A smile is a tool, something people are born to use. Their contagious and shape the atmosphere, emotions, and people. They're free to give so you may as well take advantage of what you have. What's the difference between right and wrong, anyway? It's the people with the right clothes, aesthetics, and genetics, that make it to the top-glamor just hides the scars it took to claw their way there. It's weaving words like spider-webs coming from a dangerous curve of the lips and a squint of the eyes to manipulate others, that's all it takes to convince others that you're right and their wrong.
Animals bare their teeth to display dominance and aggression, so why does it equal openness with humans? The main reason is because human teeth is not commonly used as a weapon. A bite in the arm or leg is effective enough as a form of self defense to escape from certain grips but the worst it'll do is temporarily maim even if an infection sets in. For humans, casual quirks of the lips are not threats, but an illusion.
Happiness is an image to keep. At school, the stereotypical popular girl is the one with the perfect life and friends and overall happy image. She laughs and quips and pouts and gasps, but how many thoughts are truly hidden?
I am a generally happy person who smiles a lot, that's a fact. But sometimes its fake. I'm calmer and more mellow than most people think and sometimes put down the façade to be me for a while. It's when I'm myself that more people ask me if I'm upset with them or feeling okay because I'm not smiling. To them, a me who's not smiling must be angry or sad. They're asking at the wrong times.
They tell me it's my main feature and to never stop smiling, but what if it's not me?
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| (b.p.) |
Your introductory paragraph caught my attention and made me eager to read your post. However, I don't think all of your thoughts were thoroughly explained. I was quite confused when you brought up right and wrong. I like how you mentioned yourself and animals instead of just talking about society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAllow me to explain: when I mentioned right and wrong, I mainly had celebrities and politicians in mind. I was thinking of how fashion designers start popular trends when their models can make the clothes look good, no matter how outrageous, on the runway. Same thing with rappers and hit songs on the radio. I also read a document once where several people admitted to not following politics, and simply voting for the name that sounded "better," or the "hotter" running candidate, rather than their motives for the position. Thank you for letting me know! I hope that clarified my thought process a bit.
DeleteI thought your post was intresting in the sense of how we all can relate to the concept of smiling as we use it to show happiness. What you said about fake smiles particularly caught my attention because every now and then, I too have you put on a fake smile. Do you think it's part of human nature as we sometimes force ourselves to put on a fake smile and pretend that we are happy?
ReplyDeleteExcellent question! No, I don't believe smiling to be a part of human nature. Human nature is to shied away from pain, and those who are not happily smiling are typically interpreted as upset, be it physically or mentally. We put on fake smiles because society today demands we be happy, or else the possibility of becoming a social outcast increases. This also refers to what I said about making it to the "top." In magazines or interviews, the top celebrities are commonly labeled with "The Best Smile" award and such, and many people strive to hold such a title.
DeleteWell-written post with an interesting topic!
ReplyDelete