The Infectious Smile

Character is a much-prized, difficult-to-define attribute. But somewhere in the middle of a North Hampshire Army training camp, LWC’s Assistant Deputy Head of Character, Claire Liggins found it. Here, she explains how….

 

We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Smile and the world will smile back.’ But if I’m honest, I’ve never truly believed it.

 

As an introvert, my internal monologue kicks in the moment that someone smiles at me. ‘Why are they smiling? Do I have something on my face? Do I look odd? Oh wait… I’m supposed to smile back!’ The whole thing can feel more like a social cue than genuine emotion.

 

But then there’s a different kind of smile: the infectious smile. This is the one that sneaks out without warning. It’s the one that says, ‘I did a thing.’ Jeremy Clarkson calls it out on his farm show all the time. It’s that automatic, unmistakable moment when someone’s pride, effort and success beam out of them. It’s not performative, it’s pure. And it’s completely contagious.

 

These are the moments I live for.

 

Martin Seligman’s PERMA model of wellbeing suggests that accomplishment is one of the five essential pillars of a flourishing life (alongside positive emotion, engagement, relationships and meaning). Accomplishing something doesn’t only feel good in the moment, but it builds deeper, more lasting wellbeing. It’s an internal shift that comes from knowing you did something challenging, meaningful, or brave.

   

Recently, I had the pleasure of taking a group of 44 from the Combined Cadet Force on an overnight exercise. After 24 hours in the field, I saw so many of those infectious smiles emanating from the faces of teenagers.

 

They worked in teams, navigating problem-solving scenarios and displaying leadership, compassion and empathy. The exercise involved fire manoeuvres, section attacks and safely extracting casualties under pressure. For many, it was a world away from the classroom. Whilst some may think the CCF is about marching or handling equipment, what I saw was character in motion.

 

As Assistant Deputy Head of Character at Lord Wandsworth College and a Captain in the CCF, I’ve learned something over the years. You can’t mark or grade character like a test. It isn’t a tick box exercise. Character is a living, evolving part of a person and it’s noticeable. It shows up in those quiet moments. In the twinkle of an eye and the spontaneous, proud, infectious ‘I did a thing’ smile.

 

In the presence of the infectious smile (and as its name suggests), you can’t help but grin in return. You don’t even realise you’re doing it. You just know that something meaningful has happened.

 

There’s a huge difference between happiness and accomplishment. Happiness can be fleeting and tied to instant gratification. But accomplishment is deeper. It takes time, effort, resilience and it lasts. At LWC, these are the smiles we hope to see in our young people. Not the polite, posed ones, but the real, unfiltered ‘look what I just did’ kind.

 

When you spot these smiles, treasure and reflect on them. Because if you’re anything like me, when you see that spark, you’ll find yourself beaming back.