But Can We Really be Happier by Pretending to be So?

            In trying to act cheerful, one can become artificial. The people we enjoy usually have an honest range of emotions, rather than paste-on smiles. But it is not dishonest for people to life themselves out of depression by behaving enthusiastically. Those who attend aerobic classes may not feel in a good mood when the music starts, but once they begin to exercise to the best with energetic expressions, it is remarkable how their moods change to fit their actions. A martial arts teacher uses this principle in his teaching: “The typical karate yell has three purposes,” he says, “It tightens the stomach muscles, scares the opponent, and, most important, help people feel confident.”

            Many of us already apply this practical psychology without realizing it. “Smile,” we urge a tearful child, and unwillingly the child smiles – and is cheered up. As a demonstration of this idea at a workshop, the lecturer had a group of us stand, put our hands high in the air, and jump up and down. Then, as we were jumping, he asked us to repeat, “I feel depressed! I’m in a bad mood!” We found it almost impossible to do; either we had to stop the energetic body movements to say, “I feel depressed,” or we had to stop saying, “I feel depressed” to move our bodies so energetically.