04 Mar Fake Smiling and Mood Deterioration
Gentle Reader,
I am guilty of this too. I could pretend I’m not, but then there would be pretense on top of pretense.
In 2011, the New York Times reported a study that led to conclusions about fake versus genuine emotions, that we probably already knew. (One of my favorite kind of studies and forms of reporting…so satisfying). Fake smiling has a lousy effect on your mood–especially for women, whereas taking the time to cultivate actual positive emotions, is good for it. They studied 58 bus drivers–who have to interact with hundreds of people a day. Here’s what they found:
“…scientists examined what happened when the drivers engaged in fake smiling, known as ‘surface acting,’ and its opposite, ‘deep acting,’ where they generated authentic smiles through positive thoughts, said an author of the study, Brent Scott, an assistant professor of management at Michigan State University.”
After closely following the drivers, the researchers found that –on days when the smiles were forced, the subjects’ moods, ‘deteriorated and they tended to withdraw from work.’ However, when the drivers actively cultivated pleasant thoughts and memories, their moods improved and productivity increased.
So, as your attorney (I am not your attorney. But I am feeling in a Hunter Thompson-ish mood) I advise you (I don’t like to give advice, so let us just say I am sharing my own experience) to cut it out. Whenever possible. Me too.
Happy Day all around. (I mean, a really happy one. Not a fake happy one.)
