Most times I don't notice if someone else is tense, especially if they're male. Women tend to be more judgmental of me than men do, so I guess for that reason I pay more attention. It takes me a while, but if I start noticing things like people sitting on the edge of their seat, fidgeting, rolling their eyes, etc., I then begin to feel tension myself. I can't tell if someone's just bored, irritated or angry with me and just not saying anything. I despise headgames (maybe because I'm lousy at playing them), so I try to ignore it all. When I finally do notice, that's when I'll ask, "Have I done something to irritate you?" If I get a 'No, don't worry about it" type of reply, I may or may not let it go, depending on the gender. Maybe it's sexist or just simple observation of the human condition, but in my experience, when men say they're OK and don't have a problem, there usually isn't anything wrong. NT females, however, expect others to be able to read their minds. Pretty sad, considering I'm female myself. I don't expect people to be able to read my mind, however. Otherwise, I'm fairly oblivious to other people's emotion.
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Terminal Outsider, rogue graphic designer & lunatic fringe.