Facial Expression Don't Match Emotions??

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When I'm sad (unless it gets to a certain point, at which I start crying uncontrollably) I usually don't look sad. instead I get a vacant or concerned expression on my face.

People misread me a lot. I send the wrong messege all the time and when people try to read my behavior too deeply they usually get it wrong. I'm not good at reading others, either.

Oh gawd, that is so me..

If I'm feeling neutral/okayish/concentrating/thinking, I just have a blank expression, which people interpret as being distanced = arrogant.. =/

If I'm doing my best to smile or give the apropriate emphathic facial expression, I look dishonest/disintrested/weird.

Oh, the joys of trying to fit in..

Yep. I was feeling tired at work today and my boss asked me if I had been crying. huh??! I've gotten a lot more control over not smiling when I am not supposed too, but that takes work. I can understand why someone wouldn't want me to smile while they tell me about something that makes them sad, but that doesn't mean I won't--sigh.... Course I suppose if you don't really like someone, you can just stop trying.

"Facial Expression Don't Match Emotions??" mine never have, have become a great actor over the years, can feel real sad and if someone turns up, can totally changed my expressions so no one can tell how I'm feeling.

Do not even show pain if hurt, unless I want too....

Yes and no. Normally, I looked pissed off, an expression which elicits hostile responses from others, even when I am polite and friendly. Compounding this comedy of errors is my terse, mumbly voice, which also sounds hostile, again, even though I am trying to act like a normal nice guy. So it's both my voice and expression which doesn't match my emotions.

On the subject of ticks, my former therapist had told me I had one. Well, it was blinking rapidly. Pointing it out made it worse. I start ticking/blinking rapidly whenever I feel anxious, whether in a store, or sitting in a barber's chair. Doesn't happen when I am all by myself. Self-consciousness is the culprit, not just for the rapid eye-blinking, but also for the frozen, tense facial expression and the terse voice. I'm not really like this when by myself, only when around other people.

Um, is this a trick question???

I gotta tell you, I am guilty as charged on that front. Most of the time, I smile when I'm hiding much worse emotions inside myself, like anger, jealousy, etc. But sometimes I smile with nicer intentions.

But, this is the REAL kicker.

I met this girl last semester, and I can barely read her at all (I can barely read most girls, but damnit, she's IMPOSSIBLE!). She smirks all the time, takes good-natured ribbing from her pals semi-seriously (although I can NEVER tell), and has blank emotions half the time. And when she smiles, I have absolutely no clue what she's feeling inside. It's almost like...she's trying to hide something from me, when there's nothing at all to hide. But, here's the weird thing: She's also a women's basketball player, with pretty decent muscle control, except when she devolves into a complete klutz and fouls somebody.

Maybe I'm being uber-speculative here, but a lot of people here at Brevard College have disabilities lurking under the surface. Some of us are much more open about it than others. Take my buddy Ryan, for example. I told him about a year ago that I'd noticed that there was something about him that was... well, different. He told me that he was an Aspie, too, so we've been pretty good buddies ever since. But I notice that he's never really open about his "disability" (if you want to call it that...I call it an evolutionary step forward, but that's just me).

And yes, I'm back after 2-3 years. Yikes, this place hasn't changed very much! Although, I've changed somewhat.

*OFF TOPIC*
The reason I came back is because I'm looking for topic ideas for this column about AS I write for the college newspaper, and this one leapt out at me, to be certain. Especially given what has happened, I think I need to be more open about who I am in day-to-day conversations, and not just through my writing, which does give a certain perspective into my soul.
*END OFF TOPIC*

BJ

Yeah, I've noticed the looks on other people's faces that I presume are result of a grimace or something being on my face. It really hurts to see a cute girl, that you've finally gotten around to talking to, suddenly change her facial expression from normal to disgust. For me, it seems to be something my mouth is doing because that's where their eyes seem to be looking.