Why do we always smile for pictures?

The other day, I was watching the Showtime hit Dexter and there was this flashback scene where Dexter and his family were at the beach and were going to take a family picture.  Everyone smiled except Dexter and his dad asked him why he wasn't smiling.  Dexter said because he was bored and he didn't like the beach...stuff like that.  Then his dad asked him to smile but Dexter asked why should I smile if I'm not happy?  His dad said  to make your mother happy.  But the question that it made pop into my mind was this: Why do we always smile for pictures?

Yes, it sounds like an obvious answer, but when you really think about it, you don't have an answer.  I've been in my fare share of weddings and it's no secret that the pictures are miserable.  I'm sure the bride is happy.  Maybe the groom.  Maybe one or two married bridesmaids, if any.  Definitely  not the groomsmen or any single bridesmaids.  So why is everyone smiling?  Pictures are meant to immortalize moments in our lives.  Is every moment we remember from out past a happy one?  No.  Is every pictorial memory from our past a happy one? Yes.

So why do we strive to make all those pictorial memories happy?  Well, obviously because we don't want to remember bad things.  Ok, then why do we fake happiness for pictures when  we're the complete opposite?  Maybe to appease our parents, especially moms.  But still, why do we fake emotions?  I don't even think I have a simple answer for that.  I know we all do it all day; what would it be like if we all wore our emotions on our sleeves.  Would we all still have our jobs?  Our families?  How did people respond during a time where everyone told the truth on their faces?  Did it benefit society or not?  Was it easier?  Were relationships stronger because of all the honesty?  Would our relationships be stronger with more honesty?  I challenge you to say that honest thing you're thinking but not saying.  Maybe it'll hurt someone's feelings, but at least you were being honest.  Maybe it'll help that person in the long run.  You'll never know until you try...