Rude Behavior: What to Say when Someone Tells You to Smile
"Smile!" Things Can't Be that Bad!" is One of the Rudest Things You Can Say to ANYONE
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? You have a lot of disgusting nerve! If you're a woman who's getting increasingly pissed off by jerky men telling you to smile (or just-as-jerky women telling you "Smile!") here are smart, witty responses that will shut them up as cold as a box of dry ice:
If the comment is just "Smile!" reply with one of these:
"MAKE ME." Then stare at them hard.
"AND IF I DON'T?" Then give them a threatening stare.
"SAY SOMETHING FUNNY." Give them an emotionless gaze.
"I WILL IF YOU TRIP AND FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE."
"AND WHAT -- get as many smile wrinkles as YOU?"
"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?"
No matter what you do, do NOT smile when someone commands you to. The moment you smile just because someone told you to, you automatically rank yourself lower than them in the pack. That will be the day that I rank myself lower than some rude clod.
If the comment is:
"Smile! Things can't be that bad!" reply with one of these:
"How would you know?" Then stare at them blankly while they try to figure out a way to get out of that one.
"How would you know? Do you live with me?"
"How DARE you make that assumption about someone you don't know?" Wait for their response and enjoy watching their face turn white.
"Things can't be that bad? Well just stay put and I will tell you about the things in my life. 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. I just found out my car needs a $1,000 repair. My son just joined a gang..."
If anyone has any other great responses, please leave your comments. I just can't believe that people could be SO FRICKIN' RUDE! 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 stupid to realize this?
Don't you also find it odd that almost always, when some idiot tells you to smile, he himself is NEVER smiling? I guess another great response would be: "WHY DON'T YOU?"
By the way, if you're tall and are sick of the rude tall comments and questions, click here for witty, clever responses.
Published by Jillita Horton
Freelance writer for fitness print magazines and fitness Web sites; ghost writer for fitness Web sites View profile
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30 Comments
Post a CommentFor the people who are arrogant to think by telling someone to smile( which is a lazy way to cheer someone up) is going to make someones day better, your dead wrong. If someone really wanted to make another smile they would TRY. Not give a command worthy of a dog. It's not about being selfish either. It's rude behavior because your starting off a conversation (with a complete stranger) with a command. It doesn't matter what the command is, you shouldn't start telling someone how they should Look as soon as you see them.
Someone is always telling me to smile, I usually don't let it get to me, but sometimes it really pisses me off. And who said anyway that we have to smile 24/7, besides that would look weird. I'm just a very serious person, doesn't mean I don't laugh because it doesn't take a lot to make me laugh, it just means at the moment I'm not amused or i'm content. What wrong with being content?
Theselfrighteousidiotswhohadthenervetogiveyousomemediapsychologicalanswerandtheonefoolwhoclaimstheyaregenuinelyconcerenedhasneverhadthishappenbecausetheyareeithernotattractiveorinterestingenoughtoevokethislineasanopener.Ithinkthatiswhatitis.Somestupidclicheassuseditandpplthinkitiscleverenoughtocopyoverandoverandover.Iknowthefeeling.IgetpplcomeuptomeallthetimewhileIameating,hardatwork,readingorlookingformyprinteddocumentatthecopymachineandusethislameconversationopener.MysisterandIbothgetit.Wewerebaffled.IactuallyworkinmentalhealthandIaskapsychologistfriend.hesaiditwasaline.IronicallyiwasneveraskedwhenIworkedwithpsychologistbutthefirstdaybackwithaverageintelligencesecretarialstaffIgotaskedwhilelookingintothecopymachine.smileitaintthatbad.Itoldthebitchifshedidnotlikemyfacebuymeafacelift.Iwascalledtotheofficeformymadfacetheweekbefore.IthinkIknowwhotoldonme.
I always just say, in the exactly same faux-pleasant tone as they've delivered their unwanted thoughts: "Get your own sour face cheered up first, then maybe you can begin to worry about other people". It always results in a frowning cretin looking back at me in unhappy confusion, with their mouth opening and shutting like a goldfish as they search in vain for a suitable answer, whilst I walk on past. Give these idiots the self-same presumptious observation on the unpleasant nature of their appearance dressed up as a cheery comment that they've given you, and they don't like it at all.
Next time this happens, I am tempted to pretend to burst into tears and say something like, "My so-and-so died yesterday" and other such tragedies. I was hoping for a "Dear Abby" type of comeback that is polite, gets the point across, and makes the commenter feel regret that he had the audacity to tell me what expression I should have on my face at that particular moment in time.
Why is a "thoughtful face" always confused for a "broody face"?
I probably wouldn't use any of the comebacks you suggested, since they are fairly rude. I just had this exact line said to me today, "Smile. It can't be that bad."
It perturbs me that total strangers think they have the right to tell me to do anything. This comment always happens to me when I am in deep thought, or watching something with interest.
Example: I have been out of work for 2 years. If the guy (yes, it was a male) had said this to me a week ago, I would have given him my most withering stare. However, 2 days ago I finally got a job and I start tomorrow. I am really happy and excited about it. My spirits are very, very high.
Despite my good mood, why would I sit by myself and grin like an idiot. I was simply sitting on a bench at my child's school, waiting to pick her up. There is a golf course across the way. I've only ever played / seen mini-golf, so I was watching the golfers.
Other occasions this is happening is when I'm reading a book, sitting quietly thinking, waiti
4silvas, do you really think that a stranger who tells someone to smile is thinking about those hormone endorphin studies? nice try. Telling a stranger to smile is rude and has nothing to do with being caring. it' like saying to fat person whose eating ice cream, Do you really need that? Yeah, that's caring.
I think it is very rude of people to tell me to smile, especially strangers. Why? They might have good intentions, but they are making the assumption that I am not smiling because I'm unhappy. When you tell someone to smile, you are assuming that they're sad or upset or glum when perhaps they are not. It is very rude to assume that you know how other people are feeling. Sometimes I will be walking around feeling content or just thinking and total strangers will approach me and tell me to smile, even though I'm not unhappy. I am always flabberghasted that they think I need to be cheered up when I am already feeling great.
whiney, repulsive misogynist-I wonder how you get anyone to talk to you.
Cont.
http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/emiliya-zhivotovskaya/200809271036
http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/laughter.htm
There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all."
Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." - Thich Nhat Hanh
I HOPE THIS HELPS