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If you are wondering how to keep a straight face, then chances are you are overwhelmed by unwanted social interactions.
Imagine you are sitting in a library, trying hard to focus on writing a literature review, but out of the blue, an annoying friend appears and starts pushing you to hang out with them.
No matter how much you refuse them with courtesy, once you smile (even if that’s a nervous smile), you will find yourself sitting in a café sipping tasteless coffee in the middle of nowhere, wondering why did you even give in? Why the other person never takes” no” as an answer from you?
The culprit is not your credulous nature but your face! Yes, your lovely face. You heard it right. Maybe you are aware of this, and it is exactly why you are tirelessly searching for an ultimate guide of how to keep a straight face.
So cheers! You are at the right place. Let us talk about some magical tips and techniques about how to keep a straight face. But first lets’ look at what is a straight face?
What is a Straight Face?
A straight face is a kind of blank facial expression that doesn’t show any signs of emotions. It is often practiced in professional settings, and some people naturally have a straight face, also referred to as “Resting bit*h Face.”
However, some people keep a straight face occasionally when they want to come across as a firm, are in a bad mood, or meet strangers. Having a straight face or trying to maintain one is not a bad thing at all. We all know that we can’t act nice 24/7, and sometimes it prevails fakeness.
8 Amazing Tips on How to Keep a Straight Face
1. Try to take a deep breath.
This simple trick can work wonders for you. If you try to take a deep breath, then you won’t be able to laugh at that particular moment because physiologically, it is not possible to laugh while breathing deeply.
So if you are on the verge of smiling back or broke into laughter when you are trying hard to look serious, then try this technique. You can practice it much often, and the other person wouldn’t notice it at all if you do it smartly.
2. Bite your cheeks – How to Keep a Straight Face!
Now, this is something that sounds insane and a little painful, but it serves its purpose well. If you think that you are unable to maintain a straight face, then bite your cheeks (not very forcefully).
This will not only remind you that you have to keep a straight face but also immediately control your impulse of laughter due to that subtle pain.
It can distract you. Another plus point is, the other person may never judge.
3. Think of something serious
If you start thinking about some severe thing at that particular moment, it will drag your mind from immediately giving off the reaction i.e., smile/laughter.
This is a little tricky because you are not always in a mood of thinking something serious out of nowhere, knowingly, that it can ruin your entire mood.
But we assure you that the benefit of keeping a straight face is going to outweigh this. You won’t regret it later on.
4. Pretend coughing or sneezing
This one is only suggested if you know the art of faking it without embarrassing yourself. This is slightly difficult than the previously mentioned tips because it can have a reverse effect too.
It can trigger your urge to laugh, and the other person is going to catch you easily.
5. Look somewhere else – How to Keep a Straight Face!
Look at the other direction of the person you are trying to avoid. This will provide you a necessary distraction.
Looking somewhere else will also shift away from your focus from the current situation, which is a good thing if you want to maintain a straight face. You can also look at your feet or some object.
6. Try to keep the piece moving
If you are giving a presentation or acting in a play, the response of audiences such as their laughter or claps can make you distracted, and that is when your broken momentum is going to make you feel hesitant.
Do not give in to that hesitation and laugh/smile because of it. Continue delivering your speech. Don’t be stuck at what you already said but focus on what you are about to say next. This is going to keep in place and help you maintain a straight face rather than giving in to temptation.
7. Practice Beforehand – How to Keep a Straight Face!
Try to practice your “straight face” beforehand by trying to remain focus on it. If you are practicing it often then, it would be easier for you to maintain it spontaneously. Over time it will start looking natural.
8. Be firm with your approach
You can’t keep a straight face if the rest of your body language is not well-aligned with it. You need to perfect this art by making your body language firm. Straighten up your posture and make eye contact during conversations.
This is going to catalyze your maintenance of a straight face. The other person will take you more seriously.
What are the Advantages of Keeping a Straight Face?
Here are some common benefits of having a straight face:
1. “Do not mess with me.”
People will try not to mess with you. They will not become unnecessarily frank by perceiving you as ‘sweet.’ They are not going to push you while standing in a queue or take away a bite off your favorite nachos.
2. Goodbye, laugh line wrinkles!
Practicing a straight face or having it naturally will give you lesser laugh line wrinkles, which is good news for your older age.
3. Annoying people around you? Say no more.
Bad interactions do not proceed further because your straight face gets the message across. It’s a “no” written all over it. No one wants to deal with it, especially the shallow ones.
4. Coolness – How to Keep a Straight Face!
People think that you have your shit together. It makes you appear well-composed, which is a cool thing!
5. Pro-poker face
You are a master of poker face. No one will know when you are lying, which is quite sinister but sort of an excellent, timely advantage on your plate.
6. Who knew laughter could be meaningful too?
When you laugh, people will know that it is genuine. Your laughter becomes meaningful, like never before.
Good news: High-end fashion models and celebrities have it too! Being giggly is out of fashion these days.
What are the Disadvantages of Keeping a Straight Face?
1. The Eternal Annoyance
You have to keep explaining to others that you are not in a bad mood. People are always going to judge that you are grumpy. This is going to annoy you a lot because you are labeled as an angry bird, a madman.
2. “Sorry, not today!”- How to Keep a Straight Face!
You look uninterested even if you are not. This can give a wrong impression of you. People may consider you as someone who wouldn’t care about anything. You are going to be severely judged on this.
3. Your anger is normalized even if its’ not!
When you are annoyed by someone, you cannot make it clear because people are already used to your straight face. This is problematic because the other person wouldn’t get the message and in turn, wouldn’t leave you alone.
4. “Please tell me first impressions do not last longer”…
When it comes to first impressions, people think that you are mean and rude. They will think twice before approaching you. This can make you feel left out at times.
5. Gosh! This awkwardness!- How to Keep a Straight Face!
It can make social interactions awkward. If you are trying to be friendly with someone, in general, they are going to look at you with suspicion. If you are without any friends in part then chances are strangers will not approach you in as much to give you a company.
Conclusion – How to Keep a Straight Face!:
You can easily dodge disadvantages of a straight face if that’s not your natural face.
However, you can always practice it for your advantage. These days our lives are full of so much hustle and bustle that there is no time or energy to spare for unnecessary drama. Some people are bad at taking subtle hints. They are not going to understand what is inconvenient for you rather; they are going to force their presence or try to drain you continually.
In such cases, having a straight face is an absolute necessity because it adds up to your seriousness and allows other people to know the gravity of your approach.
If people do not take you seriously, then chances are you are used to giving off soft expressions like smiling and not maintaining eye contact or being too nice to make your point get across firmly. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to give up on your best traits like smiling at others, but sometimes a smile invites drama and gives people leverage.
That’s when a straight face can fight for your justice!
FAQs on How To Keep a Straight Face:
How to Keep a Straight Face in Humorous Interpretation?
You can use the following tips in a humorous situation, Don’t look at your audience, bite your tongue and keep your speech or piece doing.
How can I get a serious face?
You can do it by not giving eye contact with people around you, cross your arms, stay quiet and maintain a serious expression on your face.
How can you make attractive facial expressions?
You can look attractive by giving a slight smile to someone, maintain a good body posture and apply a light makeup that matches your outfit.
How can I hold my laugh back?
Sometimes in some serious situations, you have to hold back your laugh, for that, you need to distract your mind from the current situation that makes you laugh badly. Try to control it by realizing the seriousness of the situation.
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