Should You Smile Even If You Don’t Mean It?

Do you ever smile even though you’re not happy? Is it bad to fake a smile?

Read More:
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“The winning article of the 2014 Wellcome Trust science-writing prize looks at smile research – how they make us feel better, how to fake them and why you should say ‘cheeks’ not ‘cheese’.”

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“A smile and a frown mean the same thing everywhere—or so say many anthropologists and evolutionary psychologists, who for more than a century have
argued that all humans express basic emotions the same way.”

How many muscles does it take to smile?
“You've likely been told (or read in a forwarded e-mail) that it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown, and that, in light of this fact, you should smile more often.”

Does smiling make you happy?
“Smiling doesn't seem like a particularly complicated act: You feel a happy emotion, the corners of your mouth turn up, your cheeks lift and your eyes crinkle.”

Wipe Away That Frown: Botox Makes You Happier
“Botox may not only provide a nonsurgical face-lift — it may also lift your spirits, new research suggests.”

Smile! It Could Make You Happier
“We smile because we are happy, and we frown because we are sad.”

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[MissPurpur]

I've fake smiled all my life and I had been diagnosed with chronic depression

[IgnemFeram]

When I force a smile I honestly feel depressed. This is what goes through my head: Why should I be smiling? I feel the opposite of what I'm pretending to feel. It doesn't feel right on my face and it makes my cheeks cramp up.

[hemidas]

Everytime when I try to fake a smile my friends tell me that I look like Grinch when he's high on weed.

[InMaTeofDeath]

Forcing a smile does nothing but force me to think about the fact that I'm not actually happy at the moment, which in turn ends up pissing me off since I don't want to have to fake something I'm not actually feeling.  In the end it causes more negative thoughts and emotions than I would have otherwise had.

[little.wing.]

Don't ever fake your emotions; it only suppresses the real ones. The suppression of the real ones will only create tension in you which will accumulate and will eventually have to be dealt with in some way or another anyway. You may feel pressured socially to smile or have to because you work with the public (like me), but as long as you're honest with yourself and in touch with your actual emotions it shouldn't be a problem.

[arlyquinn]

I'm depressed but a smile doesn't mean i'm happy inside.

[chromeinox]

Never fake your emotions. Beneath that lies a deep black hole that you may never be able to get out of. Be direct, and you'll find your true friends (wich may be very few).

[mastahcez]

I had my most serious face on while watching this.

[FoldAPieceOfWater]

Instead of faking smiling, which in personal experience works extremely counter productively, you should find reasons to smile. For instance, seeing children play and laugh or just a baby. Looking at the weather, and if you feel comfortable with it. Listening to a funny podcast or watching an enjoyable show. Writing down jokes or funny quotes.
You see where I'm trying to go with this. Of course not everything will work for you, but that's fine. If you by chance find something which does, try to keep it in mind and apply it at the next opportunity :)

[JeffzBeard]

i have no emotions in my face, been told you should smile more my entire life

[MsHojat]

I don't like people who smile if they don't necessarily mean it. It's just weird. Insincerity is such a strange thing. To me, it's like lying. I don't see why so many people think that omitting the truth (rather than directly lying) is such a big deal when insincerity is practically taught to people as something that's required of them. It makes no sense at all!

[sherpajones]

Growing up, if I was ever in a less than wonderful mood and couldn't give an acceptable reason for it, I was told to either put a smile on my face or go to my room. I don't care what studies say, faking a smile isn't healthy if you are doing it to please others.

[jerrytyfting]

smiling but not feeling happy is very misleading and "tricking" your brain into thinking you are happy means you are lying to yourself so forcing a smile when feeling down can lead to feeling even worse in a social setting or in a group of friends.

[tudoproductions]

I told my dad that I smoked weed today, and then smiled on his face. He smacked the shit out of it after.

[midnightdancing]

for me, faking a smile hurts my heart physically for some reason...

[kitty]

I like to smile, but every time I smile I remember how dumb I look when I smile, so I try to "tone down" the smile and end up with a face of disgust...

[DanicaDeCosto]

Maybe instead of faking a smile you should watch a funny movie so you will smile for real.

[xloppielx]

I worked retail for 14 years and had to put on a fake smile everyday. It does not help in the long run but I did notice that occasionally just pretending to smile would help the miserable day go by faster.

[fmitchella]

But smiling HURTS ...

(It takes no muscles to have no expression whatsoever.)

[vampbie]

Imagine having antisocial personality disorder every emotion u have to fake but it's different for everyone