Photographs
A reader of a favorite columnist asks why photographs taken at an outing always look like more fun than the actual event. The columnist opined that when people pose for photos they put on a happier face than they really feel. That may be true, although I have seen posed photos wherein the subjects look unhappy, but I think there's something more we want to know. Why do these photo subjects care whether they look happy or sad? think that we generally want to be happy and we recognize that putting on a happy face can be an important step to being happy. When we're forced by posing for a photo to think about how we look, the happy face emerges.
It is proven again and again
that to a large extent we create our own moods. We all know people who have
difficult fundamental problems who are completely happy and contented. We all
know people who have no problems and are the envy of those who know them who are
unhappy and discontented. It's because they refuse to create a mood of
contentment and happiness. It's because they refuse to take responsibility for
their mood. It's because for whatever reason they don't want to be in a good
mood.
It's also true that we can change our mood by pretending we feel better. It's like actors weeping in front of the camera. Normally, they create the mood that justifies weeping. If it wasn't required for the part they play, they wouldn't be weeping. It's the same with a smile: If we can smile, look happy, pretend we're happy, soon we'll feel happier.
Whoever wrote the old song "let a smile be your umbrella" had the right idea. If we can greet the world with a smile, we'll be sheltered from a lot of bad news. Pretend you're posing for a photograph. Look happy. It may help you to be happy.
5-8-06
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