Thursday, January 27, 2011

Fake Smiles

I’m getting sick of faking smiles. It seems like every form of social interaction, be it between family members, friends, or coworkers, generally warrants some sort of façade of enjoyment. Now, I’m not saying every discussion I have is painful, but for the most part people expect to see a reciprocated sort of delight when communicating, and personally I think it’s bullshit.

Emotional conveyances (tone, inflection, facial features) evolved so that we could perceive and acknowledge one another’s feelings and responses. And now that we’ve “developed” more as a species, it seems we have an obligation to fake these responses in order to maintain group dynamics. It’s contrary to our nature. Emotions should be reflexive, not fabricated. But then again, social dynamics are far more important now than they were in our evolutionary ancestors.

It would be much easier just to maintain my boring-ass apathetic glare and speak only when I feel I have something to say, rather than contort myself into a face that would make the other person feel as though they are entertaining or interesting me. But the more I think about it the more I realize most people are probably paying me the same burdensome courtesy. Alas, so it is in our society. I really shouldn’t complain about having to be polite. I suppose I just long for a greater kind of sincerity.

13 comments:

  1. Hear, hear! People are so accustomed to having to fake emotions nowadays I never really trust what most people have to say.

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  2. i hate fake smiles. and even more fake laughs

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  3. Well, yeah, most of them are faked, granted.
    But can you imagine what the social world would look like it we weren't faking it?
    "Congrats on your daughter bro!", with my "I don't give a fuck, gimme something to eat" face on?
    Don't think so.

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  4. I really get where you are coming from but trust me its just something which has to be done. I've tried being completely honest and it didn't get me anywhere.

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  5. Fake laughs are the most. I can understand fake smiles sometimes. But fake laughs are just... god


    Following.

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  6. I was just thinking about this today actually, can't stand fake smiles.
    Followed

    ( Hopefully my blog brings about more than fake smiles ;) )

    U Laugh U Lose
    ulaughulose.com

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  7. I think that's how the world works. I can't barely fake anything and that make me a blunt person, and that is not good either

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  8. one of the skills in life is to keep a smile on your face no matter whether you feel like so or not. trust me, that might get you far in life

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  9. I totally feel you, but the thing is a lot of the time if you just have a "normal" expression it looks like you don't like them. The fake smile is a way of conveying that you do like the person, or that you are being polite, even if you aren't necessarily happy at the moment.

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  10. Very true but that's the kind of society we live in, a fake one.

    http://useful-internet-sites.blogspot.com/

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  11. I too hate fake laughs/smiles. If I have no option, then I make sure not to overdo it. I suck at feigning enthusiasm.

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  12. I totally agree.
    But I also wonder how functional society would be if we eliminated these little things...

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