In case you're unaware, "resting bitch face" is the term used to describe when a person's natural, expressionless face makes it look like they are mad at the world. Whether they are walking down the street or simply spacing out thinking about what to eat for dinner, it's very easy for others to assume that this person is either upset or mad at them. Because of this, those of us with Resting Bitch Face (RBF), and especially us women, have all experienced many of the same situations and conversations, including:
1. People asking if you're mad at them.
Nope, my face might be mad, but I am probably not. If you're hanging out with someone or having a casual conversation, your face naturally conveys to them that you are upset. This can cause some slight confusion or tension, and it's even worse when you don't really know the person. I remember being in the dining hall freshman year and several times being asked by the person swiping me in "if I was okay." Yep, just hungry.
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2. Those people who hand out flyers don't always try to stop you.
It's their job to stop you and either talk to you or try and hand you something, but your face acts as a natural repellent. Whether it's a religious group or just a free coupon book, everyone sees them and gets stopped at least once, especially on a college campus, but often with you they'll see you coming and not bother. Your facial expression makes you look like you were probably just going to ignore them anyway, even if you're the sweetest person and totally okay with chatting. Sometimes, though, this is a beautiful thing when you don't feel like talking or being stopped, so you've embraced the bitch face and maybe even intentionally emphasized it in these situations.
3. Creepy guys telling you to smile.
No. No no no no no. For some reason, far too many guys think it's okay to see a girl minding her own business with her naturally bitchy expression and telling them or straight up yelling at them to "smile." This is never okay, and makes us feel extremely uncomfortable if not unsafe. Just don't.
4. "I thought you were a bitch when I first met you."
Oh, the number of times I've heard this. While it's nice to know that people do realize that you're actually a really nice person, you also recognize that every friend you've ever made didn't like you at first because they thought you were a bitch. Because of this, you make the effort to seem really nice when being introduced to someone to combat your face's natural first impression.
5. People telling you you'd be "so much prettier if you smiled."
Similar to number three, just don't. I smile when I'm happy or have something to smile about, but if I were to walk around all day with a fake smile plastered on my face, frankly that would just look creepy. Not to mention, I'm not going to do it because you think it makes me prettier, which is just rude on so many levels.
6. Doing your makeup and looking great, which somehow intensifies the bitch face.
Because makeup tends to extenuate natural facial features, that means the expression of your RBF is ten times stronger. Especially if your look features a dark lip or intense eye, there's no way to avoid it. But who cares, you look amazing and everyone else can deal with it.
7. Regularly explaining "it's just my face."
Whenever someone thinks I'm upset or angry or asks what's wrong when I'm seriously just spacing out and probably thinking about cats, this is my response. Most people have heard of Resting Bitch Face syndrome, so a quick explanation usually does the trick.
