Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The Heartbreak of RBF--and the perks of RSF (resting smileyface)

What do you do when your resting face looks like a scowl--or, worse, a contemptuous sneer--but without conscious knowledge of it, UNINTENTIONALLY, without meaning it at all? What to do, what to do??

Resting Bytchface is a serious lifelong condition!

Why do people get upset by this? It’s in the subtle signals, like one side of the lip pulled back slightly, the eyes squinting a little,” says one researcher. “There’s a tightening around the eyes, and a little bit of raising of the corners of the lips — but not into a smile,” another suggested. Occasionally it's just a full-on scowl accompanied by a "stay away from me for your own good" glare. But the face's owner will insist that she's zoned out, not even thinking about you or looking at you. It's just . . . RBF.

But wait!! Why do some people think there is something "wrong" with not smiling like a fakey car saleman when they're not interacting with someone? Just shows how prejudiced people are against introverts, quiet types (and the people who "won't meet your gaze" because they have Asperger's or whatever) and people who don't run around acting ecstatic at all times as if life is some kind of amazing fairy tale. Whee! I wanna thank my fairy godmother! There has to be a pony under here somewhere!*

*Joke: Kid opens door to find HUGE pile of horsepoop on doorstep. He breaks into a grin, gets a shovel, and dives into the pile. "Why are you doing that?" his mother asks, getting hysterical. His voice comes out of the pile: "There's got to be a pony under here somewhere!"

My dog, on the other hand, has resting smileyface. *He* is cute.

Conclusion: smiley face attracts way more nice people (as well as flies, the only downside).