Picture this: You’re strolling through your local Target, tossing unnecessary items in your red plastic cart with every stranger you pass.
You make polite eye contact with them because that’s what you’re “supposed” to do when suddenly, the corners of their mouths turn up with the hint of a smile. You panic and your palms begin to sweat as you think to yourself, “Wait, do I know them? Why are they smiling at me?” You smile back to be polite, and then it hits you-- you were making the face again.
It’s not uncommon to hear someone declare that they have “resting bitch face,” a facial expression among the large majority of the female population that comes across as stern, intimidating and, well, bitchy. But, what happens to the rest of females who, rather than having a facial setting that screams “don’t talk to me,” has a warm and inviting aesthetic that indirectly draws people into starting a conversation with them, and what do we call it? After scouring the internet for answers, I finally stumbled across the name I’d been searching for: Golden Retriever Face.
Golden Retriever Face, says Total Sorority Move, is exactly what it sounds like. It’s described as looking “content and calm, yet excited.” Think about it, when a Golden Retriever is just hanging out, it still has the corners of its mouth turned up in an inviting smile-- there’s absolutely nothing menacing about them. Despite our welcoming look and kind nature that comes with it, having Golden Retriever Face is a struggle-- here are 22 of them:
1. People think that you want to hear about their problems.
2. ...which means you tend to know everything there is to know about everyone.
3. There’s nothing intimidating about you.
4. Even when you try to come across as intimidating, you still look kind.
5. People automatically assume that you’re willing to do their tasks for them.
6. ...but you swear, it’s just your face.
7. You can’t go somewhere without a stranger striking up a conversation with you.
8. ...like old ladies.
9. ...and your cashier.
10. It’s against your nature to shut down conversations with strangers.
11. ...so you just smile and nod along.
12. People tend to take your kindness as a sign of weakness.
13. ...because you’re always sporting an inherently goofy grin.
14. Babies, small children and animals are drawn to you.
15. People trust you with everything.
16. People always think you want to be in photographs.
17. Your kindness is easily mistaken for flirting.
18. People always sit next to you in public places.
19. Your cheeks actually hurt from smiling too much.
20. People think you’re always in a good mood.
