You may have heard of that scientific study where they learned that smiling when you’re not happy makes your brain produce the same chemicals it produces when you ARE happy. Well, never mind the fact that no single study exactly like that exists, I and millions of others can tell you that this trick does indeed work, whether science has a precise reason for it or not. Who knows whether it’s because your brain produces a certain chemical, or whether it’s because it summons the Happy Fairy who comes and sprinkles happy sparkles in your brain. The net result is the same for you, and the impact on the world around you is like throwing a happy pebble in a pool of people. One smile causes another smile, and it ripples out through the little ocean of people around you. If you’re afraid to smile, don’t worry. Apparently – as the chimp images here demonstrate – the expressions for fear and anxiety can be very similar to those for excitement and happiness! Even if your first attempts are a horrified grimace, the monkeys around you will be none the wiser! C’mon. Smile. You know you want that banana!
