I want to know why people don't smile to each other as much anymore.?

Question

I often smile at strangers as i walk past them but rarely do i get a response.

I know the worlds a crappy place at the moment and everyone has sh!t to deal with, but can't we just smile more often?

Go on, try it, smile at people in the street today, see how people take it....

Answer 1

Maybe they're lost in their own little world...

Answer 2

I work in a primary school as a teaching assistant and every morning I greet each person I meet with a smile and a quick hello, I believe that a smile can be spread it is contagious, so keep smiling even if you don't feel like it. Even if people don't smile back all the time it gives you a warm glow inside.

Answer 3

Hi
It seems you are looking too hard at how people respond to your smile. Maybe you are smiling so as to test out if others approve of you or not as opposed to it being a natural spontanous thing? If so then this behaviour may be a reflection of something going on in your life right not. Perhaps you lack confidence or self esteem etc. Also, the more other people's responses disappoint you, and make you question society today etc, the more you will be conditioned to seek out negative reactions to your friendly smile. In other words you may have a negative bias in your thinking towards seeing what you would rather not see. for instance, if I told you not to think of apink elephant what would happen? Of course, you will think of a pink elephant right. The same applies to people in the street not responding to you smile ie you are seeing just what you try hard not to see.
Keep smiling

Answer 4

I try and say hello to as many people as possible along the street. I rarely get a proper response though. Sometimes I get a nod of a head and occasionally a smile but more often than not, people just plain ignore me.

If I see you around in London then I shall give you a cheery greeting!

Answer 5

Sometimes people will smile back. I noticed that too. Sometimes they look back at you like you did something wrong. Like they are saying "what's your problem?".
Keep smiling. Just because they don't respond right away doesn't mean they didn't appreciate it later.
I think some people get so stressed about life. Your smile might have made all the difference in the world to someone. You will never know.

Answer 6

We don't even smile 2 people we know and we're gonna smile 2 strangers??????
2 b honest I don't really think we should smile 2 strangers unless u r ready 2 face the consequences!!! People misinterpret a lot of things!!!

Answer 7

People are so defensive nowadays for fear of trusting others. Some of this is for good reason but I think it's sad! People have all sorts of rubbish going through their heads too so very often it's probably because they're in a dreamworld rather than being rude!! I often smile at people too and sometimes I get one back and it makes my day. It probably makes theirs too! I saw the film Borat the other day! It was sooo funny as he was going round kissing everyone and introducing himself on the New York underground and peoples' responses were just crazy!! Hilarious!!

Answer 8

I too try to smile at people while walking down the street, but more often than not, they look at me like I am total nutter! I think that people are scared of people. Sad, very sad. I would love to time hop to see where it all ends up!

Keep on smiling and if I see you and you smile at me - I will smile back :-)

Answer 9

I never smile.. Even as a child I never smiled... I always had my mind working 24/7 one of the reason I never sleep..

But for some reason I will crack a smile to a child and my son.. I have a Tattoo on my leg my son says "Its Mommys smile " so he knows that I smile on the inside just not on the out side ..

Answer 10

It has to do with personality type. There are smilers and nonsmilers and selective smilers and exclusionary smilers and sexual interest smilers and etc. I think it's always been this way.

And one other point I think you'll appreciate. I have quit smiling at strangers because I have felt so bad so many times when they did not return a smile or a greeting, that I just don't want to keep putting myself out there all the time. Maybe there are a lot of us out there.

Peace

Answer 11

You are sooooo right, it seems like most people have got the weight of the world on their shoulders and yes a lot of people do have troubles and really big problems but look at these people who have a disability I admire them so much because even tho they find some things difficult to do and others find easy they are just getting on with it.
I think life is too short and please don't get me wrong here I too have personal problems etc but it doesn't hurt and certainly doesn't cost anything to smile at others. My husband tells me off sometimes because I talk to everybody even if it's after saying hello....it's nice to talk to other people.