Do You Get Told To "Smile" All The Time?

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This has happened my whole life. Some will tell me to smile, or some variation of that, commenting on my usually-neutral expression: "Be happy!," "awww, what's wrong?," "It's not that bad!," "cheer up!," "having a bad day?," etc. It took me a long time to even understand why as a kid, because i usually felt completely fine when people would say these things, and i didn't know how i could do things any differently. Nowadays i understand that i can often be kind of flat with my facial expression, and that's why i get these comments, but it still gets annoying when all i'm doing is what feels natural, just relaxing my face.
Even when i've watched tv shows and documentaries about Autistic Spectrum people, my mom usually says "even the kids on this show smile a lot more than you do!"

Last edited by ColdBlooded on 29 Oct 2009, 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

I have a similar problem. People often tell me to cheer up or smile when I feel absolutely fine, or they freak out and try to calm me down if I am just minorly annoyed. My face seems to convey sadness or anger all the time, regardless of the emotion experienced or lack thereof. The only exception to this is when I am delighted, at which point I look disturbingly happy.

Yeah, I sort of have that, but people don't usually tell me to smile (that might just be the soceity I'm in though...) Often I hurt myself and my mum becomes REALLY worried and I have to assure her: MUM I'M FINE, I'M FINE. It's just a mother thing...

P.S Were you happy when you had your profile photo taken? (Like the hat! )

You should smile more, You should smile more, You should smile more, You should smile more, You should smile more!

I have also come across people asking me "what's wrong." And these aren't just close family members.

This is one of the things that make me so mad. Of course when i am told this, i do smile, but it is not a natural smile. It is an embarrassed smile with the ineternal thoughts of please go away and leave me alone! I have gotten this as long as i can remember! I mean, seriously...did something funny happen that i missed? Then i would smile, or even laugh!

"Cheer up! It might never happen!" I've heard this line so many times, I now have a come back when I find it a stupid thing to say, "It already has!" If they ask, they better be prepared

Why is it when you smile a fraction, they think it's going overboard or losing control. It's either, "not happy enough" or "overboard with possible implications" there seems to be no middle ground with the majority of people. (not singling out NT's here)

Anyway, I do love a nice natural face. I find a smile to be fake. A non-smile picture of someone is far more ... appealing to me as it has that gothic/dark look that I love so

Same here, I thought my default expression was somehow neutral when in fact people thought I was pissed off about something.

AHAHAHA!

I have to smile and be completely "fake" at work, otherwise I'd lose my job. Ordinarily, though, I don't smile much. Over the decades, even random strangers have essentially *ordered* me to smile - offensive! What, am I a mindless idiot, who ought to be walking about with a nonsensical grin on her face, so that other people won't be upset or put off? Does it offend their hive-mind sensibilities? I've got no clue.

At any rate, my mom called me "Muggins" as a kid, because I apparently went around unsmiling and/or frowning all the time. I guess I do that now, too, without realizing it; several guys here at WP have remarked that I look like I'm frowning or scowling in my Flickr photos, when the expression on my face at the time was what I considered "neutral." Meh.

Glad to see I'm not alone on this issue.

I was beyond happiness. I probably should not wear it as much as I do, it's like a neon sign blaring there's something wrong with me psychologically.

Unless I'm genuinely happy though...my smiles in photos sort of fail.

always

Worst thing for me regarding smiling is photos when people ask me to smile. I don't photograph well

oh yeah!! ! i shut down quicker with a camera pointed at me than anything else. now that i am traveling with a friend that is a photographer and video geek, this should be interesting.

I've also had to deal with that, my entire life. It gets to be annoying, after a while.

(Trying to think of an original response)

Invariably!

Geez I absolutely HATE being told to smile!
It's like everyone expects you to be happy all the time, which is a load of crap. I don't care how optimistic someone is, nobody smiles and is happy all the time. And just because I'm not smiling, doesn't mean I'm unhappy.
What's worse is when they don't just tell you to smile, but actually try to make you smile. My forced smiles always look horrible. That's why I hate photos... and working in retail. You always have to smile for the damn customers (even when they give you an attitude.)

Constantly while I am at work (I work retail as well). My coworker "friends" enjoy watching me when my customer turns to leave because the smile drops the instant they turn to leave.

Happens to me all the time, and I hate it too. The only thing I hate more is "You look bored!" Yeah, because I'm looking at your stupid face! *Deep breaths, Ily...*