 11 Distinct Personality Traits
Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock There are some people who simply look away when making eye contact with a complete stranger, so as to not make things uncomfortable. However, there are others that, when they catch a stranger's eye in public, offer a quick smile rather than pretending they don't exist. The quick response from those that offer a polite smile can reveal quite a lot about who they are, because people who smile at strangers when they make eye contact usually have some distinct personality traits.
Smiling at strangers isn't about attempting to strike up any kind of friendly conversation. Most of the time it's just a normal reaction to meeting someone's eye and offering a little bit of kindness as two people continue to go about their day. These low-stakes interactions are usually called "weak ties," and the more weak ties a person has, like smiling at strangers, the happier they often feel. So, while a smile may seem completely insignificant, it shows how someone chooses to move through the world and how they put people at ease without expecting anything in return.
People who smile at strangers when they make eye contact usually have these 11 distinct personality traits
1. Emotionally open
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When people smile at strangers and make eye contact with them, it's because they aren't moving through the world with this high brick wall over their emotions. They enjoy emitting warmth and being friendly to people, even those they don't know well enough.
Smiling at strangers has more to do with them finding comfortability in being seen as they are, rather than overthinking that they're being perceived and how people are choosing to judge them. Those who choose to be display higher levels of openness are usually the type of people that have increased emotional and psychological well-being, as well as feeling more satisfied with life.
These individuals don't feel the need to hide their expressions or moods just to appear perfectly composed. A smile usually just ends up slipping out naturally because they're not holding themselves to this wildly unrealistic standard of being stoic and serious all the time. They allow their face to reflect what they might be feeling in that moment.
2. Secure in themselves
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People who smile at strangers when they make eye contact are simply not fearful of rejection, at least not enough to completely withhold their kindness from strangers. They have enough sense of their self-worth that they don't seek validation from others. Their smile isn't a performance at all, but rather evidence of how comfortable they feel existing in their own skin.
It's because those with high self-esteem usually end up having more satisfying moments with people and experience higher psychological well-being. They're not questioning their look as weird or awkward by cracking a smile to the person who is rushing past them on the train.
They don't sit in their head for the rest of the day, wondering if their smile wasn't straight enough or looked too crooked when they beamed in someone's direction on the street. They trust themselves enough to know that their smile was probably perfectly fine, and that no one is thinking about their smile past the moment it happened.
A smile directed at strangers has nothing to do with wanting to be liked. It just comes from a place of wanting to be nice. It doesn't bruise their ego when a smile is not returned nor does it send them into an overthinking spiral. They still know exactly who they are even as the interaction has passed.
3. Trust their own intentions
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People who smile at strangers when they make eye contact are not constantly wondering if they're sending the wrong message or coming off in a creepy way at all. When they're smiling at strangers, it's because they know it's coming off with the right intentions.
There's no hidden agenda behind it at all. Trusting their intentions means they know the difference between exhibiting true kindness and just falling into people-pleasing tendencies.
They're not smiling because they feel obligated to; they smile because it directly aligns with who they actually are. If they didn't feel like smiling, they just wouldn't. There's no forcing it for them. The fact that it's truly authentic means the gesture usually goes over well.
These individuals are not worried about their behavior being misinterpreted. If someone reads their smile the wrong way, they just shrug it off and keep moving. They know what their intentions were, even if someone were to read it the wrong way.
4. Naturally empathetic
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You never know what someone may be going through when you pass them on the street. They could be carrying an immense amount of stress, or feeling incredibly depressed about something that has happened to them right before they left the house. Whatever the case may be, those who smile at strangers are usually aware that a smile in their direction can be the one thing they might have needed in that moment.
Psychologist Carl Rogers described empathy as "seeing the world through the eyes of the other, not seeing your world reflected in their eyes." To be a truly empathetic and understand another person’s perspective, you first have to be curious.
A quick smile just feels like a very small way to make someone feel a lot less heavy. It allows them to show a bit of care without even having to be vulnerable and open themselves up too deeply to someone they don't quite know. You never know how long that stranger will remember that interaction, but it'll definitely put a smile on their face.
5. Understand how tense the world can feel
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When a person smiles at strangers in passing, they've felt the weight of the world themselves. They know exactly what it means to be on the receiving end of constantly feeling tense and anxious, or just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Because they've experienced it, they're so much more aware of how a small gesture, like a smile, can really change someone's tune. It makes them more intentional when they're interacting with people in their everyday lives. It makes them so thoughtful.
Moving through the world with sharp looks and short attitudes can often make things worse. Instead, having a more comforting, friendly persona can have the opposite effect. Offering a smile to strangers usually takes the edge off things. Life is already hard enough as it is. Sometimes the best solution you can show to someone is that they're not alone.
