Those who usually frowned in photos when they were children and
teenagers are five times more likely to get divorced later in life than those
who smiled in their photos. The
more intensely you smiled in childhood photos, the less likely that you’ll
divorce later in life. (I’ll bet parents are going to examine their kids’
photos, reading this.)
That’s what
psychology professor Matt Hertenstein concluded from his study.
Wonder what it means that he looks faintly uncomfortable as an adult in this
photo.
Yet Matt’s team also concludes that this finding does not necessarily support the notion that happiness is contagious.
Also smiling for photos does not necessarily cause a good marriage, yet bright smiling and an enduring marriage are somehow connected.
Looking back at my childhood photos I often had a mild smile and that deer in headlights look. Without seeing the photos Matt conjectured that might rate me a 5 out of 10. In other words smack dab in the middle of the “smile intensity scale.” And I am divorced.
