this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2025
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Witches VS Patriarchy
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I don’t think it takes empathy to notice that someone is not smiling. It does take a controlling personality to tell them to smile, though.
I don't think it necessarily takes a "controlling personality" to tell somebody to smile more. It can totally be the case, but it can also be a misguided attempt at giving unsolicited advice. Would it be better for everyone if people smiled more? Absolutely, but it's not always possible, and telling somebody to do it is unlikely to help.
The world doesn't become a better place through appearances. People should smile if they're actually happy, not because they're being coerced into it.
Smiling is not just an appearance. There have been several studies that show smiling improves person's mood, even when it's artificial. It's called Facial Feedback Hypothesis. So yes, being reminded to smile, can be a genuine advice to improve one's mood. It's still not the best approach though.