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[SliceSabre]

I get this a lot too. A lot of people seem to assumed I am pissed off or mad. I assumed its just a lot of people have told me my neutral face seems slightly upset.

Wanna make me upset? Tell me to smile.

 

[Acrylic7]

Happens to me all the time.
Its always a lady. Absolutely hate that shit.

Sorry bitch I'm not in a smiling mood as you can clearly see I'm at work dealing with jerks for unacceptable pay and slave hours.

And then there is a 40% chance that they will say "Well I hope your day gets better". Bitch are you psychic now!? Get your uppity ass away from me before I DDT that ass.

 

[crazepharmacist]

Someone actually had the audacity to tape a piece of paper next to a wall where we all work saying to "smile". Tore it down as soon as I saw it. Fuck those people.

 

[That1BlackGuy]

Happens to me quite often, I don't mind it.

 

[Snaku]

I get this a lot, probably because my normal neutral face looks pretty grim. Can't help it though, and I can't smile for no reason its awkward.

 

[Finaika]

Normally I try to tickle people to make them smile.

 

[tringworldso]

Being a normal looking guy, this happens very rarely to me but if it does then I say "tell me a joke then" to which they make a bewildered face and continue on their way. After they go I smile

 

[Kinokou]

Certainly it is. It's stated in the imperative verb form, making it an order.

Also, if they wanted to cheer me up, they would do so when I cock my head to the side and reply "say something funny".

I never had it happen to me yet, but another imperative is the only appropriate response.
If anyone tries to order me to smile I'm gonna tell them to spin around and cluck like a chicken.

 

[ICKE]

First world problems.

This is something you would only say within your immediate family however, but it's not a big deal. If you are going to let these sorts of things actually fester in your mind, good luck living in a crowded city.

 

[Woffls]

I get this quite a lot. It only annoys me on days where I'm thinking positively and assume that I don't seem as unhappy as usual. On such occasions I just give up on the day and question why I ever make any effort.

There was this one dude who literally stopped me in the street just off Pall Mall somewhere and said I was giving off a bad spiritual vibe or some shit and that positive things were around the corner. He was right because I was going to the pub.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Yeah I've had this before too, it's really bloody annoying.

 

[Ikael]

ITT, the annoyances of dealing with humanlings and their annoying human behaviour.

I fail to see how this could be annoying, but then again, people gets annoyed by a plethora of reasons, That being said, never heard anyone saying such a thing to noone ever. Might be culture-tied?

 

[BGBW]

Never happened to me, but I live in London where
1. everyone is miserable
2. No one dares to talk to another stranger in case they get stabbed.

 

[tookhster]

I really don't get how it could be annoying, unless you get it like everyday by the same person or something. People just want to be nice, help, or start up a conversation. If you don't want to be bothered or had something terrible happen to you, let them know, but I don't see why you would recollect a moment like that to the point where it annoys you.

But then again I'm not surprised with how introverted most people have become. Whenever I go to the gym for example, old people there always tell me good morning, know me by name, and are willing to talk about stuff while I take a break, while middle-aged and younger people around my age look like they want to murder me whenever I make the slightest bit of eye contact with them.

 

[GeordieMark]

I would class this as very mildly annoying at best.

 

[teruterubozu]

"Go fuck yourself" seems like a tailor-made response for situations like this.

 

[water_wendi]

Never command someone to smile. If you want to brighten their day just say "Hello" with a smile yourself like a normal person would. Otherwise you come off as a creep and an annoyance.

 

[dbztrk]

Yeah, people seem to think I'm sad all the time.

It's probably because I am.

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking.
When there are clouds in the sky
you'll get by.

If you smile with your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
For you.

Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness.
Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying.
You'll find that life is still worthwhile-
If you just smile.

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying.
You'll find that life is still worthwhile-
If you just smile.

 

[The Horror the horror]

It's sound advice.

Most of you will learn this when you're older (I'm 36).

