Last update: October 29, 2016
In his work "The Teenager", the famous Russian writer FĂ«dor Dostoevskij wrote that to really know the soul of a person, one must discover his smile. Laughter, along with the hands and feet, are among the characteristics that can tell us more about a person.
Sometimes those around us burst into sudden laughter, and in just a second they reveal their soul. Laughter can be contagious, natural, sincere or even false. There are people who laugh for no reason, as a spontaneous reaction to something or, vice versa, in a voluntary attempt to satisfy the wishes of others.
“This fact alone I understand, however, that laughter constitutes the surest sage of the soul. Look at a child: only children can laugh perfectly, which is why they are lovely. A crying child I find repugnant, while a laughing and rejoicing child is a ray of heaven, a revelation of the future, when man will finally become pure and simple at heart like a child.
– Fëdor Dostoevskij –
Laughter is part of the field of emotional sincerity at an "evolutionarily lower" level. Not that wide, not that flashy. Certainly more austere in intensity and more generous in frequency, laughter is the personal and psychological label of each of us.
Sometimes the power of laughter is immense. Try it. Smile and upset people. They will be so grateful to see the smile on your face, that at the end of the day the smile will turn into laughter, just like that of a child.
The smile: heir to laughter and our emotional ally
Sometimes, even if we are emotionally broken and haven't been able to do it for days, it would be good to try to crack a smile; not for the ridiculous requirement to show ourselves happy to others, but to give ourselves the opportunity to challenge our feelings, doing what we so desire to begin to rise.
Smiling when we are sad, tired and unmotivated means challenging the negative feeling that has taken possession of us and the widespread belief that to do things well you have to be happy. It is a homage to ourselves, contagious and hopeful. It is the external signal that we want to remain standing, regardless of the internal storms.
It's not about deceiving yourself, it's about doing yourself a favor. Do not pay attention to the patterns and laws dictated by your emotions and your feelings of discomfort, you will not have to show yourself loyal to them if it means being even worse.
Put a smile on your face to show yourself that you can be stronger than the temporary sadness that afflicts you: try to smile for a moment and show it to others, even if you don't feel like it. Challenge the lack of desire with facts.
Smile: break the rigid patterns that you have imposed on yourself
We sometimes believe that being loyal to ourselves means acting exactly how we feel. But this does not always correspond to reality, and such an attitude is negative both for us and for the people around us. Being faithful to your principles and values ​​does not mean becoming a slave to your moods, which, if strengthened by actions, can persist for longer than they should.
This is a rather paradoxical behavior, since it will not make you more free or authentic, but slaves to the impositions of your mind: “Since I'm sick, I take the luxury of being in a bad mood. I can not do anything about it. Others will have to put up with it, because when I'm sad, in a bad mood or stressed out, there's nothing to be done ”.
By acting in this way, you will no longer be free, but you will only let yourself be influenced by the idea that you have made of how you should behave, without even contemplating another possibility. How to get out of this situation? It's easy, smile and upset people. Smile and look in the mirror, upset yourself.
In the long run, this contradiction will bear fruit. By breaking the monotony of your face, you will challenge your mood. You will prove to yourself that "getting up on the wrong foot" does not imply being lame all day. You will demonstrate to your inner world that reality can sometimes be challenged, for the sake of yourself and those around you.
Smile, you upset people who are used to seeing you taciturn and demoralized. Smile, upset yourself and let yourself be overwhelmed by this contradiction, like a game or a riddle that excites you. Smile even if you are ashamed of your imperfect teeth, your sad mood and the lack of desire that assails you.
Smile, because no one will be able to know the power of your smile until you make it yours every day. Do the whole world a favor, so used to receiving only cold from you that you feel arousal in front of the honey of your lips. Smile, and without realizing it, the power of your smile will make you laugh out loud. Joy is spontaneous, but it is smiles that can unleash it, in you and in others.
