Mr. Brightside

As someone who works with people all day everyday, I can appreciate the occasional grumpy mood or sneering look. But when you deal with complete strangers, I feel it only polite to have the facade of a happy person. When an internet repairman showed up at my door this afternoon, instead of a traditional greeting, said "You havin' problems with the internet?". Why yes, you havin' problems with the router cable up your ass? For the rest of the visit in my home, I responded to monosyllabic orders and questions. Why do people, especially when your job requires you to enter stranger's homes, feel the need to express the anger or malaise so visibly?
I read a very interesting article a while back in a Smithsonian magazine titled "What's behind a smile?" which broke the codes of the simple smile and might have changed my mind a bit on the matter. It states that according to research, people who were not happy or uncomfortable were put in a slightly better (although mostly false) mood when they smiled or were around someone who smiled at them. The physical act of smiling isn't exactly what makes people feel better, but it's contagious. I totally agree. I can be the most miserable and pessimistic person when I want to be, but find it almost irresistible to not smile at someone passing me if they flash their teeth first.
Although, sometimes it can feel too cumbersome to act so happy, which is maybe why Mr. Repairman just wasn't havin' it, even though I was trying to kill him with kindness. This article also talks about companies that make their employees constantly smile and be polite. It mentions McDonald's and WalMart amongst others. (However, I have been treated rudely at both establishments on more than one occasion). People can become miserable by pretending to be wonderful. Barbara Held, author of the book Stop Smiling, Start Kvetching says "There's nothing wrong with smiling, I do it. It's the insistence of others that everyone smile, and have a nice day, and look on the bright side, no matter what, that's tyrannical, because it denies the psychological fact that people cope in different ways." What a real statement. Not everyone is having the time of their lives serving you 600 calorie sandwiches and listening to Jibbs. Held talks in the article about a middle aged woman who works in a store she frequents who always asks "how are you". "I give her my standard answer, 'I hate everything'. Because I want people to know that there are other answers besides 'I'm fine.'" says Held. I love this woman. She says that her answer to this woman "I hate everything" actually cheers her up. "I go home and think about it and laugh to myself".
Maybe being a jerk does have it's up side.