Smile or Die

[clockworkgirl21]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5um8QWWRvo

As someone who has suffered from chronic depression since I was a small child, nothing gets my blood boiling faster than when someone tells me to "cheer up" when I'm upset. My boyfriend is horrible for this. In my first year of nursing school I told my teacher I was afraid I was going to fail the math class because it just wasn't sticking with me. She said, "That's negative thinking. You need to think positive about your performance in math." Gee, thanks. I was asking for psychological help, right? I wasn't asking for a few minutes extra after class every day or anything.
The idea that pushing positivity on everyone and never allowing anyone to be negative is social control is very interesting.

[Tenfold_Maquette]

I think a part of if (but certainly not an excuse) is that people are uncomfortable addressing the needs of other people, especially strangers, and nothing distances them further like a mysterious, possibly indefinite mental issue.

I've been in the same position; what's worse is that my mouth naturally tends to turn down at the corners, so unless I walk around with a grin 24/7 inevitably some dipshit walks by and goes "SMILE! It's NOT so BAD!" in my general direction. That makes me want to punch someone....because I wasn't in a bad mood, but someone butting into my business to tell me to alter myself for their perceptions ticks me right the hell off.

[Art Vandelay]

I hate that too so much. If I don't feel like smiling, I fucking well am not going to smile. Anyone has a problem with that can suck my not-perpetually-cheerful cock and balls.

[Radiation]

When I was living with my mom and stepdad at my grandmother's house, my grandma would constantly tell me to smile. I hated it when she did that, especially in the morning as I am a grump and the last thing I need to hear is "Smile!" I AM NOT IN THE MOOD TO SMILE!

I also got chided by my bosses at jobs that I worked at to constantly smile. Ok, I'm usually good with customers and I do smile but I don't feel like smiling all the damn time.

I'm just expressionless all the time, probably part of my Asperger's so I don't always display the appropriate facial expressions according to circumstances.

[Armand Tanzarian]

You should not come to my office. We have constant reminders everywhere that remind us to smile. Sounds McCarthyite, except its really common in the service industry. Luckily I work back end; I'm forgiven for not being able to smile before my 3rd cup of coffee.

[strings]

What pisses me off even more than being told to "SMILE!!1!" by anyone is when a condecending "Honey" or "Sweetie" is added right after. I've just never been the type of person who can walk around with a smile for no reason. Seems I can only smile when I think something/someone truly makes me happy or does something funny. Now that I'm older I know this is who I just am, but when I was little everyone made me feel real bad about myself & implied that there was something wrong with me.

[strings]

Fun childhood memory: Was told in Catachisum (not sure of spelling) that I should smile and be happy more because gawd dosen't save unhappy kids. -_-

[Smurfette Principle]

I go around with a very neutral expression, which makes people ask if I'm OK. Yes, I am bloody OK, I just don't need to have a constant adoraface plastered on. I'm a very happy person, and yes, I do smile a lot, but not all the damn time!

[Doctor Fishcake]

This video is awesome. There are a few people I'm going to cluebat with it.

[Dragon Zachski]

I hate this, too.

Thankfully, I don't have people coming up to me shouting at me to smile. And most of the people I see aren't smiling.

Except maybe when they're on their goddamn phones, oblivious to the world around them.

[happycheeze]

I hate it when people don't want "negative energy", remindsme of some of the pseduo science bullshit that my parents like to read

[Aqualung]

This is why I'm no good at working retail/customer service.

[Rat Of Steel]

Remember, citizens: happiness is mandatory.

[Admiral Lithp]

Oct 31, 2011 13:01:06 GMT -5 happycheeze said:

I hate it when people don't want "negative energy", remindsme of some of the pseduo science bullshit that my parents like to read

Oh my God, I had a math teacher once who explicitly moved a kid to the back of the class because she didn't want "so much negative energy near her." It was SO HILARIOUS. Of course, we never let him forget that shit.

But, besides that, I do hate society's insistence that positivity=success & if it doesn't, well, you're just not positive enough. Yes, I'm aware that a "positive attitude" can "help," but what the fuck happened to realism? When I got straight D's on my health projects back in high school, regardless of the hours of work I put into them, you're damn right I stopped trying, it wasn't worth the effort anymore.

And, you know, a funny thing happens where if you keep trying harder, & keep getting the same result, you just get pissed off.

[Paradox]

Oct 31, 2011 13:39:15 GMT -5 Admiral Lithp said:

Oct 31, 2011 13:01:06 GMT -5 happycheeze said:

I hate it when people don't want "negative energy", remindsme of some of the pseduo science bullshit that my parents like to read

Oh my God, I had a math teacher once who explicitly moved a kid to the back of the class because she didn't want "so much negative energy near her." It was SO HILARIOUS. Of course, we never let him forget that shit.

That makes sense. Too much negative would throw off the equations. I can't tell you how many times I've messed up a math problem because the signs were off. You have to be careful of that sort of thing.