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Ai_Ling
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06 Dec 2010, 8:13 pm

Aspies are often perceived as emotionless and lacking empathy. It seems that NT's seem to constantly project these emotions in their daily existance. Especially with NT girls, they seem to make everything a big friggin deal. Ive concluded, its just a natural aspect of expressing themselves and connecting with others. Aspies on the otherhand, may want this desire to connect but have difficulties expressing emotion and forming those natural bonds. As Ive grown, I find myself developing subtle ways of faking emotion in particular situations. By now I dont do it consciously. It just happens becuase Ive been studying people for a really long time. I find myself imitating these ways. Sometimes I will put more emotion into a my reaction to a situation or slightly fake empathy in that interaction just because I know thats what your suppose to do as oppose to my actual reaction might just be an expressionless, "yeah ok". Do you guys do that to?



Loke
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06 Dec 2010, 8:20 pm

If it's any comfort, all guys have problems talking to girls at times...



Kon
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06 Dec 2010, 8:34 pm

I could be wrong but I think many times they are faking it. They just don't feel uncomfortable about faking it. I watch people sometimes and they look like they're just acting. Maybe I'm wrong?



Jukilum
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06 Dec 2010, 8:51 pm

I sometimes try to fake emotions, but usually I just try to make it visible what I do feel. Apparently I look at people with a blank expression most of the time.


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IMCarnochan
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06 Dec 2010, 9:05 pm

Faking emotion is like flexing a muscle, easy to do in the short run but the longer I have to hold it the more I want to hit people. But like a muscle when you work it it grows. I can do it for days at a time now but require an extensive cool down period with little sense stimulation.



Ai_Ling
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06 Dec 2010, 9:07 pm

Kon wrote:
I could be wrong but I think many times they are faking it. They just don't feel uncomfortable about faking it. I watch people sometimes and they look like they're just acting. Maybe I'm wrong?


yeah I used to think that too and I think its true to some degree. In many NT's its heavily conditioned in them because they have been picking up human behavior since birth whereas in many AS people much of this conditioning failed to occur. So a lot of us might see this as unnatural...I know I certainly did.



RightGalaxy
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06 Dec 2010, 9:25 pm

I do! :)
I've been copying dramatic people for ages. I'm 49 years old. I appear NT but I clearly am not - the biggest giveaway for me is my abilility to NEVER be able to connect with a small or large group of women or men. It's impossible. I say "ability" because I don't consider it a disability. I'm better off keeping to myself because people really give it to each other either up front or behind their backs. I'm not about that.



IMCarnochan
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06 Dec 2010, 9:46 pm

Wouldnt the ability to be alone and happy with it be the ability, not the not being able to connect to people. I dont think I would say that I have the ability to not give birth.



LongJohnSilver
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06 Dec 2010, 10:26 pm

Ai_Ling wrote:
Aspies are often perceived as emotionless and lacking empathy. It seems that NTs seem to constantly project these emotions in their daily existence ... As I've grown, I find myself developing subtle ways of faking emotion in particular situations. By now I don't do it consciously. It just happens becuase I've been studying people for a really long time. I find myself imitating these ways ... Do you guys do that too?


I have learned to emote with my voice as much as possible, and I'm pretty good at that. Unfortunately my face doesn't seem to have the natural ability to show emotion, although I do try to smile and frown at appropriate times when I think about it. And for some reason I am too uncoordinated to gesture correctly unless I really concentrate, so I don't do it much. - LJS


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Ai_Ling
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07 Dec 2010, 3:32 am

LongJohnSilver wrote:
Ai_Ling wrote:
Aspies are often perceived as emotionless and lacking empathy. It seems that NTs seem to constantly project these emotions in their daily existence ... As I've grown, I find myself developing subtle ways of faking emotion in particular situations. By now I don't do it consciously. It just happens becuase I've been studying people for a really long time. I find myself imitating these ways ... Do you guys do that too?


I have learned to emote with my voice as much as possible, and I'm pretty good at that. Unfortunately my face doesn't seem to have the natural ability to show emotion, although I do try to smile and frown at appropriate times when I think about it. And for some reason I am too uncoordinated to gesture correctly unless I really concentrate, so I don't do it much. - LJS


Same here: I find it the easiest to be expressive with my voice. Facial expressions is a whole different story, thats a lot harder. I try to smile more, I practice facial expressions in the mirror(it helps to have a gigantic mirror in ur room) so I can have a better idea how I look when I interact.



Rose_in_Winter
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07 Dec 2010, 4:07 am

I have very good manners, because my parents worked hard to teach them to me. I know all the right words to say, and since I'm a good actress I can inflect them with real empathy. However, it doesn't mean I really feel empathy; one of my dear friends just had her favorite aunt die. I knew what to say in my sympathy note, but I don't actually feel anything about it. (I also know not to say "die" or "dead," but that makes no sense to me..."lost" sounds like you forgot them on a bus, and "departed" sounds like they've gone on vacation.) I can feel empathy when face-to-face with someone going through something I've been through (like my friend who is coping with near-crippling depression), but otherwise I can't seem to call up emotion for others. (Although as my husband points out, when it comes to me, him, or animals, I'm very emotional.) I faked empathy, assuming that my lack would be off-putting, but I have found my innate attitude of "man up" is actually respected by many of my peers!