Gen Y & Z etiquette lesson - #4 HOW TO SMILE

  1.     Stand or sit facing the person or people at whom you wish to smile.

        2.     Open your lips to one centimetre (closed lips are not as welcoming)
  3.     Tilt the corners of your lips upwards (downwards is more comfortable but far less like a smile).
  4.     When smiling, be careful not to grit your teeth or open your mouth too wide as this 

              can scare young children or the elderly.
  5.     Maintain eye contact with the recipient whilst smiling (it can get confusing otherwise).
  6.     Hold the smile until either the recipient(s) return the smile, or after 3 seconds.
  7.     If the recipient approaches or engages you in greetings or conversation please refer 

             immediately to lesson #56 on how to say hello.

  IMPORTANT NOTES ON SMILING:
   

        -  Directing a smile at no one is ok if you are a nice old grandma or a baby under the age 

           of 18 months. However anyone in between those two ages will run the risk of looking 

           slightly deranged or drug-addicted if they smile without directing it to a recipient.

        -  Do not make eye contact for more than three seconds unless they are a person 

           with whom you wish to have a romantic relationship. 

        -  Inappropriate times to smile include but are not limited to the following:

o   Funerals

o   When your boss/parent/friend/authority figure is correcting you

o   When someone is talking about a sad experience. You will know they are sad 

    because the corners of their mouth will be pointing down and they will NOT 

    be smiling (remember a smile is where the corners of the mouth point upwards).

o   When someone hurts themselves (if you must smile turn AWAY from the victim).

-               DO NOT SMILE AT ANYONE IN A HUGO BOSS SUIT WITH A TOMMY GUN. 

         - Shelley xx