Saturday 6 September 2008

Whats In A Smile??

The Smile, it is not the best medicine in the world, that credential belongs to Laughter, so I presume it comes in a close second.

A Smile is one of the most infectious entities that exists in this universe and is probably the most wonderful emotion that exist. It is by far the most complicated and varied gesture that can be performed as it can, if used properly, exhibit a vast range of emotions and can depict countless situations. I will try to mention a few smiles that can be seen in daily life and the circumstances behind them.

A smile is a versatile expression, with different intents in different conditions. It is not as innocent an expression as it is often perceived. It is a potent tool in the hands of a competent wielder. It can be used in differing circumstances to attain various results, which may or may not be desirable.

1. The Sadistic Smile - This is the smile that can be seen on ones face when he has gained some sort of sadistic pleasure by performing a cruel act on someone else. It can also be called as The Cruel Smile.

2. The Sarcastic Smile - The sarcastic smile is also known in some circles as the Mocking Smile. A smile which is normally accompanied by an act of sarcasm as the name implies. The smile is successful only if sarcasm is not detected by the recipient of the act. It becomes a mocking smile when sarcasm is detected and the implied insult or intent is understood by the recipient. It is effective either way, which makes it a favoured weapon of those adept in the art of sarcasm.

3. The Heart Melter - This is a special kind of a smile which is conditional in nature. Normally a characteristic of children, this is a smile used to get out of a problematic situation, as well as to get an object of desire. Some grownups are also able to pull this off and consequently get several tasks accomplished.

4. The Wicked Smile - A smile full of malice and cruelty. It differs from a sadistic smile as it may form on the face of a person when another person is suffering or going through a very unpleasant situation, which is probably not created by the person with this expression their face.

5. The Seductive Smile - An ace up the sleeve of those bestowed with the gift of knowing how to use it well. Used more effectively by the female species, it is often misleading and may have malicious intent behind it, to achieve sadistic pleasure. It is used to display interest, tempt or mislead the recipient.

6. The Embarrassed Smile - A frequently used gesture, which is the result of the person being caught in an awkward situation. It is used as a stall tactic to buy some time, while a strategy to escape from the situation is formulated.

7. The 'I Give Up' Smile - This is the smile which forms on the face of a person who has accepted defeat. The person has exhausted all means of rectifying the situation and is now at the mercy of the recipient. It is an attempt to soften the blow, but may also be perceived as a show of weakness.

8. The Defiant Smile - An expression of strength, a way to show that a person will stick to his stand. Used to show that a person is going to do what he does, despite any and all opposition. An act of courage by a person caught in a position when he is in a situation where all odds are against him. It may be a way to rally support.

9. The Winning Smile - The smile for all situations, this is one of the most useful type of smiles that a person may possess. It can be used to win friends, win an argument, make a good impression on the recipient, show confidence etc. A winning smile is versatile and can be used in adverse situations to turn the tide in your favour and blessed are those who can use it well.

10. The Fake Smile - Not one of the better forms of the facial gesture being discussed, but an essential one nevertheless. Fake smiles are necessary in several situations when you have to acknowledge someone, or reciprocate a smile. It is often used as a substitute for a greeting. They are also used to be cordial, or to fulfil social norms. It is also used while posing in the front of a camera. A special case of the fake smile is the polite smile which is normally accompanied by nods to feign interest in a conversation or a situation as well as to keep the person awake.

11. The ‘I Made a Mistake’ Smile - This can also be called the ‘I am dumb, forgive me’ type of smile.  As the name suggests, it is a smile that a person uses to accept the fact that he did something wrong, and is now ready to suffer the consequences. This smile is mostly used to indicate that a dumb act has been performed and that the punishment is awaited. It is an attempt to reduce the severity of the same.

12. The Tearful Smile - A desperate smile which is normally achieved by the desperate efforts of the recipient. The person exhibiting this facial expression is sometimes distraught and crying, when people around him try to seek an immediate solution to the situation, and cheer this person. The success of their efforts is depicted by the tearful smile, which shows that their efforts are bearing fruit.

13. The Genuine Smile - Probably the best facial expression that exists. It is the smile that originates from the heart and reaches the eyes. This can be seen when the person is genuinely happy, in a favourable situation, just met a friend etc. It is probably the most contagious expression that humans possess and sparks a chain reaction of smiles. In the fake world that we exist in, genuine smiles have become a rarity, which needs to be changed.

14. The Proud Smile - A smile expressed when someone has made an achievement which has pleased him immensely. It is often found on the faces of family members or friends, when someone close to them has made an achievement, which generates a sense of pride in them.

15. The Fearful Smile - This can also be called the ‘I am not afraid’ smile. This may not necessarily have a recipient and it is more often used by the person to convince himself/herself that they are not afraid, even if they are scared out of their wits in a particular situation. This can also be used to express solidarity with another scared person.

16. The Conspiratorial Smile - The smile expressed on the face of a person when he is conspiring against someone else and the imminent satisfaction or pleasure that the act will generate. It may be an individual plot or a conspiracy made in a group. This smile may eventually lead to a sadistic smile. A lower level of this smile is called The Mischievous Smile.

17. The 'I Told You So' Smile - This is amongst the most irritating smile for the recipient which is often displayed as an act of superiority. It comes out as very condescending and the recipient tries to avoid this as much as possible.

