What's going on inside your head when talking to a stranger?

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I'm usually hoping it will end soon and wishing I could return to whatever I was doing when the stranger interrupted me.

My body heats up, I stumble over my words and stutter, what is in my head isn't what comes out of my mouth. It's probably hilarious to them.

That's what happens to me, too. Along with some serious wringing of my hands and fidgeting. I'm usually trying to figure out the quickest way to end the conversation without being rude.

I try to smile and make the right amount of eye contact and say the right things, and escape before they get that "what the heck is wrong with you" look on their face. If I can get away before they do that, that's a big relief.

I think; are we done yet?

Now I'm totally cool.


Before, I would try to act natural, and my plastic smile and stiffly casual (paradox, I know!) stance would make them think I was even wierder than I had feared they would see me as! I thought that some weakness or nastiness or vulnerability I had might be sensed, or falsely sensed, and they would either exploit it or abuse me for it.

I get really hot and bothered...and not in a good way. maybe that's just me. i hate talking to strangers. scares the s**t out of me.

It's not like being scared of a spider, because I can say "well that spiders probably just as scared of me as I'm scared of it."

But for strangers, hell, they aren't scared of me at all. I'm the only one. That makes me uncomfortable.

My head has two reactions, one is "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!! !! !! !! Stranger! Small talk imminent!", the second is the little band that plays in Homer Simpson's head when he's away with the fairies. Dee dee dee, de de de dee, hum hum hum...<twiddles fingers in the air>

Must get away quick!!

I feel pretty comfortable speaking to strangers. I suppose I'm one of the rare 'extroverted' aspies, though the sort of middling period between being friends with someone and being a stranger to them is torturous- You know, when you've grown fond of someone, but you don't quite know them.

Yes, I know what you mean. It's the ambiguities that are the hardest. There are many times when I actually prefere talking to strangers simply because I know they have no expectations of me. That depends of coures on the context. It depends on whether I "hit it off" wilth someone. Because of my analytical nature, I'm actually pretty good at judging whether there is some connection there or not. If there is not, then things get uncomfortable, but I a make sure I blame the other person first, there is no reason for a person as capable as me to feel guilty when an NT cannot keep up with my level of depth or intelligence in conversation.

"I don't know you, quit talking to me."