--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Robinson and Davis take over at…" description: "\"“When Robinson and Davis take over at orientation, they bark at the new recruits to stand up, then issue their first command: “Smile.” Students will le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/anonymous-1_men-and-women_when-robinson-and-davis-take-over-at-ori_1119342.jpg" --- # When Robinson and Davis take over at orientation, they… ![“When Robinson and Davis take over at orientation, they bark at the new recruits to stand up, then issue their first command: “Smile.” Students will learn a lot of things in Strive, but the first lesson is how to smile. The first few days are devoted to it. The new class members are always…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/anonymous-1_men-and-women_when-robinson-and-davis-take-over-at-ori_1119342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/anonymous-1_men-and-women_when-robinson-and-davis-take-over-at-ori_1119342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b09/anonymous-1_men-and-women_when-robinson-and-davis-take-over-at-ori_1119342.jpg) > ““When Robinson and Davis take over at orientation, they bark at the new recruits to stand up, then issue their first command: “Smile.” Students will learn a lot of things in Strive, but the first lesson is how to smile. The first few days are devoted to it. The new class members are always confused, and then they start to smile—except for about 20 percent of the room, who stand stone-faced. Robinson calls out those who don’t smile, pulls them up to the front of the room, and says, “This is my smile crew.” He tells the rest of the room to cheer until they can get these men and women, mostly men, to finally crack a smile. The claps and hoots and whistles rise in a crescendo heard throughout the building. Meanwhile, Davis and Robinson walk up and down the line, yelling, “Smile,” and pantomiming it, using their fingers to pull the corners of their own mouths back. The reluctant recruits roll their eyes. Some get tense, their faces get stuck in passive displays of aggression, as Robinson goes up and down the line and mocks: “Is it painful? Is there a medical condition? Smile!” He and Davis continue their full-on assault of well-wishing and joking and silliness until one by one, the students fold. A smile is the Strive game face, they explain. “I’m not asking you to smile on North Monroe Street at two in the morning,” Davis says. “I’m asking you to smile in here.” It’s usually the youngest men who bow out at this stage—the 19- and 20-year-olds who are too cool to tolerate the corniness, the guys who’ve been strongly encouraged to try Strive by some parole officer or social worker attempting to keep them from spending their twenties in prison. It’s the older guys who are eager to cooperate. They’re hungry.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. New recruits are forced to smile repeatedly to break down resistance and create a forced positive atmosphere, using peer pressure and humor. **In simple terms:** Forceful smiling to break resistance. Key Takeaway Use humor to ease tension. Themes peer pressure social conditioning group dynamics Mood tense forced hopeful Type instructional motivational When to use this quote - boot camp training - rehabilitation programs - team building exercises Key Concepts behavioral compliance social influence psychology of conformity Questions to Reflect On - How does forced positivity affect genuine morale? - Can humor replace genuine connection? A Different Perspective Some may feel manipulated or resentful, reducing authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Social worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-worker/) ## Related quotes > [“God is too cool to join any of his unauthorized fan clubs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-too-cool-to-join-any-of-his-unauthorized-fan-clubs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Why do you ignore me after all we have been through? 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The claps and hoots and whistles rise in a crescendo heard throughout the building. Meanwhile, Davis and Robinson walk up and down the line, yelling, “Smile,” and pantomiming it, using their fingers to pull the corners of their own mouths back. The reluctant recruits roll their eyes. Some get tense, their faces get stuck in passive displays of aggression, as Robinson goes up and down the line and mocks: “Is it painful? Is there a medical condition? Smile!” He and Davis continue their full-on assault of well-wishing and joking and silliness until one by one, the students fold. A smile is the Strive game face, they explain. “I’m not asking you to smile on North Monroe Street at two in the morning,” Davis says. “I’m asking you to smile in here.” It’s usually the youngest men who bow out at this stage—the 19- and 20-year-olds who are too cool to tolerate the corniness, the guys who’ve been strongly encouraged to try Strive by some parole officer or social worker attempting to keep them from spending their twenties in prison. It’s the older guys who are eager to cooperate. 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