Many people will be experiencing painful emotions in the times to come. For some this will manifest as fear and guilt; for others, shame at not being able to meet performance expectations.
Asking these people to « make an effort » or « smile a little » has a name in psychology: surface acting. Very damaging, this request to act « as if » everything was going well creates emotional dissonance and weakens commitment, well-being and motivation.
To imagine that holding back tears is all it takes to be less unhappy is to forget that sincerity is an important source of serenity.
[accordion title=’By Adrien Chignard’]
[/accordion]