Daily Cascade

That Priceless Smile!

Prompt: smiles
"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day."
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Why are smiles and smiling so appreciated? Is it safe to smile at everyone in our world?

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That simple curve of the mouth...so impactful, isn't it! And it is universal, too, as a complex signal. Yet, we might consider applying it with care. Due to its power, no less.

At its best, the smile means warmth. It means goodwill, friendliness, and approachability. It can dissolve tensions and bridge gaps between people, It might also have something to do with the brain as a mood booster. My mother always told me, when I was down a bit, to look into the mirror and smile at myself. I don't know how much it helped me, but I caught my late husband, many times, and smiling at himself, while looking at the mirror. He was a psychiatrist, so I gather there was some truth to my mother's advice.

Socially, a smile offers comfort, empathy, understanding or acknowledging the other person. In the business world, it can offer confidence and being trustworthy; therefore, it is a step toward a connection or an invitation to work together. Best yet, it is contagious. It may encourage reciprocity and positive feedback.

Then, it depends on the culture, too. In some places, in the far east if I am correct, excessive smiling may mean insincerity or even embarrassment. A direct smile at a stranger might be interpreted as flirting, too.

Still, here we are, in our culture, in which offering a sincere smile to a stranger may be appreciated greatly. On the other hand, the situation, gender of the individuals, and their vulnerability have a role in how a smile is received. This is because the universal language of the smile does not always protect us against the exploitation of it. This is not about living in fear, but about using caution.

For example, smiling at someone late at night on a deserted street could be interpreted as an invitation for unwanted attention or it might suggest something like, "No danger to you from me!" It is up to us to figure out the real meaning behind a stranger's smile in a difficult place or situation.

In essence, though, the sincerity of the smile matters. When sincere, its value is immeasurable. I believe in offering smiles with a good heart and an observing eye. For to smile is to connect, to heal, and to hope. In that, it has a deep and lasting power.