Quote:
Originally Posted by skizziks
I often smile at strangers as I walk around. Sometimes I get glares, usually from females who think I'm somehow hitting on them. Most people ignore me. A few people smile back. At one point, it occurred to me that people must think I'm mentally retarded, because if you look at most people, few if any smile at strangers.
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I don't know about that. Around these parts it's not uncommon for people to walk around and smile at one another. It's not out of the ordinary at all. My SO and I do a lot of walking, and we often smile as we do so. Sometimes this will lead to a brief conversation with complete strangers as we pass one another on the sidewalk, usually commenting on the weather or whatnot. We often get approached for directions because we look friendly.
I think a lot of it has to do with where you live. Oregonians love to smile at one another. Perhaps it has something to do with the crummy weather. I also imagine it has something to do with our community values; my town tends to attract friendly, polite people who are interested in getting out and getting to know their neighbors/fellow community members.
I think of my smile like an invitation. It's saying "Hi, I'm a friendly person, you can say hello to me, I don't bite." So in smiling, especially while performing, you're sort of issuing an invitation to your audience to relax and be friendly. It's an important thing to do. I often have to remind myself to smile, though usually I do so not only to look friendly, but because I don't want frown lines!