Have you ever told a stranger to smile and then remarked that they look pretty or so much prettier when they do? What’s sexist about that statement you might ask. Well have you ever said to a man, “Hey man smile, you’re so much more handsome when you smile.” I have never said that to a man or heard it said. But I have been told by men, always strangers, that I should smile more. And then they would proceed to give me a compliment which I would then thank them for. Why is telling a woman to smile sexist? She either has to play the part and smile on demand or be deemed rude for ignoring and engaging in unwanted conversation. It perpetuates the idea that women should only show positive emotions or that it’s her role to look pretty for others. Stop expecting a woman to hide behind her smile, she might have something better to do like figure out how to stop living for others. So what do you do if you see a woman frowning, you can always ask are you okay? And if it’s a woman in your life that you are close to, give her a reason to smile, do something to inspire it.
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