So I'm Sitting Alone Somewhere Grinning...

 What do all these smiles mean?

A lot of this stuff is just me asking the Universe questions.  This time I was asking why am I sitting here grinning like a monkey all by my lonesome?  Having asked it, it therefore seems to me that there are several kinds of smiles.  

• That meant to disarm or charm. To cajole another?
• That meant to create fellow feeling, or to comfort.
• That to express common joy with others.
• Private amusement.  Nobody is watching!
• Private exultation!  They're still not watching.
  
  
  
• What does it mean when she does it?

It seems as if there is a natural hominid reaction to satisfaction that involves pulling the lips away from the teeth and maybe squinting the eyes a bit.  

I think that in we higher hominids it can be even a private expression of pure joy.  I sure do experience that private joy and I am surely smiling all by myself.  Sometimes it's just a joke or a nice bit of news also.

Smile is a rather general word.  It could be divided up into a few other terms such as grin, grimace, gloat, beam, smirk and so on.  Those throw a bit of flavor on the concept.

One of the things I like about a smile is that you can start at the physical end and affect the mental.  "Smile though your heart is breaking..."

As with so many other things in life on this planet, if you portray that which you desire to be true...many times the effort will bear fruit.  I know I sound like such a mom.  Oh well.

Even mighty warriors of either sex have to grin their way out of pain and woe sometimes!

🏹

Yeah!

There is a dark aspect also, but that's not what we're talking about here is it?  It would be a shame to misuse something like a smile.