Tuesday, December 19, 2006

smile.

smiling is an interesting process. it is both a cause and an effect.

we smile because we are happy and stimulated by pleasant things.

we can force the smile and trigger the same feeling.

that may seem odd or uncomfortable to some, but the fact remains.

if you look at yourself in the mirror and make a smile face however you can, the image you see in the mirror will make you smile authentically.

we are hard-wired neuro-chemically to smile when we see another face smiling. they are contagious. there was a smiley-face program started by someone when i was a teenagerwhereby people were wearing yellow disks with a cartoon smile and a pair of eyes on them. this was enough to make people smile in response. i think over time the symbol lost it`s effectiveness and became representitive of particular political leanings but nontheless the fact remains the we are predisposed to responding to grins.

try it to see if i`m right.

see.

now try it with people..........especially if you mean it.

4 comments:

Vincent said...

I have never been able to smile to order. Cannot smile for a photograph. Could never be an actor, politician, salesman.

Today I passed an acquaintance, who is not particularly friendly. Knowing I could not raise a smile, I automatically raised my hand in greeting, whilst saying "Hi."

The clue perhaps is in your "hard-wired". We are not all wired the same. I can do a genuine smile but not any other kind.

Dr.Alistair said...

how do you do a genuine smile?

seriously, i`m not being facecious, i want to know how you find yourself grinning uncontrolably.

Vincent said...

it just happens. I'm not saying the facial muscles have no control at all. But what I would call a genuine smile is involuntary, so we don't need to know how to do it.

Dr.Alistair said...

it doesn`t just happen yves......there are measureable causes and effects in the production of physiological experiences.
we are programmed to responding in set ways and therefore getting set responses, but simple adjustments prove that different responses are attainable.
i can underestand that you feel that we don`t need to understand how to smile, but when you do gain some knowledge about the process and go out and test the results with your friends and family you start to say "hey, this is quite nice....., i can smile and others smile too." that group of people smiling thing is nice to involved in. it`s what babies are after once they are warm, dry and full. we really don`t get much past that as we grow.