"Those who weep recover more quickly than those who smile"
- Jean Giraudoux
About this Quote
This quote by Jean Giraudoux suggests that expressing emotions, even negative ones, can be advantageous for recovery. Weeping is a sign of psychological distress, and it can be a way to launch bottled-up feelings and tension. By permitting ourselves to cry, we can process our emotions and move on from difficult situations. On the other hand, smiling can be a method to mask our real feelings and prevent handling them. While smiling can be a way to put on a brave face, it can likewise prevent us from completely resolving our feelings and healing from them. For that reason, Giraudoux recommends that those who are willing to express their feelings, even if it suggests weeping, will recuperate quicker than those who attempt to hide their sensations behind a smile.
"Beauty comes from a life well lived. If you've lived well, your smile lines are in the right places, and your frown lines aren't too bad, what more do you need?"
"It scares you: all the noise, the rattling, the shaking. But the look on everybody's face when you're finished and packing, it's the best smile in the world; and there's nobody hurt, and the well's under control"
"Not by appointment do we meet delight Or joy; they heed not our expectancy; But round some corner of the streets of life they of a sudden greet us with a smile"
"I figured out, I guess, that the job just makes me happy if it's not number one. So if it all works, great. If it doesn't, I still go home, look at my kids, and I have a big smile on my face"
