Researchers at the University of Arizona found that faking a positive attitude and being obsessed with making a good impression at work to advance in your career not only doesn't benefit you, but it could prove to hurt you.
According to a recent study published in the journal Experimental Psychology, researchers found smiling — even a fake smile — can have a positive impact on mood. Essentially, triggering certain facial muscles by smiling can “trick” your brain into thinking you're happy.
After following the drivers closely, the researchers found that on days when the smiles were forced, the subjects' moods deteriorated and they tended to withdraw from work. Trying to suppress negative thoughts, it turns out, may have made those thoughts even more persistent.
People give fake smiles when they have to pretend to be happy, hide something they have done, impress others, hide their real emotions or when they are forced to act a certain way around others to gain favour.
New Word Suggestion. A person who fakes a smile.
The correct scientific terms for what we might call fake and real smiles is Duchennne or Non-Duchenne. Heathline says, “A Duchenne smile is the one that reaches your eyes, making the corners wrinkle up with crow's feet.
Although it's a mental technique, positive thinking can actually hurt you physically. According to the study, faking happiness at work can make you ill and cause health problems ranging from depression to cardiovascular conditions.
“Even forcing a fake smile can legitimately reduce stress and lower your heart rate,” adds Dr. Sivan Finkel, a cosmetic dentist at NYC's The Dental Parlour.
One study even suggests that smiling can help us recover faster from stress and reduce our heart rate. In fact, it might even be worth your while to fake a smile and see where it gets you. There's been some evidence that forcing a smile can still bring you a boost in your mood and happiness level.
Say that you're doing great.
It's perfectly fine to pretend that you're doing great. For example, if you go to family gatherings and get pestered by older family members, say things are great, even if they're not. Even if you're sad about things, pretend like life is going okay and don't say much beyond that.
To be considered conventionally attractive, your smile should have the same midline (vertical line that splits the face perfectly in half) as your face. If your smile's midline isn't directly between your two central front teeth, it might look unattractive.
By pretending to be happy, you could be negatively affecting your own mental health as well as your relationships. It may appear that acting happy is going to help your relationships and keep the people around you feeling better, but that's not actually the case.
Faking Happiness Can Be Harmful
Faking happiness is more harmful than helpful. First, you will not get the help and support you need. Second, and more important, you are deceiving yourself. The first step on the road to mental health and emotional contentment is to be honest about your situation.
Instead of pretending to be happy, face your emotions. Grieve, be upset, work through all the negative feelings. This can help you move beyond pretending to be happy. Let yourself feel the emotions.
“It's called 'smiling depression' because a person can seem to be happy, without cares, but underneath the 'smiling' facade, that person may be sad, unhappy and depressed.”
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe ghost of a smile/sound etcthe ghost of a smile/sound etc a smile etc that is so slight you are not sure it happened The ghost of a smile flitted across her sad features.
Thanks to Duchenne, it's widely held that you can easily spot a fake smile by simply looking to the eyes – he believed that the eye muscle only contracts when we really mean it. But we now know that most people – around 71% - can voluntarily contract the inner portion of the orbicularis oculi.
Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of smiles: smiles of reward, smiles of affiliation, and smiles of dominance. A smile may be among the most instinctive and simple of expressions — just the hoisting of a couple of facial muscles.
Faking happiness occurs when you make yourself appear to be happy to others, but don't truly feel this way internally. To everyone else, it looks like you're having the time of your life, but on the inside, you feel as though something is missing. No matter what you accomplish, you still feel unfulfilled.
Faking your personality can be physically harmful.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), short-term and long-term stress can have a huge impact on our health.
The Charismatic Complex Smile
A complex smile lives up to its name. It's the most complex smile style, and it's also the most rare, found in only about 2% of people naturally. A complex smile combines the movements in both the other smile styles and adds to it a simultaneous lowering of the lower lip.
Studies show that those with white and well-spaced teeth appear more attractive. Some people think it's superficial, but it's not. Having beautiful teeth is linked to good oral hygiene. As a result, they appear to be more intelligent, and more successful, and yes, they have more dates.