美好心灵：保持微笑的五大好处
"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." -- Thich Nhat Hahn
有时候你笑起来是因为你高兴，有时候你笑着笑着就高兴起来了。——一行禅师
We often tend to associate smiling as the result of a positive event or mood. But research demonstrates that the act of smiling, in and of itself, can be the catalyst for joy. Wonderful things, ranging from an improved mood to a better relationship, can be the result of the simple act of smiling. Even better, it is a tool that is free, easy and always available. So turn the corners of your mouth upwards and read on about five scientifically backed reasons why you should smile (a lot) more. Hopefully, by the time you're done you'll have learned something new and will be in a better mood!
我们通常认为微笑是喜事或喜悦的产物，可研究表明微笑本身也能够催化喜悦的心情。从提升情绪到增进感情，只要微笑就可能发生一切美妙的事情。更棒的是，微笑不要钱也不用教，随时随地就可以笑。现在就扬起嘴角看看微笑的五大好处吧，这可都是有科学依据的，也许看完这篇文章你就会有新的领悟和更好的心情。
1) You'll Feel Better, Emotionally and Physically
1. 微笑对情绪和身体都有好处
Smiling, even when you aren't feeling happy, can help shift your mood. Darwin posited, back in 1872, that making changes in our facial expressions can shift our emotional experience, something he called facial feedback response theory. Psychological research has validated Darwin's assertion that expressions do not just result from moods, but actually influence them. Additionally, research by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman at the University of Kansas demonstrated that smiling can alter our stress response by slowing down the heart rate and decreasing perceived levels of stress regardless of whether the person actually feels happy or not. So instead of waiting for something to happen around you to make you happy, take the power into your own hands and smile your way to a better mood.
哪怕在你并不开心的时候，微笑也有助于提升情绪。早在1872年，达尔文就提出面部反馈响应理论，假设面部表情的改变也会使情绪体验发生转变。心理学研究证实了达尔文的说法，表情不只是被心情决定，反过来也影响心情。另外，堪萨斯大学的克拉夫特和普莱斯曼研究发现，微笑可以减缓心跳速率，降低感压程度，从而改变一个人的应激反应，这与这个人到底开不开心没有什么关系。与其等着周围发生点让你开心的事情，不如靠你自己笑出好心情。
2) It May Help You Live Longer
2. 笑能延年益寿
Smiling more may actually extend your lifespan. Research out of Wayne State University which examined the smiles of baseball players in headshots from the 1952 season found that players with largest smiles lived an average of 79.9 years, two years longer than the average lifespan in the United States. The players who didn't smile at all in their photos lived an average of 72.9 years, seven years less than those with the biggest grins. Additionally, the research by Kraft and Pressman cited above, indicates that smiling may improve heart health by decreasing heart rate after stressful events. So, adding smiling to your health regime of eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising may just add a few years to your life.
微笑能延长你的寿命。韦恩州立大学的一项研究从1952年赛季开始测算棒球运动员头部特写中的笑容，发现笑得最灿烂的那些平均活到了79.9岁，比美国人的平均寿命长了2年。那些拍照时根本不笑的平均活了72.9岁，比笑容灿烂的那些少活了7年。另外，前文引用的克拉夫特和普莱斯曼的研究表明微笑能改善心脏的健康状况，因为微笑能在重压下减缓心率。在吃好睡好做运动的健康体制上再加上微笑，没准还能多活好些年呢。
3) You Will Make Someone Else's Day
3. 能给别人一天好心情
When Mother Teresa said "Everytime you smile at someone, it is... a gift to that person, a beautiful thing" she was right. One study conducted by Hewlett Packard found that seeing another's smile stimulated the heart and brain more so than eating chocolate, having sex, or receiving money. This was particularly true when viewing the smile of a child. Additionally, research has demonstrated smiling may actually be contagious. Research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology examined mimicry, the tendency to mimic the emotional expressions of those around us, and found that it is actually hard to frown when someone else is smiling.
特蕾莎修女曾经说过：“你每次对别人笑都是礼物，是美好的东西。”她是对的。惠普公司进行了一项研究，发现看见别人的微笑对心脏和大脑的刺激胜过吃巧克力、做爱或是收到钱。看到小孩的笑容的时候尤其是这样。另外，研究还发现微笑是会有传染性的。《斯堪的纳维亚心理期刊》上发表了一项研究，检测了人倾向于模仿周围人情感表达的这一特性，发现别人在笑的时候是很难皱起眉头的。
4) Your Relationships Will Be Stronger
4. 微笑能增进感情
People who smile more may have longer and more successful marriages. A 2001 study by Keltner and Harker evaluated women's smiles in yearbook photos and found that those who had more prominent smiles were more satisfied with their marriages at age 52. A similar study published in 2009 found a correlation between smiles in photographs and divorce rates. The larger the smile, the less likely divorce was later in life. Conversely, those with the smallest smiles or no smiles, were five times more likely to be divorced. So what does the smile have to do with marriage? People who smile more tend to be more optimistic, joyful and emotionally stable which lends itself to healthier relationships.
爱笑的人的婚姻通常更长久，更成功。2001年，凯尔特纳和哈克在一项研究中评估了年鉴照片中女性的笑容，他们发现笑容比较灿烂的妇女在52岁时对婚姻更满意。2009年有一项类似研究发现照片中的笑容和离婚率有相关性。笑得越是灿烂，日后离婚的可能性就越小，相反，那些笑意浅淡或是根本不笑的，离婚的可能性有五倍那么高。所以微笑和婚姻有什么关系呢?爱笑的人更乐观，快乐，有着稳定的有利于健康的积极情绪。
5) Give a Boost to How Others Perceive You
5. 让别人对你印象更好
People who smile more are generally perceived to be more trustworthy, sincere, sociable and competent than their frowning peers. Additionally, a study by Orbit Complete found that 70 percent of people find women more attractive when they are smiling than when they are wearing makeup.
人们通常觉得爱笑的人比爱皱眉头的同事更可靠，真诚，善交际且有竞争力。另外，“Orbit Complete”做过一项研究，发现70%的人觉得女性笑起来的时候比化了妆更有魅力。
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