18. The Sympathetic Smile - This is a smile used to reassure the recipient that you understand what they are going through and you empathise or sympathise accordingly. It is used to reassure the recipient, or in certain cases be used to generate sympathy as well.

19.  The Out of Place Smile - This is a smile which is very inappropriate for a particular situation. It is expressed by someone who either misinterprets a situation or just chooses to blissfully ignorant of the same.

20. The Reminiscent Smile - An expression displayed by a person who is lost in thought and is thinking of a particular situation which made him happy and being reminded of the same brings a smile to his face. It is a genuine smile with no recipient.

There are probably many more smiles that are expressed in many different situations, but I can't really think of them right now. Do let me know if you can add to the list. I will try to update the list if I can think of some more as well.



Smile [smahyl] 
–verb
1. To assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, but sometimes derision or scorn, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth.
2. To express by a smile.
–noun
3. The act or an instance of smiling; a smiling expression of the face.
4. A pleasant or agreeable appearance, look, or aspect.

Tuesday 2 September 2008

AnThropocentricity

This entry has two purposes, one to explain the name of the blog, and the other to explain what goes into what I write. At this point of time, all this may seem quite irrelevant to most, but then it will be explained why I wrote this if you read along.

Anthropocentricity is the name of this blog, which you must have noticed. It is a fairly uncommon word, in fact I did not know that it was a word at all till a few moments before I named my blog. I came across this word when I was searching for an appropriate title for my blog, which had to certify certain criteria. Human Beings are the most self centred beings that exist in the universe. The existence of words like narcissism, ego, and the underlying philosophy behind it is a concrete example behind this fact. Anthropocentricity is actually a belief, which shows the height of self obsession. The mere fact that this term actually exists is a glorious indicator of the value humans assign to themselves and their kind. It regards Human beings as the central element of the universe and believes in interpreting reality exclusively in terms of human values and experience.

The reason why my blog is called Anthropocentricity is actually quite simple. I am a self obsessed human being and I love my name. My nickname has been Ant for a fairly long time, which is something which I actually chose and promote at every possible opportunity. Almost everything that I have to name has Ant in it, in some way or the other. For example, my iPod is called AnThropoda, my cell phone is AnTcelliary, my computer is AnT’s Arena and so on. I am sure that by now, you may have understood that it was necessary that my blog name should contain AnT in it. I also consider myself to be a very observant person, so something related to human behaviour was preferred. I tried for AnThropology but it was unavailable, that was when I ran into this term and the rest is evident.

Honestly speaking, and I know it is quite incredible, but, people have actually asked me why I write a blog, so I plan to address that question here. Also, I will write about the factors that influence what I write. The main reason why I write is basically because I enjoy it. It is also one of the best ways for me to blow off steam. I normally begin with an idea and then ponder over it for a while. If I feel that I have sufficient matter for a post, then I get down to writing it. I don’t normally expect people to read what I write, because of which I write on whatever topic that I feel like. Of course, if someone reads it, I appreciate it, and if the bother to leave a comment, then it’s even better.

The topic and my tone of writing are primarily influenced by my mood. I normally have several entries in the pipeline at any given point of time, but not all of them see a final draft. Sometimes I get bored while writing a post, because of which it is scrapped. Being a fairly lazy person, some of my entries, lose their charm because of excessive delays, and hence remain in the pipeline forever. My tone is a very important factor which guides my blog. And later, when I read my blog, I sometimes surprise myself by the tone in which an entry is written. Motivation for writing comes when I am absolutely bored and not in a mood to do anything else. Despite the fact that I like to read, I still consider it as work because of which I normally need some sort of inspiration to key in a post.

I have been criticised for long posts, but that is just the way I write, and although I appreciate the feedback, I don’t think this factor can actually be considered very seriously. My topics range from subtle criticism, humour, personal experiences and observations. I write what I have thought about or planned to write. It is a fairly eclectic selection of matters with no common pattern, at least I couldn’t find one. My topics and content try to reflect a part of myself, and basically my public side. I never really considered myself to be a person who will bother to write anything, but life is full of surprises. I wrote a daily log of my life for more than two years, which for some unknown reasons stopped, and the period in which I didn’t write was one of the most eventful phases of my life. Writing for an audience is really different from writing for yourself, which as one of my friends pointed out is actually very true.

Blogs are a really intriguing concept, and I have had the opportunity to read a number of blogs written by people who I know very well. The name of the blog, the topics, content, style of writing, are unique to the person who wrote them. I really enjoyed reading what others had written, and if I knew the person, then I could actually appreciate and understand the text much better.

I think I should end this now, as I had already tried to address some of these issues with my first post, and I should not drag this on unnecessarily. Enjoy reading, and remember, feedback is always welcome.



an·thro·po·cen·tric [an-thruh-poh-sen-trik] 
–adjective
1. Regarding the human being as the central fact of the universe.
2. Assuming human beings to be the final aim and end of the universe.
3. Viewing and interpreting everything in terms of human experience and values.

an·thro·po·cen·tric·i·ty [an-thruh-poh-sen-tris-i-tee]
–noun
1 The state or quality of being anthropocentric.
2. An anthropocentric interpretation of the universe.