VM/FAMEFLYNET PICTURES I have something to confess: I suffer from RBFS.
Resting Bitch Face Syndrome.
At any given moment on any given day, my face will contort itself into any combination of scowls, glares or just plain staring problems, complete of its own volition. My eyes narrow as though independent from my happy thoughts. They could burn a hole through another person while I am actually thinking that she looks great in that dress today.
Like my fellow sufferer and soul sister Kourtney Kardashian, I am often mistaken for being in a mood. We travel this difficult journey together, alone in our struggle and the knowledge that we aren't, in fact, meaning to look bitchy. But now it seems as though the RBF's of the world may actually have an advantage—and according to science, no less.
Apparently, women living with RBF actually end up becoming better communicators than their smiley counterparts. According to an article for Quartz by Texas Women's University researcher and consultant Rene Paulson, RBF sufferers can't simply sit back and allow their facial expressions to do the talking for them.
"Women confronted by a world that automatically attaches negative attributes to their non-smiling face must quickly learn how to communicate and also hone a finely-tuned awareness of both our own emotions and the emotions of those around us," she writes in the article. "Women used to being constantly misunderstood focus more on the words someone says, rather than their tone, body cues, or facial expressions, ensuring a more effective flow of information between both parties."
So there you have it. We are not simply overly sarcastic and dry-witted beings, we are communicative geniuses! Geniuses! (We can draw our own conclusions from this article, right?). While everyone is resting on their face laurels, we are trailblazing the world of conflict resolution and oral argument.
Can we get an amen, Kourt?