One Apple A Day #23
Smiling is contagious.
A few months ago I was walking in Torres Del Paine. It’s a famous trekking location that attracts thousands of mountain’s lovers. The walk from the refuge on the valley to the best viewing point to observe the massif of Torres del Paine is beautiful. It’s easy, so it’s the most walked route in the area, but no too easy so going up requires some effort. That day the weather wasn’t perfect with clouds and strong winds. We went up very early in the morning. We arrived at the viewing point when most of the people normally start the ascension. We were looking for some peace to take our photos. On our way down there was a constant stream of people going up. Most of them were struggling, it’s a 4 hours walk, quite steep in a few points. I love to cheer everyone I meet while I’m walking in the mounting. It’s like recognizing that we are part of the same group. The minority of people who spend part of their free time to walk on the mountains.
There were people of any nationalities so instead of saying something in any specific language a started smiling and making a nod.
Surprise. Every one. Literally every one, even the one struggling the most, smiled back.
So, I decided that it was time for an experiment. I smiled to everyone the whole day. I gave my best smile to every person I met. 99% smiled back.
The girl who were fighting with her boyfriend because she hate walking? She smiled. The overweight man who was swearing in some strange language for the effort? He smiles. And so on.
No one can’t resist to a smile.
“When you see a facial expression and you want to know what it means, you recreate that expression in your brain” Adrienne Wood, a Ph.D. student in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
According to this study this is how our brain process the expression we see in the face of other people. That means that the person in front of you will react to your facial expression. And viceversa. So, you shouldn’t be surprised for the grumpy faces of other you go around with a grumpy face. Put on a good smile and you’ll discover a world of smiling people.