I've had to work on my smile until I got it right. My original smile made me look like a guy that was about to ask you for money. Now it resembles that of Jack Black from the movie Bernie.

Fake it to make it, motherfuckers.

 

[Auto-Reply]

Never happened to me, also never overheard somebody saying this to someone...

 

[entremet]

I've never gotten that.

Women do get it more I notice. It's usually older dudes who do this. 50 plus. Maybe it's a generational thing.

 

[Messofanego]

I don't do it, but it has happened to me, and I don't find it weird or creepy at all. It's not an order or a demand, they just want to cheer you up a bit. Smiling shows a positive appearance, which is more likely to get a positive response around you, thus giving you a better day.

Seriously, you guys are thinking about this too much. If you don't want to smile, then fine, don't.

Maybe that person just can't handle seeing other emotions and has issues of themselves if they want everyone around them to smile. It says more about them than you if they need to ask or demand it.

Wouldn't you rather have a real Duchenne smile than a fake one to appease some stranger?

 

[Messofanego]

Being a normal looking guy, this happens very rarely to me but if it does then I say "tell me a joke then" to which they make a bewildered face and continue on their way. After they go I smile

Haha gotta use that if it happens, thanks

 

[Memento Mori]

I was sitting down on a bench in the town centre a few years back in January and this happened to me. Some old lady got right in my personal space and said," Smile! It's the beginning of the year, not the end of it!"

 

[figadapaura]

People who do this are the worst. I used to get it all the fucking time when I worked in a shop. Do they expect me to be constantly smiling? I'd look like a twat. I'm not smiling because I'm bored, not because I'm sad. And now I'm annoyed. Well done.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Y'all are making me smile with your anger

 

[Denzar]

Yeah, hate this too. I'll smile when I feel like it, thanks.

My "neutral face" looks like I'm planning to straight up murder someone, but I can't really help it.

 

[fester]

Dont really get the hate, the person is likely in a joyous mood and wants to spread it.

In case you haven't bothered to read and understand all the replies to this, telling someone to change their facial expression is not an effective way of "spreading your joyous mood." If you want to practice your standup routine on the train and try to make people laugh, be my guest. But out-of-context commands directed to specific strangers is a subtle form of harassment. Don't do it.

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

I've been told this all my life. Maybe I look like grumpy cat. You can file this one under first world problems.

 

[E92 M3]

What sucks is when you DO smile and then the barista at Starbucks says "girl it's too early for you to be showing all them teeth with your smiley ass"

Dammed if you do dammed if you don't imo.

That is so weird....

 

[SkeptiMism]

ITT, the annoyances of dealing with humanlings and their annoying human behaviour.

I fail to see how this could be annoying, but then again, people gets annoyed by a plethora of reasons, That being said, never heard anyone saying such a thing to noone ever. Might be culture-tied?

The thread got basically reset. See some earlier responses. The person might be meaning well, but it's not that simple often.

I mean it is a demand when presented in that fashion. No one is obligated to smile for you

1) don't tell other people how they should feel. Especially strangers.

2) women get this shit a lot from creepo men with lines like "you'd be so much more beautiful if you smiled." Which, (a) not her job to look beautiful and (b) creepily paternalistic.

And sorry but pretty much every person that has done it to me, friends or people I know has been a man clearly trying to use it as a conversation starter to hit on us.

They don't care about how I feel. If they did, they would ask me how my day was or actually try cheering me up with positive comments like compliments or humour rather than demanding I do something to please them.

Hey maybe you should actually I dunno maybe believe the women here that tell you the type of guy who say it to them and how they're coming off, instead of just assuming we're being hyperbolic and negative.

It would kill some of y'all to be empathetic to the fact that we are constantly infantilized or belittled by jerks and expected to conform to lame standards, like being fucking perky, lest we are some "uptight bitch."

 

[Messofanego]

Just in case people haven't seen this before, it's creepy enough towards women to lead to a campaign.

http://stoptellingwomentosmile.com/

 

[Brazil]

I had no idea this was a thing. Weird as fuck.

