Telling people to "smile."

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Replies

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Kinda like "have a nice day"?

    I will NOT have a nice day thank you very much...

    You are taking a perfectly innocent saying that has been in use for a long time and making it personal.

    Why? All it does it make you feel angry/mad/offended/whatever.

    Not really. Context is everything and they can say it with varying motives. If they mean have a nice day or how is your day going then why not ask that? I cna imagine wrong person wrong day then they would find it intrusive and really irksome. Ive had this happen to me when someone has died and it wasnt received kindly.
  • 460mustang
    460mustang Posts: 196 Member
    Had that happen before, I smile and start talking with them. I'm usually happy most of the time anyway, unless I'm thinking about something or making plans.
  • MonsoonStorm
    MonsoonStorm Posts: 371 Member
    <---observe my username. I have RBF and I don't appreciate people telling me what to do.

    Additionally, I find the "smile!" thing doubly offensive because sometimes people have a legit reason to not be smiling. Depression, hard times and stress are real things, yo. Simply plastering a fake smile on your face and pretending like things are OK is not good, at all.

    There's no need to...

    Shrug, say "yeah" and they will get the message.

    Perhaps it's a cultural thing. As a Brit the "smile" thing is incredibly common and carries no weight or meaning. Sometimes the acknowledgement that somebody notices your pain/misery is actually reassuring when you're depressed. Sometimes it is used out of genuine interest.

    "Have a nice day" on the other hand annoys the heck out of me. I find it fake, meaningless and forced. But then, like I said, I'm a miserable Brit. So I ignore it and chalk it down to a cultural quirk.
  • MonsoonStorm
    MonsoonStorm Posts: 371 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    Kinda like "have a nice day"?

    I will NOT have a nice day thank you very much...

    You are taking a perfectly innocent saying that has been in use for a long time and making it personal.

    Why? All it does it make you feel angry/mad/offended/whatever.

    Not really. Context is everything and they can say it with varying motives. If they mean have a nice day or how is your day going then why not ask that? I cna imagine wrong person wrong day then they would find it intrusive and really irksome. Ive had this happen to me when someone has died and it wasnt received kindly.

    I guess my post above covers the context part.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member

    Perhaps it's a cultural thing. As a Brit the "smile" thing is incredibly common and carries no weight or meaning. Sometimes the acknowledgement that somebody notices your pain/misery is actually reassuring when you're depressed. Sometimes it is used out of genuine interest.

    "Have a nice day" on the other hand annoys the heck out of me. I find it fake, meaningless and forced. But then, like I said, I'm a miserable Brit. So I ignore it and chalk it down to a cultural quirk.

    You dont speak for all Brits, so no its not cultural. or it can actually be intrusive and irksome.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    What's worse is when people tell you "please DON'T smile"

    Ugly-smile.jpg

    **contains orgasm**

    PM me and let it loose.

    Let's PMS together!!
  • MrsBooBear
    MrsBooBear Posts: 12,619 Member
    999tigger wrote: »

    Perhaps it's a cultural thing. As a Brit the "smile" thing is incredibly common and carries no weight or meaning. Sometimes the acknowledgement that somebody notices your pain/misery is actually reassuring when you're depressed. Sometimes it is used out of genuine interest.

    "Have a nice day" on the other hand annoys the heck out of me. I find it fake, meaningless and forced. But then, like I said, I'm a miserable Brit. So I ignore it and chalk it down to a cultural quirk.

    You dont speak for all Brits, so no its not cultural. or it can actually be intrusive and irksome.

    I've never uttered those words, even to people I KNOW. If it matters, I'm a Brit too.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    How about cheer up it wont ever happen or it cant be that bad?
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    <---observe my username. I have RBF and I don't appreciate people telling me what to do.

    Additionally, I find the "smile!" thing doubly offensive because sometimes people have a legit reason to not be smiling. Depression, hard times and stress are real things, yo. Simply plastering a fake smile on your face and pretending like things are OK is not good, at all.
    I was about to ask you about the rbf on your name. It's why we friends cause I too, have RBF.

  • FlabFighter86
    FlabFighter86 Posts: 233 Member
    What's even worse is when you think you ARE smiling, and someone tells you to smile...
  • MrsBooBear
    MrsBooBear Posts: 12,619 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    How about cheer up it wont ever happen or it cant be that bad?

    Nope. I don't make that kind of assumption.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    I want to slap my co-workers with the all day "are you ok? What's wrong?" to the "are you mad at me?" Which then pisses me off for real and now I'm mad. *kitten* off!
  • lesliezimmer
    lesliezimmer Posts: 85 Member
    Others' happiness is not my responsibility and vice versa. When strangers on the street have told me to smile, I basically just ignore them entirely and pretend I didn't hear.
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    They are just trying to be friendly and break the ice.

    Don't overanalyse things.

    I think that concept is a little to hard for some people to understand. lol

  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
    This always annoys me. Or just plain pisses me off. I suffer from depression and I don't need some stranger telling me to smile when they have no clue how I'm feeling.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,404 Member
    And to how it feels- no one really wants someone else, especially a stranger, telling them how to run their own emotions or expressions. So ultimately irritating.


    ^This. My face naturally looks pissed off, plus I have horrible vision so I often squint (aka glaring). I get pretty offended when people tell me to smile. I had one co worker do this, and then my actually pissed off face and attitude came out and I think my natural face looked pretty friendly afterwards.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    Tigg_er wrote: »
    They are just trying to be friendly and break the ice.

    Don't overanalyse things.

    I think that concept is a little to hard for some people to understand. lol

    Because introducing yourself is so 20th century.
    tumblr_inline_n9bzzyONyb1rg3gnz.gif
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    Honestly, if your reaction to a complete stranger being upset by your request to appear more pleasant for you is "they're being too uptight/too sensitive", then you don't understand the basics of interacting with full-fledged human people who happen to have thoughts and emotions and lives that you're not aware of. Also really, really self-centered.
  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    Tigg_er wrote: »
    They are just trying to be friendly and break the ice.

    Don't overanalyse things.

    I think that concept is a little to hard for some people to understand. lol

    Because introducing yourself is so 20th century.
    tumblr_inline_n9bzzyONyb1rg3gnz.gif

    Then maybe the person may think your a pervert or something,,,or you want to get them in bed ,,,or you want to rob them ,, or you want to run their life,or steal their camera or hell pick anything out.