--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think he had a very, very good smile…" description: "\"“I think he had a very, very good smile, for somebody whose teeth were somewhere between so-so and bad. What seems not a whit onerous to write about is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/j-d-salinger-560_opposite-direction_i-think-he-had-a-very-very-good-smile-fo_3155060.jpg" --- # I think he had a very, very good smile, for somebody whose… ![“I think he had a very, very good smile, for somebody whose teeth were somewhere between so-so and bad. What seems not a whit onerous to write about is the mechanics of it. His smile often went backward or forward when all the other facial traffic in the room was either not moving at all or moving…” quote by J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/j-d-salinger-560_opposite-direction_i-think-he-had-a-very-very-good-smile-fo_3155060.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/j-d-salinger-560_opposite-direction_i-think-he-had-a-very-very-good-smile-fo_3155060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c24/j-d-salinger-560_opposite-direction_i-think-he-had-a-very-very-good-smile-fo_3155060.jpg) > ““I think he had a very, very good smile, for somebody whose teeth were somewhere between so-so and bad. What seems not a whit onerous to write about is the mechanics of it. His smile often went backward or forward when all the other facial traffic in the room was either not moving at all or moving in the opposite direction. His distribution wasn't standard, even in the family. He could look grave, not to say funereal, when candles on small children's birthday cakes were being blown out. On the other hand, he could look positively delighted when one of the kids showed him where he or she had scraped a shoulder swimming under the float. Technically, I think, he had no social smile whatever, and yet it seems true (maybe just a trifle extravagant) to say that nothing essentially right was ever missing in his face.”” [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A detailed description of a man's unconventional smile reveals deeper character traits and emotional complexity. **In simple terms:** Unusual smile shows inner depth. Key Takeaway Observe subtle cues. Themes character appearance perception Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary observational When to use this quote - first impression - social interaction - reading people Key Concepts social behavior psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does his smile reveal about his inner world? - How reliable are physical traits for judging character? A Different Perspective Interpretation of facial cues can be subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile/) ## Related quotes > [“I loved the solar smile he would turn on his friends at times--and on me--nonplussing us when he simply left it on us, full-beam,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/i-loved-the-solar-smile-he-would-turn-on-his-friends-at-times-and-on/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [There's nothing funnier than getting a death threat via MySpace. Why don't you just write it in a children's birthday card.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/there-s-nothing-funnier-than-getting-a-death-threat-via-myspace-why/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [Friends and family do not believe you write fiction. They truly believe that every word you write is either autobiographical or based on them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-moriarty/friends-and-family-do-not-believe-you-write-fiction-they-truly/) [Liane Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-moriarty/) > [If you believe in romance, and if you believe in marriage, you also have to believe in divorce. It's like, with 'Getting On,' a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-borstein/if-you-believe-in-romance-and-if-you-believe-in-marriage-you-also/) [Alex Borstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-borstein/) > [“In 1991, Disney forced a group of New Zealand parents in a remote country town to remove their amateur renditions of Pluto and Donald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/in-1991-disney-forced-a-group-of-new-zealand-parents-in-a-remote/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I wasn't very good about juggling family and my career. I was interested in who was coming to the children's birthday party, what my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-clayburgh/i-wasn-t-very-good-about-juggling-family-and-my-career-i-was/) [Jill Clayburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-clayburgh/) > [Other people's children's birthday parties are the most joyful events you will ever resent having to attend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/other-people-s-children-s-birthday-parties-are-the-most-joyful-events/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [Happy thought: I am somebody's reason to smile. I am somebody's happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-thought-i-am-somebody-s-reason-to-smile-i-am-somebody-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always thought that I was supposed to force my issues down and keep them hidden with a smile. That was until I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-brisnehan/i-always-thought-that-i-was-supposed-to-force-my-issues-down-and-keep/) Alexander Brisnehan > [“It's hard to really look at somebody and go: "Hey, maybe something nice will happen." You just don't-- I know too much about life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/it-s-hard-to-really-look-at-somebody-and-go-hey-maybe-something-nice/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) > [Anytime I can add a smile to somebody's life that's all well and good, but I play the game to play the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arian-foster/anytime-i-can-add-a-smile-to-somebody-s-life-that-s-all-well-and-good/) [Arian Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arian-foster/) > [I wanted to be the best that I could be, first for myself, then for an audience. I love to see a smile on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/i-wanted-to-be-the-best-that-i-could-be-first-for-myself-then-for-an/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [There's no greater feeling in the world than when you can put a smile on somebody's face just by walking into a room. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-watt/there-s-no-greater-feeling-in-the-world-than-when-you-can-put-a-smile/) [J. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-watt/) > [“Smile because somebody loves you, you may not know it now, but one day you will”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-trent/smile-because-somebody-loves-you-you-may-not-know-it-now-but-one-day/) Miranda Trent > [A single smile of somebody gives you enough strength to win thousands of battle in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/a-single-smile-of-somebody-gives-you-enough-strength-to-win-thousands/) Unkown ## More by J.D. Salinger > [“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all… I'm standing on the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-keep-picturing-all-these-little-kids-playing-some-game-in-this-big/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“If you're a poet, you do something beautiful. I mean you're supposed to leave something beautiful after you get off the page and everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/if-you-re-a-poet-you-do-something-beautiful-i-mean-you-re-supposed-to/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was… The only thing that would be different would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-best-thing-though-in-that-museum-was-that-everything-always/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“And you make people nervous, young man," she said - most equably, for her. "You either take to somebody or you don't. