Thread: Smile for the people

Why Europeans smile to all? Why Russian do not do it?

See this http://masterrussian.net/mforum/view...B1%D0%BA%D0%B0

Originally Posted by Linna

Why do Europeans smile at everyone? Why don't Russians do it?

Because in Russia, everyone is a potential threat until they are found to be friendly. Whereas in other places it is customary for strangers to be greeted as a friend until they show themselves to be an enemy.
I think it has something to do with "Christian ethics" being successfully taught in the West, while the Orthodox Church in Russia never really accomplished a lot. (All pomp and ceremony and tradition but little substance)
So therefore we have the survival of the fittest mentality still in Russia.
Anyway that is my theory.

Because Europeans are happy and Russians are miserable.

Obviously.

Originally Posted by DDT

Because in Russia, everyone is a potential threat until they are found to be friendly.

Meh... it's because in Russia you don't have to smile for people to like you, so noone bother. Saves you an effort.

I think it has something to do with "Christian ethics" being successfully taught in the West, while the Orthodox Church in Russia never really accomplished a lot. (All pomp and ceremony and tradition but little substance)

Sorry, it looks like you know nothing about the Orthodox faith.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Sorry, it looks like you nothing about the Orthodox faith.

If Orthodox church had accomplished instilling Christian values into the people, there would not have been enough people to accept the Bolsheviks and Communism.
Russian life since 1,000 years ago has been one measure of dog eat dog, survival of the toughest and serfdom. Russians respect power and if that power is Russian...even better.

Thanks for corrections.
In my opinion Russians are just sincere. Their smiles indicate their sympathy to interlocutor or their mood. Smile displays their inner condition. There are less "Smiles on duty" in Russia. (I mean "дежурные улыбки").

Originally Posted by DDT

If Orthodox church had accomplished instilling Christian values into the people, there would not have been enough people to accept the Bolsheviks and Communism.

А если в этом предложении заменить Православие на Католицизм/Протестантизм, и большевиков на фашистов?

I know a lot of Russians that smile a lot. There is just a difference in the appropriate time to smile. If I don't smile at every cashier I encounter or every person I don't know when I'm out in public, am I crazy?

After I moved to Russia I quit smiling at strangers too.

sounds nicer than here, where if you are not smiling, then complete strangers come up to you and demand you smile for them.

Originally Posted by Linna

Why Europeans smile to all? Why Russian do not do it?

Мои версии:
- Потому что в Европе не улыбаться опасно. Например, неандертальцы забыли улыбнуться, когда встретились в Европе с кроманьонцами.
- В России от улыбки на морозе кожа лопнет.

When we (Russian) do smile, our smile is genuine, not fake like in 75% of the American smiles.
We even have a song about smile [video:1whd6f54]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgXRqEUXIug[/video:1whd6f54]
От улыбки станет всем светлей и слону и даже маленькой улитке.

If somebody will smile without the reason when talkinkg to me then I will think that he considering me funny, that he believe that I am a clown etc. I will think that he is not considering me serious. The best thing I can do in such a case is stop talking with such impolite person.

Sometimes sellers cheat me, making me to pay more than I should. I noticed that they smiled all times they cheat me! They use smile to distract my attention.

Russian proverb:
«Смех без причины — признак дурачины»
It means «if somebody smiling without the reason then he is mentally ill» (in mental houses you can often see people walking around and smiling continuously).
Another one:
«Улыбайтесь! Это всех раздражает!»
It means «Smile! That annoy everyone!» (If you smiling while it is hard time for the society then you are hard-hearted and ignore common hardships).

Also it is impossible to work and smile at the same time. So, if someone is smiling at the workplace, then he is not working at the moment and doing something irrelevant. Then, if the boss will come and see that somebody is smiling, then he will know that the woker is not working (maybe he reading funny stories at the Internet instead).

Originally Posted by SAn

If somebody will smile without the reason when talkinkg to me then I will think that he considering me funny, that he believe that I am a clown etc.

Невозможно, что он просто считает разговор приятным? Я как-то раз гулял по Парижу с русской девушкой, и её удивило то, что я не улыбался. Словно мне было скучно, а она-то шла улыбаясь, хоть русская. Я не уверен, что в действительности русские улыбаются меньше, чем «западные». Человек я не улыбающийся, хоть француз французом.

Originally Posted by Zubr

Человек я неулыбающийся,

Лучше - неулыбчивый.

хоть француз французом.

Ты отлично освоил эту конструкцию

Originally Posted by SAn

Also it is impossible to work and smile at the same time. So, if someone is smiling at the workplace, then he is not working at the moment and doing something irrelevant.

SAn, I most disagree with you on this one 1,000%.

You have no idea how many times I have smiled and even laughed with joy once I have solved a problem that I have worked on. Sometimes for days I would work on getting the exact linking formulas correct in spreadsheets and all my numbers correct....to see that they all do and my work balances. Or a presentation that you have been slaving over day and night and rewriting, perfecting and then...then you find the perfect word and it is finished...the elation and euphoria that comes over one... a smile cannot but help escape one's lips.

It starts very slowly at the corners and then, it creeps ever so wider until it takeover your mouth and you have no help of holding it back, it must SAn, let loose and who cares who sees it?

You say that you smile when the work is done.

But I'm talking about smiling during the work.

Originally Posted by SAn

You say that you smile when the work is done.

But I'm talking about smiling during the work.

I still disagree with you and let me try another example that you might relate better to....

I have seen your amazing photographs (and I do mean that honestly) and my girls work with photographers all the time. These photographers are professionals... it is their JOB... yet WHILE they are working they are smiling, they are happy as they are taking the photographs. Knowing that the art they are creating is beautiful and will make not only their boss and clients happy, yet people happy or products sold.

They enjoy their work. They smile while they work and usually the boss and client are there as well seeing them smile and they are smiling too (IF they like what they see on the computer monitor of course). Yes, sometimes I have seen them VERY serious and not smiling, but more times then not, they are smiling and happy.

SAn, smiling while working does not mean you do not take your work seriously, it can mean that you actually enjoy what you do for living.

Well, I'm Russian but live in Europe. I prefer to see a smiling face while working, that gives me a kind of motivation, i.e. I see that people are satisfied with my work. And it's much more pleasant to see smiles on people's faces than a dull and displeased face.