Smile! It might just make you happy
We use facial expressions to show our emotions and how we feel. We smile when we’re happy, frown when we’re sad, and scowl when we’re angry. However, some say that not only do our emotions control our facial expression, but maybe our facial expressions effect our emotions and mood. In 1872, Charles Darwin said, “The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it.” Woman that have had botox to remove frown lines have stated that they don’t exactly feel more attractive, but they feel happier and less anxious. The way that we feel emotions isn’t just restricted to our brains. Other parts of our body help reinforce the feeling we have.
Your facial expressions can effect your attitude toward certain events and happenings. Its been proven that those who showed anger in the expression during an unpleasant procedure experienced more pain then those who didn’t show anger. Michael Lewis, a co-author of the study, said “It’s possible that people may feel less pain if they’re unable to express it.” Our attitudes toward images and events can easily be changed just by the expression on our faces. “When the face doesn’t aid in expressing the emotion, the emotion seeks other channels to express itself through,” says Judith Grob of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
The connection between our emotions and our facial expression is great. Nobody knows exactly why, but it appears that our facial expressions not only communicate our states of mind to others, but to ourselves as well.
How do you think your facial expressions affect your actual mood?
Does this theory seem realistic or is it just a “mind game”?
6 Responses to “Smile! It might just make you happy”
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I think that your facial expressions do effect your mood, if you believe your happy and look happy I think eventually you will end up being happy. Not only does a smile effect your mood but it might make someone elses mood change as well!
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I think this theory is a “mind game” because, you could be in a really bad mood and someone smiles at you and you smile back, that doesn’t mean that you are in a good mood.
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I think that our facial expressions have a lot to do with our actual mood. Like when we are unhappy and we frown and we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror and feel even more unhappy. I also think that when we see a facial expression on someone else we are inclined to feel the same way. I think that this theory seems totally realistic. If it isn’t, why do when we see someone else smile in happiness that we also smile because we are happy for them.
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I think that facial expressions do effect or even change your mood. If someone gives you a dirty look your not going to be like to happy and then your face will not have a smile and you wont be that happy. I think it seems realistic and at the same time just a “mind game”
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I think people’s facial expressions do effect their mood. I know that when I am upset I tend to show it on my face, I believe many other people do too. Sometimes though there are people who don’t want it to show and try to hide it but the facial expression often shows anyway.
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i dont think changing your facial expression will change your mood because smiling can be faked, it could be done to hide anger or pain. facial expressions do change other peoples moods though. walking down the street and seeing someone else smile can be a day changer and make you happy.
joey
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