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/and-you-make-people-nervous-young-man-she-said-most-equably-for-her/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“I still think that, in a way, I can't get past half my childhood dogmas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-still-think-that-in-a-way-i-can-t-get-past-half-my-childhood-dogmas/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“He stuck around till around dinnertime, talking about all the guys at Pencey that he hated their guts, and squeezing this big pimple on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/he-stuck-around-till-around-dinnertime-talking-about-all-the-guys-at/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“For example, when Seymour told one of the twins or Zooey or Franny or even Mme. Boo Boo (who was only two years younger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/for-example-when-seymour-told-one-of-the-twins-or-zooey-or-franny-or/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“One thing? One thing I like? Okay.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/one-thing-one-thing-i-like-okay/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“The cigars are ballast, sweetheart. Sheer ballast. If he didn’t have a cigar to hold on to, his feet would leave the ground. We’d…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/the-cigars-are-ballast-sweetheart-sheer-ballast-if-he-didn-t-have-a/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“They're just people that write poems that get published and anthologized all over the place but they're not poets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/they-re-just-people-that-write-poems-that-get-published-and/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“In certain Zen monasteries, it's a cardinal rule, if not the only serious enforced discipline, that when one monk calls out 'Hi!' to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/in-certain-zen-monasteries-it-s-a-cardinal-rule-if-not-the-only/) [j.d. salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“And I hate to tell you... but I think that once you have a fair idea where you want to go, your first move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/and-i-hate-to-tell-you-but-i-think-that-once-you-have-a-fair-idea/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“Hi,' he said. He always said it like he was terrifically bored or terrifically tired. He didn't want you to think he was visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/hi-he-said-he-always-said-it-like-he-was-terrifically-bored-or/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [ “\[Y\]ou’re someone who took up birds in the first place because they fired your imagination; they fascinated you because ‘they seemed of all created… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/y-ou-re-someone-who-took-up-birds-in-the-first-place-because-they/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) [Explore all 416 J.D. Salinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) ## More Opposite direction quotes > [We began intercepting Japanese radio transmissions, which indicated the two forces were very close to each other. We found out later that we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-adams/we-began-intercepting-japanese-radio-transmissions-which-indicated/) [Jack Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-adams/) > [“I don’t mean to interrupt your gossip free-for-all, but do you know if there’s a non-GMO or organic section in this grocery store? This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-march/i-don-t-mean-to-interrupt-your-gossip-free-for-all-but-do-you-know-if/) [Meghan March](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-march/) > [“Too often, the notion of progress is used as a code word for perfection, the chain of being in a different guise. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jones/too-often-the-notion-of-progress-is-used-as-a-code-word-for/) [Steve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jones/) > [Every time I hear a revenge story, I run the opposite direction. I just don't think such stories have any novelty value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suniel-shetty/every-time-i-hear-a-revenge-story-i-run-the-opposite-direction-i-just/) [Suniel Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suniel-shetty/) > [Upon my arrival in the United States the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/upon-my-arrival-in-the-united-states-the-religious-aspect-of-the/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“When people tell you that this venerable firm or private investor invested X millions of dollars in that entity and that it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/when-people-tell-you-that-this-venerable-firm-or-private-investor/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [For many years, I used to run to the opposite direction when I saw photographers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/for-many-years-i-used-to-run-to-the-opposite-direction-when-i-saw/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [“The decision to create a book trailer is entirely up to you. I can remember when "video killed the radio star" on MTV and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kytka-hilmar-jezek/the-decision-to-create-a-book-trailer-is-entirely-up-to-you-i-can/) [Kytka Hilmar-Jezek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kytka-hilmar-jezek/) > [The kids kept walking, moving through the Henley's halls like a tide, but when Kat turned to leave, she walked in the opposite directions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/the-kids-kept-walking-moving-through-the-henley-s-halls-like-a-tide/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [Before a person start to walk the Straight & Narrow Path, they have to make some changes within them self, like turning away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/before-a-person-start-to-walk-the-straight-narrow-path-they-have-to/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“I’m so ashamed of myself for wanting this. His brand of sex comes with a warning label. 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Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-e-smith/) > [“If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction. —DIETRICH BONHOEFFER”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/if-you-board-the-wrong-train-it-is-no-use-running-along-the-corridor/) [Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/) > [“You are moving in the opposite direction when your life is about survival only”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-moving-in-the-opposite-direction-when-your-life-is-about/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“Come with me," he said quietly and extended his hand. "Nuh-uh." I shook my head, scooting in the opposite direction . "I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-saare/come-with-me-he-said-quietly-and-extended-his-hand-nuh-uh-i-shook-my/) [J.A. Saare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-saare/) Browse all 365 Opposite direction quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I think he had a very, very good smile, for somebody whose teeth were somewhere between so-so and bad. What seems not a whit onerous to write about is the mechanics of it. His smile often went backward or forward when all the other facial traffic in the room was either not moving at all or moving in the opposite direction. His distribution wasn't standard, even in the family. He could look grave, not to say funereal, when candles on small children's birthday cakes were being blown out. On the other hand, he could look positively delighted when one of the kids showed him where he or she had scraped a shoulder swimming under the float. 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