“Smile!” Things can’t be that bad!” is one of the rudest things you can say to ANYONE.
“Smile!” Don’t you hate when someone says this to you? Even complete strangers will be this rude. And it’s usually a man saying this to a woman. Men rarely say “Smile!” to other men.
Is it because they fear a punch in the chops? Women rarely say this to men, as well. Or am I wrong?
But almost always, it’s a man saying it to a woman: “Smile! Things can’t be THAT bad!”
Heaven forbid if one of these clods says this to a woman who just learned her child has cancer. He deserves whatever response he gets.
To such a thoughtless man, I say: Really?
- How do you know things can’t be that bad?
- Do you know this woman personally?
- Are you living inside her head?
- Where do YOU get off declaring to someone you don’t know, that things can’t be that bad? What awful nerve.
If you’re a woman who’s getting increasingly angered by thoughtless men (or women) telling you to smile, here are smart, witty responses that will clam them up fast.
If the comment is just “Smile!” reply with one of these:
“MAKE ME.” Then give them a good long stare.
“AND IF I DON’T?” Then give them a good hard stare.
“SAY SOMETHING FUNNY.” Give them an emotionless gaze.
“AND WHAT, get smile wrinkles like some people around here?”
“I AM smiling. This is the face God gave me. Don’t like it? Take it up with HIM.”
“I DON’T SMILE ON COMMAND.”
“WHY?”
“WHY ARE WOMEN EXPECTED TO SMILE BUT NOT MEN?”
“GET RICH.”
No matter what you do, do NOT smile when someone commands you to.
The moment you smile just because a stranger told you to, you automatically rank yourself lower than them in the pack.
Women have a right to wear a face that reflects the bad day or bad week they’re having.
Shutterstock/Nicholas Piccillo
For God’s sake, what do you hope to accomplish by telling a woman, whose husband was just given a terminal cancer diagnosis, to smile?
You have NO idea if her sour face is because of that, or if it’s because she gained a pound over the weekend.
YOU DON’T KNOW, SO STAY QUIET.
And some people can’t help it; it’s the face nature gave them.
If the comment is:
“Smile! Things can’t be that bad!” reply with one of these:
1 “How would you know?” Then stare at them blankly while they try to figure out a way to get out of that one.
2 “How DARE you make that assumption about someone you don’t know?”
3 “Things can’t be that bad?? My dog got hit by a car three days ago and might lose a leg. My beloved Aunt Alice was just diagnosed with heptaphalocytovycosis. My house was broken into last week. My car needs a $1,000 repair. Now what were you saying?”
If anyone has any other great responses, please leave your comments.
I just can’t believe that people could be so rude to strangers.
Is it anyone’s business how you wear your face, especially if you’re waiting for the biopsy results?
Even if I’m having a great week, this doesn’t mean I’m going to smile.
- The human face does not naturally set in a smiling expression.
- Are people too dull to realize this?
Don’t you also find it odd that almost always, when someone tells you to smile, he himself is NEVER smiling?
I guess another great response would be: “WHY DON’T YOU?”
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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