Do you look thoroughly depressed ALL THE TIME?

[Sheepo]

I do. But I'm not depressed.

After being annoyed by people asking me if I was alright or if something had upset me on a continual basis for literally my entire life, yesterday I relaxed my face muscles so my face was completely blank, turned to my friend, and asked him if I was frowning.

"Well, yeah, you're frowning. Are... you okay?"

I can't think why it's never occurred to me to ask this question before, or why I haven't noticed it when looking in mirrors or so forth. I can only assume it's such a regular and familiar aspect of myself that it never even occurred to me to question it. My default straight face is actually a fairly pronounced frown. The vast majority of my life I've looked quite pathetically sad almost constantly. I"m a very happy person. This explains so much of how people talk to and relate to me. I've been putting forth a different face than I thought I was for the past eighteen years.

I've yet to determine what to do with this knowledge, but I'm sure HL2.net will find my minor personal insight fascinating.

 

[The Monkey]

Good thread.

I've realized that I make faces of uncomfort and distress at random times, often without noticing it. I can't point to any direct consequences to this in terms of my relationship to other people, but I'm sure it hasn't had a positive effect. I have tried to refrain from doing it, but old habits die hard.

 

[dfc05]

Once I was volunteering someplace that involved me standing at a table, cutting fruit into little pieces for people to try. A girl came up and said "Are you alright, you look mad." I wasn't mad at all, maybe just really focused. I don't get that all the time though.

Mostly I get "You look tired."

Oddly, I did get extremely depressed for a few days last week. Full-out not eating or sleeping depressed. Nobody noticed then. :|

 

[Lucid]

Good God, yes.
My neutral face makes it seem like I'm sad or angry.

Everyone's always like "Hey, chin up." or "Smile once in awhile, eh?"

Pretty much in the same boat as ZT.

 

[Krynn72]

I either don't have this problem, or people generally don't care if I am sad or not, because I've never been asked this unless I actually was sad.

Sucks to be you guys/

 

[Yorick]

I'm actually the same way. I'm usually told I look "grumpy".

 

[Bad^Hat]

My 'default' face is somewhere between mild disapproval and utter disinterest, so people don't tend to bug me about it. Of course, it's rarely like that if I'm actually engaging someone, as I'm always intensely aware of what I'm doing with my face to the point where I'm probably straining and twitching like a lunatic at any given moment.

Also, when I think of something sad or something that bothers me, I don't even realize it, but my face either looks extremely depressed or furious, people will be like "You okay dude?"

I get this sometimes, but more often it's the opposite effect. I tend to "forget" I'm not alone when I'm around familiar company, and sometimes my mind will drift off on these happy little tangents, usually provoked by something on the telly, leaving me staring off into space with a huge idiotic grin on my face like some mental. This tends to evoke a less sympathetic reaction from whoever I'm sitting next to.

 

[Slug Advisor]

I tend to tilt my head back when I'm completely neutral, so I end up up walking around with my nose in the air like a complete cock. It would be a pretty fair warning to people that I'm going to condescend them, but I'm generally too shy to do that the first few times I talk to them.

 

[Mogi67]

You guys sound like miserable people, no wonder this place is so drab

 

[Krynn72]

You guys sound like miserable people, no wonder this place is so drab

Nah, see, you're just thinking that because their face makes it look like they're miserable. Just stop looking at their faces.

 

[Warped]

Stop watching the news 24/7. Your life will be more important and you can focus on whats really important in your life than just stressing over how shitty the world is. I for one hate watching the news now, its way too depressing and there really isn't shit I can do about all these problems anyway. But yes a few years back I think I was depressed because everyone always asked me if I was all right at work and at home. People just go through phases is all. And I generally got happier the less I watched the news

but keep in mind I read tech and science news, it the only area of the news industry that actually seems to promote more good news than bad news.

 

[Krynn72]

Maybe you guys really are miserable and depressed. I mean, look at the avatars you all chose. They reflect your default face pretty closely.

 

[Warped]

my avatar dude is one happy mother ****er doing whatever the hell he wants when he wants

 

[Remus]

I on the other hand am a master of the "poker face". I could be boiling with rage inside, and yet my face still looks like I don't give a flying **** about anything.

 

[Dinnesch]

I have exactly the same, people often ask me if i'm mad at them or something(for no apperant reason). Really awkward situations

 

[YROC]

Same here. I actually have to force a smile to make it look like I don't want to rape everyone in my general area. Im just pretty mellow all the time. Not happy, but not really sad.

 

[Slug Advisor]

Krynn

 

[Acepilotf14]

God yes. Everyone thinks I'm always so depressed even if I'm completely happy(which I usually am these days).

