Smiling is a facial expression that is understood by everyone, regardless of culture, race, or religion; it is internationally known. In the lecture held at the University of TED in 2011, Ron Gutman, founder of the HealthTap Company, states that a simple smile has the power to make things better. Accordingly, he refers to a smile as a superpower. He explains that the act of smiling itself makes you feel better rather than smiling being a result of feeling good. So the purpose of this lecture may have been to encourage one’s ability to smile and be happy even in the hardest of times. Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling which reveals some surprising results and discusses how smiling is contagious and beneficial.
He starts off his lecture by revealing some logical facts about the hidden power of a smile. For instance, a study which measured smiles of students in a high school yearbook photos to look what the students’ lives were after decades, found that widest smilers were more likely to be in a long-lasting marriage and to have a better sense of personal well-being. Another study found that the span of major league baseball players’ smiles in their photos predicted longevity. Gutman surprises the gathering by revealing that we are actually born smiling as technology shows that babies appear to smile even in the womb. Therefore, it is one of the most basic biological expressions of all humans and we are part of naturally smiling species.
Smiling is evolutionary contagious and we have a hidden innate drive to smile when we see one. This occurs even among strangers when we have no intention to connect with the other person. Gutman interacts with the audience by asking if they smile more than 20 times a day. Then he mentions that one-third of people smile less than 5 times a day, which shocks the audience. At that point he states that in fact those with the most amazing super powers are children, who smile as four hundred times per day. He supports his claim by revealing a study which showed that it’s very difficult to frown when looking at someone who smiles. Furthermore, he tells that smiling stimulates our brain’s reward mechanisms in a way that even chocolate, a well-regarded pleasure-inducer, cannot match. Also, he says that smiling can be as stimulating as receiving up to 16,000 Pounds Sterling in cash and 2000 bars of chocolate, I find this very humorous. He keeps the enthusiasm in the audience by saying that at 400 daily smiles, some children feel like Mark Zuckerberg every day. And unlike lots of chocolate, lots of smiling can actually make you healthier and appealing since smiling can help people have a better immune system and a stress free life.

Ron Gutman is the CEO and Founder of the Interactive Health Company HealthTap. He is a recognized thought leader in health and innovation. Gutman frequently speaks at technology and health conferences which make him qualified and experienced about the knowledge of human well-being. Moreover, from the beginning of the speech he appeared to be likable so I felt he was someone worth listening to. Gutman uses various facts and figures to support his claim and thesis. This logical appeal in his lecture not only enhances his credibility but also the excitement in the audience. However, his speech does not solely rely on pathos as he does not arouse much of the emotions in the audience. Gutman walks freely around the platform and uses his expression accurately which makes him appear comfortable and casual throughout the lecture. Also, I find his accent very easy to understand. He often interacts with the audience by asking questions which keeps the eagerness of the gathering. Additionally, he frequently uses visual effects rather than endless speech which would have been lifeless. Nonetheless, he appears clumsy at times which cause the crowd to lose attention on the subject matter.
In my opinion, I mostly agree with Ron Gutman because he reminded people of something they have forgotten and made them realize that such simple act can make everything better. Now I believe that smiling for no reason is not as a result of insanity but because you want to feel better. I personally believe in the power of smiling since it can lighten up a mood, decrease stress, make you appear more confident and most importantly bring happiness to another person’s day. Why do women and teenage girls spend money on makeup and cosmetic procedures to look more attractive? In my opinion the most beautiful face in the world will not be pleasing with down turned lips and a sour expression. I trust that a plain face can be transformed by the power of a smile. One of my goals every day is to smile whether to myself or to someone else, even a complete stranger, regardless of the mood I am in. Yet, I doubt whether smiling at people for no useful reason will send a wrong impression. For instance, if someone smiles at another who belongs to the other gender, they might feel that he or she is interested in them. Nevertheless, smiling is what grounds me; it makes me feel more in control every day. It reminds me that, despite the fast pace of life, I must remember to be happy and appreciate the little things in life. After listening to Ron Gutman I trust that Smiling would help me overcome times of fear and anxiety. Sometimes, when no words can be spoken, a smile is all that is needed to fill the air. I like the speech because it encouraged me to smile even more. . “A smile is a little curve that sets a lot of things straight”, so I learnt that a simple expression which takes only three seconds and no amount of effort has a huge impact on a person’s life .Hence, we should keep spreading it.