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| "The Unsmiling Tsarevna" by Viktor Vasnetsov (1916-1926) |
If this is true, do you think intentionally yelling (like athletes do sometimes) might have the effect of inciting rage?
Do you think smiling could have the effect of making someone feel happier?
Do you consider yourself to be a person whose happiness might be increased by more intentional smiling?
Mlodinow really surprised me with discoveries on the way our actions evoke certain emotions. It has caused me to really sit back and think about why I am feeling the way I am and if it is all up to me to change that. Because of the experiment where researchers used different scenarios to make the volunteers react with predicted emotions and it proved to work, I absolutely believe that athletes intentionally yelling can cause them to feel anger. Yelling in such a manner combined with physical exertion would naturally cause their blood pressure to rise and the adrenaline levels to rise, which are two things that happen when we feel angry.
ReplyDeleteI do also believe that smiling can make a person actually feel happier; even if that is not the emotion they think they are feeling. It is true that people can fake a smile, and that it is hard to tell when someone genuinely smiling, but maybe putting on a brave face and smiling when we do not feel like it is actually the best thing we can be doing. When I am having a bad day and I go throughout my entire day recognizing the fact that I am unhappy, I inevitably do have an unpleasant day. I have found though that when I am unhappy with the way things are going, if I just smile my way through the day and "fake it until I make it", I will do just that. I have the power to turn my day around and make it what I want it to be, and so does every other person. If I want to feel happier on a daily basis, I truly believe that slapping a smile on my face can accomplish that to at least some degree.
I do believe that intentionally yelling can entice anger or rage. Perhaps, this is one reason that we see armies yelling right before battle in movies. To get them ready to fight. If I was forced to fight when I didn't necessarily want to, I would want to channel some anger and be able to release it during the fight rather than going into a fight with no adrenaline at all.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that intentionally smiling can cause you to be happier or have a better day. Having a positive outlook on life can improve your day. Think about this, if you see someone that appears to be unhappy or is continually being negative, do you want to be around that person? Most of us would avoid being around them anymore than necessary. So when you are grumpy, you are keeping people away. People that could possibly help you feel better. Also, your attitude is contagious and will be "caught" by those who come in contact with you. If you are happy, they will become happy. If you're unhappy, they will be too.
I think of myself as a generally happy person and I smile at others throughout the day. On certain days, however, I do believe that my attitude could be improved by smiling more.
Ashlyn Angel
I do believe that yelling at someone could cause them to become angry. Sticking with the athlete example that was stated above, I have seen many athletes who were on the verge of being angry become enraged when a coach or another player yells at them. Although it enrages a person it does not mean they will play better. It all depends on the person’s personality, for some people making them mad only makes them sloppy and unable to concentrate and play their position or do their job with accuracy. Others focus their anger and play better because they want to prove a point.
ReplyDeleteA similar phenomenon occurs with babies. When parents are yelling the baby can sense the tension causing him/her to become upset and cry. This demonstrates that how other people react can cause a certain reaction within someone else.
In saying that, I believe that each day when we get up we choose what our attitude will be. Although there are stressors in our days it is how we react to them that creates our mood. I like to think that smiling does make me happy. When I am having a bad day I try to put a smile on my face and move forward because a bad attitude or glum spirit is contagious. If you are down it can cause the people around you to become sad or upset too and that promotes self pity allowing you to wallow in your sadness or anger.
Katy Keiffer
I agree with the ladies above me; I really enjoy their insight and the examples they use to support their points.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that in a game or in a battle, anger can spur you on and increase your abilities. But too much can definitely blur our judgment, as seen in fighting. For me, if a lot of little things have happened that angered me, it all seems to snowball into my bad attitude. When I let those things get to me, my anger boils over, I continue to make mistakes instead of improving the situation, and by the end of it all it has become a horrible day. However if I laugh at myself like God is at the little things that seemingly have the power to ruin another day, stick a smile on my face, and choose to see there can be a better outcome, I just have a funny story to tell, rather than going to bed angry.
-Elizabeth Keck