 

[Raziaar]

Yeah my resting face looks fairly depressive.

 

[Dekstar]

I'm exactly the same. I was once at my local train station, on the top of the walkway over the tracks, watching for the train (highest point in the station so I could see it coming sooner). I was actually pretty happy, just thinking about what I was going to do with my girlfriend (whom I was picking up from the train). So I was just standing there, and this guy walked up to me and literally said "It's not worth it," to which I was like "what?"
Turns out the guy talking to me was an off-duty policeman, and thought I was thinking about jumping onto the tracks 3 stories below. I had to reassure him that I was happy, and just waiting for my girlfriend, with whom I'd be having lots of sex with later on.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

I either look stoned or perpetually pissed off, depending on who you ask.

 

[The Monkey]

LOL Krynn.

 

[Letters]

I do not have this problem and cannot relate at all.

Good day.

 

[Absinthe]

I can manage some pretty elastic facial expressions when I'm talking to people, but I've been told my "normal mode" face when just walking around looks kind of pissed off. I can pull a furrowed brow for a pretty lengthy session.

 

[Sheepo]

That's wrong in my case Krryn. If you think my avatar is frowning you need dog-glasses. That's the kind of indifferent face I wish I had.

Once I was volunteering someplace that involved me standing at a table, cutting fruit into little pieces for people to try. A girl came up and said "Are you alright, you look mad." I wasn't mad at all, maybe just really focused. I don't get that all the time though.

Yeah, I feel like when I'm busy with a task or thinking about things it gets even worse. One of my main concerns is when I'm at a job or something, because people generally mention these sorts of things to me more there. It's just how I look like when I focus.

Also, I'm always concerned I'm not getting enough sleep and feel tired. I'm a little anxious about whether people will notice what I think are huge bags under my eyes but it never seems to happen.

 

[Danimal]

I'm one of those people that sit there all stoic and stone-faced until the moment somebody I know steps into the fray.

 

[Raziaar]

I'm exactly the same. I was once at my local train station, on the top of the walkway over the tracks, watching for the train (highest point in the station so I could see it coming sooner). I was actually pretty happy, just thinking about what I was going to do with my girlfriend (whom I was picking up from the train). So I was just standing there, and this guy walked up to me and literally said "It's not worth it," to which I was like "what?"
Turns out the guy talking to me was an off-duty policeman, and thought I was thinking about jumping onto the tracks 3 stories below. I had to reassure him that I was happy, and just waiting for my girlfriend, with whom I'd be having lots of sex with later on.

That's what he meant wasn't worth it. The girlfriend!

 

[Danimal]

"I won't jump. For $50."

 

[Yuri]

i really want to see a picture is that possible?

 

[Naudian]

About 80% of the time.

Every time.

I think a lot of people constantly look like they're frowning...I never ask anyone "are you okay?" because I know how f*ing annoying that is. Usually I stick with "What's going on?" if I'm concerned.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

This was fun to make

 

[StarBob]

I always look good. I just sit with my normal face and everyone is happy with me.

 

[Naph]

Apparently I brood.

 

[JUL3]

Apparently I stare into people's souls with my Emo-Buddhist eyes and make them as depressed looking as I am.

LOLJK People don't have souls.

 

[MJ12]

Oh also, when I think about ****ing, I sometimes stare off blankly while raising one eyebrow and biting my lip. It's pretty awkward once I realize I am doing it.

 

[Yuri]

show me pictures of your retarded faces i want to judge you nerds

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I've been told I look kind of angry.

 

[Maestro]

Could sworn this topic was going to be an advertisement for some gag product.

I have a legitimately neutral neutral face. Y'all need to buck the **** up.

 

[Stylo]

Haha, I can relate to this. My default face is like a "I am not impressed by anything" face. When I was in year 3 at school my teacher actually wrote on my end of year report that I was a good worker but I was "Dull and sullen". Thanks Miss Leach. Love you too.

I'm pretty much a relaxed guy and I don't really take many things seriously unless it's something that really calls for it. I just don't look massively happy at all with my neutral expression.

I don't really have a problem with people asking me if I'm alright though. Generally I'm quite illustrative in mannerism, I use my hands and arms a lot and my facial expressions go all over the place so my neutral face is only really there when I'm concentrating or carrying out a mundane task.

 

[morgs]

I do get annoyed when my family especially (no one else would bother to ask) say things to me like "You've been acting off lately" or "Are you ok? You seem quiet" when there's nothing wrong. It actually puts me in a frustrated mood which doesn't help.