Afraid to not smile...advice plz.

[smileyface]

I'm not a troll I'm a human being with feelings and problems. I'm afraid to not smile. I know, it's a weird problem but I feel like if I don't smile people will think I'm mean, want to fight them or that I don't like them. Whenever I try to keep a straight face I can't think of anything else cause I'm sooo concerned of what others are thinking. I also don't want to hurt people's feelings especially those who are sad. I'm posting this question now because I'm going job hunting after Christmas and this whole smiling issue gets in the way of job interviews. When the interviewer asks questions I can't think straight cause I'm so wound up in worrying what the interviewer is thinking regarding my smiling.

Will people think I'm mean, don't like them and wanna fight if I don't smile at them? I'm not a troll-- if I were I would post something short and random. Please answer!!!

[MerryH]

What kind of smile is it:

A) ?

B) ?

C) ?

or D) ?

[smileyface]

Mine is A.

[Gribble]

It's a reasonable fear. People do obsess absurdly over whether or not you're smiling. I have to wear an idiot grin all night if I want even a ghost of a chance at getting in a girl's pants. Just try not to worry about it. If you're after something, smile. If you don't really give a shit, don't.

[Zabrinah]

I used to have this problem, so I know what you are referring to. You are afraid to live in the present. You probably laugh at jokes that aren't funny? Or speak when there is an awkward silence? Are you also reluctant to say, "No" when people ask you for stuff.

I think you need to be your own best friend in order to find a source of confidence. That way, if other people don't like you, SO WHAT!

Sadly, at the end of the day, smiling more will not make more people like you. I promise. They will still gossip. We cannot control their thoughts. I will repeat it, smiling more will not make people like you more or respect you more. In fact, it might make them judge you more than necessary.

Allow your face to relax and smile when you really feel it. Find yourself in a group of friends and try this. Just relax your face and let it settle in it's natural way. That's what I did when I first had this problem. And now, I have come so far!

I really wish you good luck with this.

[Lovable]

I have never had this problem. I smile when I want to & dont' smile when I don't feel like it.

I don't give a shit either way what people think of me smiling or not. Maybe you have to try to get a bit thicker skin & not care so much about what other people think of you. If you don't, you're always going to be stressed out/depressed because you care so much what others think. The only person that matters is YOU, not everybody else.

[Gratedwasabi]

You wanna know what an interviewer is going to think if you smile a lot? "Wow, she's got a great attitude. Seems really excited about this job, too. She's making the cut."

You wanna know what a guy is thinking if you keep smiling? "She's really pretty.. and really nice."

You wanna know what a girl is thinking if you keep smiling? "WHAT DOES SHE HAVE TO BE SMILING ABOUT!? I DESERVE TO SMILE TOO! I CAN SMILE! YOU JUST WATCH!" <-- joke ladies, don't burn me on a stake.

Seriously though, I used to chuckle and smile at EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. You know how many people disliked me? None. People don't dislike someone that smiles and laughs at all their jokes. And you learn to better control it as you get older. I still smile a ton but I've lost the nervous laugh. Smiling is good. Smiling puts people around you at ease (except for stuck up people and you can't please them regardless) so go ahead and smile your face off.

[Gribble]

The above is exactly true. Which is why you should be very careful trusting anyone with a winning smile and a ready laugh. It absolutely infuriates me that people are so gullible.

[doppelgaenger]

Where I'm from, people don't smile very much. In fact, there it is considered rude and childish to just smile for no reason (unless you are close to someone), while in this place where I am now, people smile and ask how are you just when you walk by. I've learned to adopt this social behavior, but it's all fake. Sometimes I mess with people by acting out of the norm; i.e. "How are you?" my answer: "I don't wanna talk about it." And a joke to me is not one that makes me laugh, but has truth to it - usually irony or satire.. makes you think about it, without an obvious moral. If it makes me laugh, then it's usually just a stupid, cheap joke that is so ridiculous that a laugh is the perfect substitute for "wow, that was so lame" I typically only laugh out of contempt, not familiarity.