If you're like myself, or actress Anna Kendrick, you have probably heard and are tired of hearing lines like "Are you okay?” "I thought you didn't like me when we first met" or "You should smile more". I am constantly asked and told these lines because I unfortunately suffer from what is known today as the Resting B*tch Face, or RBF, syndrome.
RBF is defined as someone, usually a woman, who has an emotionless face that makes her seem sad or mad. Because I often fit this definition perfectly, people always assume that something is wrong and bothering me. I promise that it's just my face. I'm more than likely just making a mental checklist of what I need to do for the rest of my day or week, or I'm probably thinking about what food I want to eat next. Most of the time it's the latter and I get lost imagining all the possibilities.
Another common and unfortunate assumption that happens when you have RBF is that people are constantly thinking you are judging them. I’m not going to lie, every now then I unconsciously judge people in my head (you're a liar if you say you don't) but I snap right out of it as soon as I get back to reality. In all honesty, if I am looking at your direction with a RBF, I am either admiring at how someone can be so beautiful or how I really like a piece of clothing or accessory you're wearing and thinking of ways in my head of how I can bring it up into conversation.
I was never aware or conscious of how my face might make others feel until I was regularly asked and told the same lines in the span of one week during my senior year in high school. It wasn’t until then that I started trying very hard, especially with new people, to make my face as friendly and approachable as possible. I do this by reminding myself to smile and look happy whenever I am around people who may not be familiar with my RBF.
In the end, I realized that I don’t need to please people with the way my face may be perceived by strangers. Yes, I may seem rude at first but I promise that I’m not and you should probably not judge a book by its cover. My family and friends accept me just the way I am and that’s all that really matters. So ladies (and some gentlemen), be proud of your RBF if you have it and don’t let others make you think that you’re not a happy person.
