what's the smile you've been doing too much?
you know the one. it arrives automatically in certain situations. it smooths things over, keeps the peace, makes you easier to be around. it is starting to tire a muscle you did not know you had.
every day there's one live question, the same for everyone. answer it anonymously, see what other people said. it's all gone in seven days.
answer today's question →describe the smile. not poetically, just practically. when does it appear. who is it for. what is it covering, or making room for, or apologising for. write about a recent moment when you did it and felt the effort of it. what were you actually feeling underneath. now think about what the smile does for the other person. does it reassure them, let them off the hook, keep things moving. write about whether you have always done this or whether it started at a specific time. write one line about what your face would do in those moments if you let it.
- write about the difference between this smile and one that is actually yours.
- think about who first taught you that this smile was necessary.
- write about what happens in the silence just after you do it.
this is for you if your face has been doing something all week that your feelings have not agreed with.