Your Face Makes You Feel!

[errantember]

I'm reading Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. One thing they highlight is that studies prove that deliberately manipulating your face to achieve a certain look *causes* that emotional effect. It's not simply a "monitor" of what's going on inside, it can actually induce specific feelings. This has some pretty profound implications for people like me who routinely maintain a stoic face. As of this moment, I'm making a conscious effort not only to let my positive feelings show on my face more, but to keep a smile on my face as often as is practical.

Comments

[worldmegan.livejournal.com]

I think I'm going to start a conversation about external versus internal motivation somewhere. Every time someone mentioned Gladwell I want to zoom through Tipping Point & Blink & Outliers... but I don't.

I do other things instead.

Fascinating.

[bouncyone.livejournal.com]

*smiles* =D

just keep smiling and everything is going to be alright. he he. =)

Blink

[rkentspeth.livejournal.com]

I'm not done with it yet but what I've read of "Blink" makes sense to me.

Yeah, for a while psychologists have known that what you do affects who you are. Behavioral psychology is all about changing behavior to change the person. Smiling is yet another manifestation of that.

It's one of the reasons that I smile a lot. Plus, when I relax, I apparently look unhappy or angry. I'm not, it just looks that way, so I trained myself that "relaxed" mode also includes at least a small smile.

*hugs*

Re: Blink

[errantember.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a self reinforcing aspect to behavior, but I didn't realize how powerfully assuming certain facial expressions could alter ones mood.

oop! - Combichrist...bye!

Re: Blink

[errantember.livejournal.com]

It's definitely important to realize that some people's resting faces look different from their actual feelings. I've been thrown for a loop a few times because I thought I was inspiring a feeling I wasn't.

My puggle has that problem too! He almost always looks either sad or paranoid, even when he's happy. He only really looks happy when he pants.