But if the people around me arent smiling, doesnt that add cognitive dissonance to the illusions i maintain as a prophylactic between me and the world i refuse to fix and regularly make worse?
I think it does, and it makes me sad when they do, so it's a personal attack.
I don't think it necessarily takes a "controlling personality" to tell somebody to smile more. It can totally be the case, but it can also be a misguided attempt at giving unsolicited advice. Would it be better for everyone if people smiled more? Absolutely, but it's not always possible, and telling somebody to do it is unlikely to help.
Early on during covid, when most of us were wearing masks, I had a guy look at me and I should smile.
I stared at him with my mask covered face.
He realized suddenly and fucking skedaddled like the dingus he was. I laughed about it at home later.