Everyone looks so glum.

[Glumbums]

Hear me out. I know we have a cost of living crisis and the weather is shit. However I went around my local village today and everyone I accidentally locked eyes with looked utterly glum and dead in the eyes. No joy whatsoever. I am just back from visiting another country so this is particularly obvious to me. Food is bloody expensive, people have little to enjoy themselves it's so sad as a country to see how we've regressed in the last 3 years.

If you were making eye contact with randoms on the street, do you think maybe they were giving you the Paddington Bear Stare in the hope of shutting you down, just on the offchance you were about to launch into something like Have You Heard The Word Of The One True Spaghetti Monster Today?

Misery loves company! Try a smile op... it might be infectious

Everyone is cheerful enough in our town!

🤣

If you were making eye contact with randoms on the street, do you think maybe they were giving you the Paddington Bear Stare in the hope of shutting you down, just on the offchance you were about to launch into something like Have You Heard The Word Of The One True Spaghetti Monster Today?

Unless you stare at the ground forlornly it's kind of hard not to accidentally catch someone's eye occasionally isn't it?

I would probably look glum if you saw me on the street. Life is stressful af, and everything is expensive and keeps going up. There's little joy in my life atm. I don't randomly smile at people in the street.

People have worries you can't know about.

Yanbu, I’m dreading the energy help finishing in April, my mortgage expires next month and my new rate is £250 a month more. It’s also pretty glum weather. I’m trying to be upbeat for DC but actually I’m panicking majorly and it’s always on my mind. The extra payments mean hardly any money for doing nice things, I appreciate we are lucky compared to others but it still stings.

I have resting bitch face, but am actually relatively cheerful.

I had a really nice chat with the guy at the Costa drive through today. We were both cheerful.

Can't say I notice this.
Even on my 40-min walk to/from the station most people I pass usually give a nod or even a cheery "good morning".

Maybe you should try dog walking?
Guaranteed to meet other dog walkers and (almost) every one of them will engage in cheerful conversation (usually about their dog but conversations often move sideways into other areas).

Maybe you are sending out gloomy vibes? 😉

I'd be pretty disturbed if I went outside to see everyone grinning while going about their day to day business

I haven't noticed this where I am. People are still friendly.

You’re describing me tbh. I took a selfie the other day and was shocked at my resting bitch face. I look really miserable. I am really miserable.

Where do you live? People pretty cheerful near me generally, inspite of all the rain.

Totally different where I live. When I walk out of my house everyone throws their doors open, wishes me good morning and bursts into song.

I don’t smile at strangers when I’m walking to work. I’m rushing to get there and minding my own business.
Now when I’m on leave, yes I’ll be more friendly. Tbh I’d much prefer a quieter walk, I don’t really want to engage with strangers. I like peace and quiet.

I always think British people look fairly glum.

British, Vietnamese, Germans, Chinese and Eastern European take the cake for me.

Something about the UK in general does seem dank and joyless.

Thank God for the occasional wave of eccentricity that keeps the island interesting.

You should try working in a pharmacy. There is just no joy at all. It's miserable

OP I have been at the hospital for mum

Sadly I've been there a lot with both parents

super weird atmosphere today.

then when I walked home from the Tube, it was windy and raining, but even then, a lot of people around for a Monday night, with a weird vibe. The Tube was the same vibe as usual though. I don't know. Is it just winter kicking in?

I feel like people are really down at work. Usually people are starting to think and talk about Christmas but I do wonder whether even this is just a source of financial stress at the moment.

I live in North London where everyone loooooves slagging us off for being miserable but I've had about ten cheerful conversations with randoms today.

Did you see the Queens (RIP) Jubilee? We know how to celebrate and party. The weather can be grim AF yes but if all you're seeing is misery you're in the wrong places

I should add, I don't think Britain is miserable at all. I just thought today was odd somehow.

However I went around my local village today and everyone I accidentally locked eyes with looked utterly glum and dead in the eyes

Are you the same poster who posted about people in your local Lidl walking around "dead in the eyes"?
Where do you live, the village of the damned?

I think it's just when you compare it with people and places elsewhere. I just feel there's more of a heaviness in the air in Britain. But maybe that is a sign of the times.

I thought exactly the same thing on a business trip to Norway last week. So many people looked unhappy. Returning to the people were noticeably more up beat. I guess it depends on where in the UK you live.