Embracing My Resting Bitch Face
With the exception of my iPhone 6, my resting bitch face is one of my most cherished accessories. Having the ability to sit stone-faced through every interaction is a skill worthy of admiration and respect.
People can say stupid things, hurtful things even condescending things, and through it all my expressionless face remains the same.
If I had to describe the look, I'd describe it as a mixture of boredom, with a dash of mean sprinkled with a touch of disinterest.
My face, beautiful as it is, gets me in trouble because it seems people don't really like stoic, emotionless women. But this quality is revered in men. Oh, how I love double standards.
I'm expected to be sweet, docile and full of joy, all the time. And when I'm not, this results in me getting unsolicited comments like "you need to smile more" or my favorite, "no one finds you approachable". Really? How should I fix that for them? Let me guess by changing who I am to comfort them. Well, it sucks to be those complaining jerks because it ain't gonna happen. I'm too old for that. What you see is what you get!
I'd love it if the world would show more appreciation to for the individuals with resting bitch face, instead of always highlighting our flaws. Because we, the keepers of the resting bitch face, keep things interesting!
Here are a few reasons why I love my resting bitch face, and why you should embrace yours too...
It projects quiet confidence
I've been called a snob, stuck up and standoffish, none of which is true. While these individuals may see me this way, here's what I see; I see a woman confident in her skin. I know how people perceive me and I love me even more because their opinions don't matter!
It makes us mysterious
For all the flack my resting bitch face gets, people are totally intrigued by it. It makes me mysterious, captivating and alluring because I'm not easy to figure out. Behavioral researchers, Jason Rogers and Abbe Macbeth, have even studied the RBF in an effort to figure out what makes people categorize a seemingly expressionless face as a resting bitch face. Their conclusion...the RBF isn't totally expressionless, apparently there is an element of contempt in these seemingly neutral expressions. I'd say there's some truth to that. If someone consistently questioned your facial expressions, you'd show contempt for them too.
Has a commanding presence
With one look, we can shut down an unruly child, reign in a nagging coworkers and stop the annoying "hey baby, you need to smile" conversations before it starts.
It's okay to be seen as unapproachable
I'm cool with being seen as unapproachable. No really, I'm truly okay with that. As I mentioned previously on this blog, sometimes people see me as mean and unfriendly. They will avoid asking me for help and ask others for assistance instead. You know what? It's their loss. I'm an amazing person and if you're easily scared off by my neutral facial expression, then we're not meant to be friends or engage on any level. I'd prefer to have friends that are open-minded.
No judgemental fools allowed!
