On wearing a shit eating grin - From a 16th century knight's armor to Donald Trump

A Steemit exclusive essay about the advantages of a technique of communication.

I.

Last year I went on a sightseeing trip to Nuremberg, the old german town in Franconia. One of the attractions there is the Germanic National Museum (Germanisches Nationalmuseum). In the exibition of germanic heritage was a hall filled with a collection of late medieval knight's armor. Many where nice to look at but not very special:

(Source

But among these typical knight's armors there was a very special one, of a kind I haven't seen before:

This one seems to be the armor of the most badass knight ever. The helmet shows a perfect shit eating grin. Who ever had worn this armor wanted to tell his enemies, that he didn't give a shit.

According to the museum tag, this knight's armor was made by the master brand (Meistermarke) Wolf Großschedel in Landshut (Bavaria) in 1525. The smirk face on the helmet is named a grimace visor (Fratzenvisier).

Some month later, while watching some debates in the US presidential election I've seen another shit eating grin, that reminded me of this knight's helmet:

Donald Trump, now the 45th President of the United States of America, is known for his perfect shit eating grin:

And he's not the only one that's using this kind of grin constantly:

Yes, that's the mask of Anonymous. Or more precisely, the mask of Guy Fawkes, one of the conspirators in the English Gunpower Plot from 1605, that was designed for the movie V for Vendetta. And of course the Joker, here personated by Jack Nicholson.

Some say, that such a grin is silly and stupid. But I say, it's a really smart technique of communication.

II.

Before I give reasons for the advantages, that one can get by using such a shit eating grin, I would like to define it.

According to the UrbanDictionary.com the shit eating grin is defined
(1) as "a very wide and, to the outside observer, stupid looking grin, usually showing smugness, self-satisfaction, or inner humor"; and
(2) as "a forced smile in an uncomfortable, embarrassing, or compromising situation".

According to this definition, the shit eating grin seems to be a clumsy behavior in bad situations. I disagree with that. Instead, I interpret it as a tool of communication, a way to handle a situation of discomfort or struggle by invoking a forced smile.

For a better understanding of the effects of the shit eating grin I will distinguish them into outer and inner effects:

The outer effect of the shit eating grin is a clear message to other people: "I don't give a shit." It's an expression of self-esteem and the pretension to control the situation. In short, it's the expression of someone expecting to win.

The inner effect of the shit eating grin supports the outer effect: One automatically feels more self-esteem with such a broad smile. First, this is the result of shielding one's true emotions with the help of the shit eating grin, which serves as an emotional armor. When you wear this forced smile, nobody can see what your true emotions are. Second, the shit eating grin effects in a stimulation of the endorphin production. Smiling activates the brain reward system and brings happiness. (More about the benefits of smiling in this article.)

III.

To conclude, the shit eating grin is not a sign of weakness or stupidity. It's a useful tool in the daily struggle of life. On the outside it shows self-esteem and the will to stand tall, while inside it supports this as an emotional shield and trigger for the endorphin production.

So, when you are in trouble the next time, you simply should use the power of the shit eating grin.

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