“It takes fewer muscles to smile than frown…”
That’s bullshit, you know.
It actually takes ten muscles to smile and six to frown. Roughly. In fact, some people have more “smile” muscles than others, apparently. While I’m not sure how that works (and not sure if I like the fact that someone else has more muscle-potential than I do #grincompetition), it is being said that making the effort and bridging that four-muscle-disparity gap may just be the happiness answer.
That viral video on men telling women, “You should smile more” may suddenly be coming to your mind right now.
While that was more meant to stir a multi-layered sociology-meets-gender-meets-etiquette kerfuffle (telling people what to do – especially when they’re angry – is never wise), the underlying message is one we can all tell to ourselves: smile more and be happy more. At the same time – we have to keep in mind that happiness isn’t a permanent condition. Unless you’ve got Bells Palsy, going around with a smile all the time will have people tearing your house apart looking for your body pod (“Don’t look under my bed… don’t look under my bed…”). Moods oscillate. But if you find you’re growing more frown lines than giggle crinkles as you advance in age, mayhaps its some advice to tell yourself. And here’s a few fun pieces of evidence to show that we don’t have to wait for something good to happen to be happy. That an actual, simple grin – even forced – can induce bliss:
1. The German Mouth-pen Experiment
(Simon’s example looks more like a French test subject… but close enough.)
Grip a pen between your teeth, and you’re making a smile (or baring your teeth like a rabid animal). Purse it between your lips, and you’re doing something closer to a frown (or the standard German expression – making me question if they were a suitable group to be running this test at all). The Germans utilized this fun fact to test subjects’ sense of humor when given a comic. Indeed, the pen teethers reported the comic (“Far Side”) was far funnier – while the lip pinchers remained unamused.
2. Botox Beaming
(That’s just ’cause you’re poking the wrong parts. #thatswhatshesaid)
Are you depressed more often than not? Ever wish you could shoot your melancholy muscles in the face? You can! One bit of research did a follow-up on such folks who’d frozen their frowny muscles with a good ol’ fashioned dose of subdued death microbes. The results? Reduced blues among most of ‘em!
3. Strangulation Elation
Wayne isn’t the only one who can make you laugh while choking you.
You can do it on your own. By just… making the face. Thing is, we get stuck on our moods – really attached to the thoughts that precipitate them. (“Why should I have to smile when life’s never going my way?”) I get that. So maybe some factual motivation about the body will help both of us change our internal game. And that’s this: when you smile, it constricts internal carotid artery in your neck. This, in turn, reduces enough blood flow going up your head… to induce… non-fake tranquility. That’s the “fake it till you make it” in a neat, science-y, gift wrapped box. It’s funny because people say “Yes it WILL kill me if I smile”. And – in a way – you are kinda strangling your brain-bloodflow in order to get there. But then again, if we all die anyway eventually, I’d rather spend it brain-hacking happiness than living hot headed. Even if it means I have to do extra work.
So – whether it takes ten muscles or twenty…
…going the extra (s)mile may just be worth the effort.