 

[H.Protagonist]

I was paid to smile once.

Spoiler

I was poor then and took it.

It's not uncommon at all, though, as other women (and more guys than I expected) have said, and it really is annoying.

 

[SeriousApes]

I was asked by a shopkeeper how my day was when I was shopping with my wife a few days ago. I responded "OK" to which she replies with "Just OK? Are you sure it isn't better? C'mon, let's try it again! How's your day?" I didn't want to be rude so I exclaimed "Excellent..."

Yeah, I got this same thing just this morning at work. It's 3:45 in the morning. Yeah, I'm just okay, okay? I've also been told to smile once at work by a guy. He also said I am a beautiful man, so I think he was hitting on me. Another co-worker always greets me by saying, "cheer up". I'm fine. At my last job, this cute girl told me I should talk more. That's the only time I responded to such a suggestion positively, just because I liked her.

 

[Finaika]

I was paid to smile once.

Spoiler

I was poor then and took it.

It's not uncommon at all, though, as other women (and more guys than I expected) have said, and it really is annoying.

Is that why you're wearing a box now?

 

[ramparter]

"My dog just died" is my automatic response to these people.

Try "Ghost don't smile." next time.

 

[bjork]

The key is to be less approachable in public. Then people will be afraid to even speak to you, much less offer unsolicited facial expression advice.

 

[YesNOnoNOYes]

Try "Ghost don't smile." next time.

ahahah good one ! will use this <3

 

[H.Protagonist]

Is that why you're wearing a box now?

It puts people at ease when I go out. [-_-]/

 

[Messofanego]

There can be negative consequences to faking your emotions ("emotional dissonance"). Too much smiling isn't good for your health (more stressful like higher heart rate and blood pressure). There's been research studies (Dieter Zapf) about this at the workplace.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615800903254091#.U9EJ5PldXTo

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Faking-Happiness-At-Work

 

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I'd sooner tell someone to stop smiling. Why would I want to smile in public for no reason? Seems kinda nuts.

 

[sixteen-bit]

is a stranger tells me to smile i tell them to go fuck themselves

 

[bigmf]

I don't think I've ever told anyone to smile, but when I tell them to make a confused look they always do.

 

[snacknuts]

It's sound advice.

Most of you will learn this when you're older (I'm 36).

I've had to work on my smile until I got it right. My original smile made me look like a guy that was about to ask you for money. Now it resembles that of Jack Black from the movie Bernie.

Fake it to make it, motherfuckers.

I'm 35 and still have resting grouch face. No one has ever told me to smile. However, there is a young girl in our HR department who is told almost every day to smile by the guy who handles employee development. She's about to murder him.

 

[Skiesofwonder]

I don't think anybody's really trying to marginalize serious issues or problem. What I do take issue is the fact that the OP wrote a lengthy outlined post where he probably gave more thought to the initial comment than the giver did initially. I mean you could of just walked it off, instead some of you seem actively determined to be frowny all the time.

It just strikes me as very irrational and bizarre. It's like when atheists get upset when someone says "God bless you" not realizing that they probably didn't even intend for the statement to have religious connotations at all.

That's the problem, they gave absolutely zero thought to how commanding someone to "smile" can make people feel. It's an insensitive and ignorant comment. But somehow the person the comment effects is the problem instead of the passerby who didn't think things through?

 

[Lautaro]

"Are you always so serious?"

Yeah, fuck off!

 

[Mental Atrophy]

Some of you get upset over pretty inconsequential things.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

I hate it when people I never talked (or barely talked) to before give me such advices, like smiling more or start dancing.
Fuck off if you wanna keep your spleen!

 

[The Horror the horror]

I'm 35 and still have resting grouch face. No one has ever told me to smile. However, there is a young girl in our HR department who is told almost every day to smile by the guy who handles employee development. She's about to murder him.

HR people are supposed to smile and be fake; it's part of the job. Tell her she might need to transfer to a new dept.