Mean Mug

Figure 1
I've received the same criticism over the years for looking like I was angry all the time (see Figure 1, aka my normal face). I have been of the opinion that my angry look was other people's problems - not like they caused it, but rather, they were interpreting that I was angry. I didn't want to apologize for my face, or admit that I needed it fixed.... I needed my face fixed?

I once had a girl tell me that I should rub in between my eyebrows each day to avoid serious wrinkling and the permanent "I'm an ANGRY old man" look in the future. My mission president thought I was so serious that he would often tell me to smile. And finally, no one would want to be in my Money and Banking class wanted to be in my group, and I'm pretty sure it was because of my face. If only people knew who I really was (see Figure 2).

Figure 2

For the most part, I have ignored the criticism of my face, but the other day I had an experience that woke me up.

I was listening to Lana Del Ray and was wondering how I could be so depressed... No, that didn't happen. I was walking on campus and a girl made eye contact with me and she looked super angry. I was like, "Wow, don't you be giving me that look. I don't even know you!" By all physical appearances she was a sane normal person (no signs of her being a mutant or escapee from the psych ward), but her face was so off putting. That face woke me up. Here was a girl, well dressed, pretty, getting an education, just mean mugging everyone.

I am a lot like that girl. I'm pretty, well dressed and getting an education with a mean mug face. AND WHY?

So here is what do you do if you have a mean mug:
1) You remind yourself that you have an ugly face on and you need to fix it
2) You try to raise your eyebrows (this will hurt your face muscles because you rarely do it), not too high or else you'll look surprised, but just enough that you look like you just had a pleasant sip of warm coco
3) Smile, even if it hurts (this muscle group will soon develop the strength and gumption to do it often)
   3a) Nod to people and say hi
4) If all else fails, use sarcasm to divide your peers from you even more

3 comments:

steven said...

I get the same thing now. Dont be too hard on your self

Christie said...

i never thought you had a mean face. maybe you need to take out your front tooth again. get stung by another bee on your face...

John said...

I get the same thing. Then when I try to smile people think i'm up to something. what do you do when your natural face looks too serious but then your fake happy face looks like you just passed gas in the elevator?