Everybody loves a good smile. It’s kind of therapeutic. The quality of smile can be compared to that of Mercy as explained by Portia in Merchant of Venice.
It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes…
A Smile should be spontaneous. It should really spruce and spice up life. In these days of plastic smiles and elastic smiles I sometimes feel that the original meaning and purpose of smile is lost somewhere. One of the reasons for this artificiality can be attributed to academic and religious conditioning. A child who smiles at others is given constant reminders that it is a bad thing to do. He/she is warned that this habit may invite troubles.
I feel that a good smile will always fetch rich dividends. As teacher I have felt that there is some charisma when we walk into the class with a smile. A smile can act as a good ice breaker. Learners feel that the tutor is emotionally balanced and is approachable. Even in the work place I have felt that a smile and a handshake will create a positive ambience.
Literature, art and cinema have used the art of smiling as a motif or theme. One reference which I can think about is from the poem – My Last Duchess by Robert Browning.
Oh sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whenever I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together.
I also would like to re-phrase the famous lines from Faustus by Marlowe where he describes the ethereal beauty of Helen
Was this the smile/ face that launched a thousand ships?
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
My contention is if the face of Helen is so beautiful then what will be her smile like???
From the world of painting we have the famous smile of Mona Lisa. Is it really a smile or is it a smirk? Historians and art connoisseurs are still debating on that issue.
From the reel zone it is a movie titled Mona Lisa that grabs my attention. Julia Roberts plays an art teacher who inspires her students to think laterally. The tag line for the movie was – ‘In a world that told them how to think, she showed them how to live’. And it goes without saying that the smile of Julia Roberts is a treat by itself.
So in this world of conditioned smiles. It is always good to sport a natural smile and I am sure that it will make you and others feel better. The art of smiling will and should complement the art of living.
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