Obligated to Smile : /

Why do we smile? We smile because if we don't then others assume something is wrong such as unhappiness. This happend so so so much at my previous job as a courtesy clerk. Yes, it is in our job duty to smile, but i noticed that my manager would comment on my "normal face" and never on my fellow male co worker's. I would walk by a checkstand and this particular aggravating checker would say "kayla! remember to smile" Oh how that got on my nerves so much. I dont have to smile all the time... To me a smile should be genuine and meaningful, its just fake otherwise.

But... smiling (even a fake smile) does make a person feel more welcomed. For instance when Cunningham mentioned in her article that women doctors smile more often than male doctors and due this smiling women doctors are more liked by thier patients. This is true, smiling only does become a problem when it is not needed. Such as when Cunningham mentioned that while her friend was in class and not smiling, the teacher talked to her afterwards asking why she was not smiling. Um... unless the subject is that interesting to me, I tend to not smile in class. There is no need for it. It was very rude for her friend's teacher to call her friend out on the smile, rather than just not wanting to smile it also could have been a personal matter that should not be disscussed. An instance like this one, is when expecting a smile is tedious.

It was interesting to read about the history of a smile in different cultures. Smiling is something that i overlook, because I just do it and dont think about why I am doing it. In some cultures women are required to wear a veil to hide thier smile versus our culture, if we do not smile than it usually raises concern.