Do you feel motivated to act as "normal" as possib

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Yes, I feel like I need to act normal all the time and feel embarrassed when I don't.

reply to my message and no every 1 else isnt crazy i dont think

Define normal

Remember "normal" people make fools of themselves, too. I (an aspie) do stuff that I regret all the time. However, then after the mistake you need to pick yourself up and laugh at the past as you walk into the future. Making mistakes is how people learn, mature and grow. Making a mistake is normal and is a natural thing that happens. Do you think cave men/women cared about normal or for that matter popularity? If they care about people behaving and doing exactly like they do, then how did some one have the idea of make knives and axes out of rocks?

The answer is no they didn't disapprove of thinking outside the box but encouraged it. That is how NTs, scratch that, every one should view us autistic persons and other "outside the box thinking" peoples.

i can function pretty normally if needed, but growing up my parents have seemed to dis-regard that my problems are beyond merely "growing up", so i've been pushed towards acting normal. as i've gotten to know myself better however it's kind of just started to take over... i feel more like me now, but at the same time i seem incredibly lost without the stronger attachments to the "real world" that I use to have.

Depends what you mean.

As futile and downright illogical as many of the niceties and rituals of regular social etiquette seem to me, I've come to realise that it makes my life a damn sight easier if I mimic the basics of NT behaviour as closely as possible. I mean, if I fail to employ some degree of tact when interacting with others, or to conduct myself with decent manners, or to use certain forms of non-verbal communication, it will only lead to alienation. Consequently, it would seem to be in my best interests to observe such things as much as my ability will permit.

However, I see no point in altering my tastes, interests, hobbies, etc., to suit the preferences of NTs. Anybody who deems, say, the fact that I'd rather be studying philosophy than knocking back drink and subsequently throwing up into a gutter a suitable reason to leave me on the social periphery is frankly too superficial to be worth the time and effort in the first place.

I voted 'Yes', for the record.

I can't really act 'normal', it just ends up being awkward and uncomfortable, and some of the weirdness always ends up seeping through anyway. Usually when I try to act normal, I just end up being very, very shy and quiet because I'm scared if I say or do anything it will be a weird thing.

When I act like myself, I feel more comfortable, and I find that people aren't as creeped out by me as I think they would be. I'm actually probably more socially adept if I'm just being myself, rather than putting all my energy into being normal. It's kind of scary, but I find myself getting more friends when I'm just myself.

Like others here, I find it beneficial to emulate some NT behavior, as it makes my life easier, despite the illogicality of such behavior.

I've never, however, modified my preferences to suit a NT.

Sometimes I do try to fit into the box of normalcy, but sometimes, it's hard. It's hard to hide that you're good at English, it's hard to hide that you don't want a boyfriend, it's hard to hide the fact that you rub your wrists together, and it's hard to hide that you think everyone will answer honestly. I feel odd and guilty for being like that, and sometimes I don't really care. On this day, though, I feel like I need to in order to survive. I'm tired of being teased about the way I act. I don't want to follow social niceties, and I don't want to try to emulate someone that can be annoying, but I feel like I have to because others will scapegoat either way.

It feels safer, to me, to not be a non-conformist in this society. In America, it's supposed to be free, but in the social America, it seems to speak in ironies.

Well for me, I never think about it too much. Here is a tip, never think too much and watch some tv.

^^ Agreed.

i felt forced to act "normal" but lately ive been thinking i just need to act like myself

I do, but only in the sense that I don't want to offend anyone. Even then I fail and it gets kinda awkward. So i try to talk as little as possible. My best attempts at being "normal" is not talking at all.

I enjoy being different, and other than my depression and occasional anger I can control myself. I am actually studying "normal" people, taking psychology classes and learning body language from Kirk A. Duncan and Understanding Women from Alison Armstrong. The absolute hardest part to learn is how "normal" people communicate, I got there behavior and all that down but verbal communications are still beyond me.

I feel completely forced to act "normal" in public. If i dont post something, "right" people on facebook insult me. If I cry at home, my mom thinks I'm not taking my medication. So I feel like I have to stay silent and bottled up and cry alone. I feel as if I'm alone because society just won't accept me as who I am. Everyone has flaws, and I just really wish people in this world could see that. Instead, they stare and point at you if you do something "socially unexpected". I hate that about society. No matter what we have to always follow the motion. I like being myself, and I hate how I'm forced to be like those other clones in the cast.

Trying to act more 'normally' a year ago made me feel very depressed for about 3 months straight. Falsifying my identity like that was something I really couldn't handle, and it wasn't really accomplishing anything for me anyway. I wasn't really going out of my way much, still being very nerdy and everything, but trying to joke more and be more sociable was utterly exhausting. I also tried to block emotions and not express them at all - not that I am very capable of doing so much anyway - which was definitely harmful. Overall, I'm very glad that I've just gone back to acting naturally, and I don't think anyone is that bothered by it.