Remember a few years back when “RBF” or resting bitch face became a thing? Well, I happened to be on a girl’s trip at the time when my friends poked fun at me for having the exact opposite, an “RDF” or “resting dolphin face” because I always seemed to look like I was smiling.
This is not self-promote or to pay myself a compliment. Having an “RDF” is not necessarily a good thing. Case in point, on that same trip, we were out to dinner and a group of tourists continually made small talk with me, wondering if I had any advice about the best site-seeing in town or what I did I think of the unusually cold weather. “See,” my one friend with noticeable RBF characteristics joked, “at least I get left alone and people respect my boundaries!” I am often described as “bubbly” or “approachable” and asked how I’m able to be so happy 24/7. The truth is that I’m not – far from it – so the assumption can be off-putting.
Recently, I discovered that RDF or having a tendency to show positive emotional expressions such as smiling or laughing has some science behind it.
According to the research, it is associated with a gene called 5-HTTLPR that is involved in the regulation of serotonin, the neurotransmitter of happiness. A study showed that those who have what’s considered a “short allele” for the gene (vs. a long allele) tend to not only smile more but are also more sensitive to a range of emotions, including negative ones. A short allele of 5-HTTLPR tends to amplifies all emotional reactions, with experiments showing that people with this genetic trait are found to laugh more during a funny movie or easily smile with everyday life moments but can also be greatly affected in emotionally unfavorable situations.
While I don’t know for sure if I have this gene, the science is interesting. Genetics, of course, do not have the last word. There is an obvious interplay between our environment and the mix of genes and dispositions we are born with that makes the “nature vs. nuture” debate so engaging (not only within the field of positive psychology but with regard to so many aspects of human development).
I happen to stand 5’2” – on a good day!- so, if I do have a short 5-HTTLPR allele. it would at least be on brand. But unlike one’s height, there are things that we can all do to regulate our emotional expressions to reflect how we truly feel – whether or not you have an RDF, RBF or anything in between.
As with so much around our behaviors, it begins with awareness and desire. First, begin by paying attention to how you are expressing your emotions. The behavior may seem automatic at first and we may have some default tendencies, but like any habits, you can change these over time if you are not coming across the way you want or intend to. If there are times when your outward expression is not aligning exactly with your internal compass, genes may be an initial factor but, ultimately, they are not the determinant of how you fully express yourself.
And this, my friends, is good news that, dolphin or not, you can smile about.