Smiling Against Expectations

Author: Kylee Kim | Category: Unkown category | Date: 06-08-2020

Ekman, in the new altered “All Smiles Now” says that women are effective at changing their mood by smiling, while Cunningham first viewed it as a way to hide their own emotions. While American women are supposedly smiling more to protect their inner feelings, they also are able to change their attitude towards a subject by doing so, even if it is “fake.” However, the issue of guarding or sheltering our emotions rather than expressing them still remains. In my own experience, the male figures in my life are often more reluctant to share their feelings intimately than the female figures are. Is this because they are more sheltered? Or do they feel the need to seem like the stronger character? The argument about women feeling like they need to guard their true feelings behind a smile might also connect to males. The idea that women are supposed to put up a front that shows friendliness and accessibility is somewhat true today, but more people are determined to show their true colors and aren’t afraid to be themselves, no matter the circumstances. However, it goes unchanged that a smile can brighten someone’s day or make them feel more comfortable in an unsure situation. 

Even if we were to draw on the issue that women’s smiles misrepresent them, we can see less and less of a pattern in our century because people are becoming more vulnerable and open about themselves and emotions. Even in males, we see that more are able to express themselves in ways that they wouldn’t be able to years ago. The stereotypes are still there but are easier to break down. Women don’t have to be kind and fragile or sheltered as they did before, same as how men don’t need to be strong and tough. Women now more than ever are able to smile on their own account, but it doesn’t mean that we are unaffected by the stereotypes that existed years ago. I’m sure millions make sure that they are putting on a smile in case they don’t want to hurt others. I find myself smiling very often, but a lot of the time, it’s because I’m genuinely happy. Other times, it might be because I don’t want to discuss my emotions, not necessarily to please anyone else but myself. The discussion is a difficult one because it touches on several topics such as sexism or racism, but it is true that we are learning as a generation to slowly but surely tear down the stereotypes and expectations that have been set. 

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About: Kylee Kim

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