Formidable. Unfailing.

“A Smile Is The Beginning Of The Peace Process”

It can sound naive, but a smile’s power to instantly melt barriers is dramatic… and available for universal use

Leading with an embracive smile always unfreezes the frost. (Image credit: Freepik)

I first saw the quote above on a tea bag, a variation on Mother Teresa’s dictum, “Peace begins with a smile.”

No matter how it’s stated, the gesture behind the words can change the trajectory of any interaction. I have learned that a simple, sincere smile never fails to unfreeze the frost and offers rapid repair when needed during tense exchanges and situations.

With seemingly every corner and culture of the world at odds with every other corner today, another simple truism underlines the gesture’s current relevance, this from the brilliant and reflective comedian George Carlin: “Everyone smiles in the same language.” He could have added that everyone laughs in the same language.

The point is that a disarming smile is understood and accepted around the world as a peace offering. This is the purpose of a handshake, too. Throughout human history, extending a hand has been a way for people to show that they hold no weapon and have no threatening intent. A handshake conveys a bond of friendship and cooperation or, at least, a commitment to a…