The Pressure to Smile: Challenging the Sexist Expectation
Have you ever been told to "smile, it’s not that bad" or "don’t be so serious"?
Society often expects women to smile at all times, regardless of how we’re feeling inside. This pressure can feel suffocating, as it reinforces the idea that women’s emotions should always be calm and pleasing to others. The expectation to constantly smile, even when we're stressed, anxious, or upset, is a restriction on our emotional expression.
This injunction to smile is not only unrealistic but deeply rooted in sexist ideals. Women are often expected to appear happy or accommodating at all costs, regardless of the circumstances, as though our worth and value are tied to our outward appearance and our ability to please others. This can lead to suppressing our true emotions, which is harmful to our mental and emotional health.
Women should have the freedom to express their feelings authentically, without being judged or pressured to perform happiness. Whether we're upset, frustrated, or simply not in the mood to smile, it’s okay to embrace the full range of emotions and to be true to ourselves. You don’t owe anyone a smile, and your feelings are valid no matter what.
How do you handle the pressure to smile?
What are some ways we can unlearn this expectation and embrace our true emotions?
@Mya000 I would heart this post x100 if I could! I am sooo grateful you posted this and I couldn't agree more. It reminds me of some theory I learned back in school a long time ago about faking smiles and acting happy. I know people often times say "fake it til you make it", but even that can be detrimental to our mental health. I know smiling is a good thing. I know it has its benefits but is the benefits really worth it when we are risking our own true feelings and emotions? Like you mentioned, Mya, we should be able to be our authentic selves, no filter, no pretending. Growing up, I was always told I "wear my emotions on my sleeve" and it's true. I did wear my emotions and it's because I wasn't afraid to be in tune with how I felt and I wasn't afraid to show others how I felt. Mya, one thing I love about you is how you are not afraid to think different and not afraid to advocate for the rights of women. <3 It's beautiful. No one should be pressuring anyone to smile or fake how they feel just to appease society. As women, as humans, we should be able to feel how we feel no matter how raw those feelings may be. Thank you so much for the reminder of how we should embrace our own true emotions. I hope everyone who reads this post from you gets something out of it. Stay amazing, Mya! Xoxo.