6. High emotional intelligence
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Those who smile at strangers understand the power behind such a small gesture. They can notice when someone is feeling stressed or when someone is in desperate need of something to ease their nerves.
Because of that, they're also good at being able to respond in the best way that fits the moment rather than making it worse. A smile is their way of attempting to make situations better for people.
"At its core, emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions while also being attuned to the emotions of others. But let's be clear: EQ isn't about being positive, cheerful, or agreeable. It's about cultivating emotional agility or the capacity to respond rather than react, to listen deeply, and to lead with intention rather than impulse," explained psychologist Debra M. Kawahara.
They know exactly when a smile is needed versus maybe when it's not needed at all. If they sense that someone is truly having a bad day and don't want to be bothered, they'll leave them alone, no problem.
But if they can sense that a person is struggling and just needs a bit of human interaction, even for a split second, they'll make sure to smile in their direction but won't stop and chat. They'll keep it pushing, but that's what makes the interaction so easy rather than being awkward.
7. Better at nonverbal communication than verbal
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Some people are just so much better at being able to express themselves and connect with others without having to say a word. Being able to direct a smile at someone is easier than actually stopping to have a conversation.
A simple smile allows them to connect with people without having to disrupt the moment. They don't have to overcomplicate things by rambling or getting stuck on the next topic of conversation.
A fleeting smile can feel like a complete interaction, and that's what they like about it. It doesn't force them to put their foot in their mouth, and instead these moments can just be simple and pleasant rather than overly weird or awkward. The nonverbal signal of letting out a smile can do all the talking for them.
8. Comfortable with vulnerability
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There's always a risk when you're smiling at someone first. But those that do it all the time are more than okay with that. It's a tiny act of choosing to be open that most people might avoid out of being fearful they may be judged. Just because they're comfortable with this level of vulnerability doesn't mean they act recklessly or overshare all of the time.
"Much of the work in improving relationships means we have to overcome the fears we hold about sharing and being open, both of which are examples of being emotionally vulnerable," insisted licensed clinical psychologist Yesel Yoon.
It's more about letting these small interactions with people exist without becoming insecure. They can engage with strangers without thinking too much about it.
Smiling at someone is such a brief exchange anyway. If the smile isn't returned, it doesn't really bother them at all. They know that their gesture wasn't meant for validation or to get something in return, even if that something is a returned smile.
9. Don't need to feel invisible
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These individuals are usually comfortable being able to exist in the world without actually shrinking themselves. They don't feel pressure to always disappear into the background or go unnoticed.
Offering a stranger a smile is their way of showing that they're here in this moment and have no problem acknowledging others and being acknowledged. Their complete confidence in themselves helps with being able to have these light interactions without hesitation.
Some people tend to avoid eye contact in public because of how exposed it makes them feel. They've learned that being outside means trying to blend in. But not for those that smile at strangers.
Being outside for them means having other people see them, and it's not in a vain, conceited way. It just comes from a place of feeling comfortable around other people, even if they don't know them personally.
10. Don't walk through life on autopilot
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When they step out into the world, their gaze is bouncing all around them. They're noticing the flowers growing from someone's garden as they walk past their home or how the sun is reflecting off storefront windows. They even notice the people that are walking alongside them, too.
They understand just how the mundane action of smiling at someone can have a ripple effect. And people who smile at strangers when they make eye contact usually have these distinct personality traits. They're never missing a chance to actually connect with people and the opportunities that may present themselves for moments of human interaction.
Being present in life simply comes from this place of curiosity about the world and people around them. They genuinely want to acknowledge the fact that we're all existing together and that we're all each other has.
11. Find meaning in small human moments
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Life is often made from the tiny exchanges that we have with people. From those that we know very well to people that we may not even know at all. Smiling at a stranger is one of those small moments that matters so much more than it initially seems.
Being able to share a moment with someone in public can truly make someone's day. Human connection is truly the only thing we have in life.
"When I have a brief, sincere, face-to-face interaction with a stranger, I often sense delicate wavelets of Beauty passing through me. These encounters occur in safe public settings. The interactions are as simple as thanking someone for holding a door open for me, initiating a chat while waiting in line, or just smiling at someone as we pass on the sidewalk," said author and professor Betty Luceigh.
It doesn't matter how brief it is, either. We don't need to go out everyday looking for long conversations or deep relationships to feel the impact of human connection. A single smile passed on the street as you're both walking to your separate destinations can still feel just as meaningful. It reminds us that life is best when we're having these shared interactions rather than just being closed off and grumpy.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
