Smile is Expensive

Ever since my first foreign visit over 10 years ago,

I've tended to put a smile on my face
when an interaction happens with a local person

Say, in a cafe

I make an order, apparently in English

This always brings me a slightly sense of "impoliteness"

In my brain,
"the most polite way" is
to make an order in the local language

I use smile,
in order to offset or
compensate for this slight "disrespect" of me

In addition
fundamentally, I see myself "a guest"

More precisely
"an un-invited guest"

A guest should behave well
A guest should make an extra effort to be pleasant
Particularly, if you're "un-invited"

---

This time in Poland

I extended this practice and
try to put a slight smile even when walking around

(........again, which is obviously unusual & weirdo act in this county)

And I noticed 3 things

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1 ― Smooth access to the world

When my facial muscle makes something positive/smile,
my mind tries to find.......or create.......emotions for it

It forces me
to be more aware of my environment
& to see something positive in the world and inside myself

And when I encounter others I know or I don't know
it's far more easy & smooth to get into an interaction

Because
my "engine for communication" is already warmed-up
even before the interaction begins

Putting a slight smile
lets me to connect to the world
far more smoothly & naturally

However.........

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2 ― Smile is expensive

Smile is not easy
Smile is not free
Smile is definitely expensive

The other day
some sticky things happened and
I kept thinking about it while walking outside
without realising it

And when I became aware,
it amazed me what a bitchy face I was showing to the outside world

And in fact
this face had been the default face for almost an entire life
for me & for most of people

And it is.........

---

3 ― Complete lack of narcissism

I started to notice
99% of people on the street shows a bitchy face

Frown face
Angry face
Frustrated face
..........Simply, an unpleasant face

And I was remembering lines from Mishima's "Sun and Steel"

"........the face of men, whose youth was already past, horrified me. What a complete lack of self-consciousness! What a complete lack of narcissism! "

"........an optimistic face; it must be manufactured. This is politeness to the world. This is the only face of men, who lived too long, to show respect & courtesy to the morning sun."