Describe how you feel when you are meeting new people

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Describe how you feel when you are introduceing yourself to some one new. Do your palms get sweaty? Do you look down at your feet or play with your fingers?

Makes me sweat if I know it's coming. Have to suppress the urge to look away. When shaking hands I still can't reliably prevent my eyes from focusing on the hands rather than on the person.

I think I act more or less normal.

Weirdly enough, if it's a girl that I'm attracted to, I don't have a problem with being nervous or unsure of myself. Anyone else though, my heart beats faster, I feel unable to speak normally, my brain starts to go through sensory overload, and I just generally feel panicked because I have no idea how to make the "getting to know someone" small talk that's considered appropriate.

Outwardly friendly, inwardly cautious.

Anxious, though I try not to show it.

That depends on how I felt before meeting them.
Usually mild annoyance at having to interrupt whatever I was doing before.

I used to hate meeting people. I'd mumble "hey" and look at the floor. About 20 years ago, I lived across the street from a lady who became my best friend at the time. Both of us were stay at home moms, and she had two boys, one the same age as my little boy. She was very sure of herself and outgoing with everybody. I was comfortable with her, and by that time, I had learned to be comfortable with people I knew in small group. We would hang out and talk all the time. Remember, I didn't get diagnosed until a few years ago, so people just thought I was "wierd" or "sometimes shy". She asked me why I did that when I met people, or why I left the room when new people came in. I told her I didn't know. She taught (made) me how to meet people. Told me to look them in the eye, smile, offer my hand and taught me how to give a surprisingly firm handshake. Not as firm for other women. She told me I would win men's respect if I greeted them that way. I tried it the first time when her Pastor came to visit. She had convinced me that because he is a Pastor, it's ok. He's not going to laugh at me. I tried it. It wasn't bad. Well, it wasn't too bad. I tried to remind myself all the time to do that. Over the years, it's become a reflex. I always do that now, and I feel that I have a pretty good ability to size somebody up by the way they respond. It doesn't bother me to actually meet people at all anymore. What bothers me is sometimes after meeting them I have to listen to them talk and pay attention, which I really don't want to do because they usually aren't very interesting.

The only time I ever get nervous meeting people is when I meet extremely good looking men. I've been married 25 years to a good looking husband. Most women I know tell me without me asking how good looking he is. I love him very much and don't want anyone else. I don't know why being around a very good looking man does that to me. It's like I don't even want him to look at me. I can't talk to him at all. That's for very good looking men over about 25. If they are under 25, in my mind they go into the "kid" catagory. I don't shake hands with kids or anything, I just wave. I call all kids "sweetie" or "honey", and I'm very motherly. In a way that cannot be misinstrued as coming on to them. I don't make it that way on purpose, thats just how it is. But if that man is over about 25 or so, you can forget me saying more than two words to him or even being in the same room with him for long at all. If one were to flirt with me, I would probably just get up and walk out because I would think he was making fun of me. And, I've been told I'm very pretty. I just don't see it. Never have.

Frances

I look at them carefully to see what identifying characteristics they have--hair color, facial features, perhaps clothing style, voice, or even smell of perfume or soap. I try to find out about them--I guess I probably come off as nosy; I ask questions. Sometimes I chatter on about my cats or my latest homework assignment.

So I guess I feel... hmm. I feel kind of like I feel when I'm approaching a difficult math problem for the first time, trying to find out how to solve it. I don't mean that people are problems; just that I feel like I have to be quite careful and gather up all of my mind, so that I can connect with them properly.

Nervous and akward, though i try my best to hide it.

I feel that I probably act overly excited and cheerful in my best attempt to imitate the actions of others haha, but I think overall it makes my response normal enough.

Nervous.... In fear that people think I'm the "R" word, and affraid I'll screw it up and be second guessing myself the rest of the day. It really sucks when that happens.

I get anxious and look down and I am very quiet-until I become comfortable then I open up

I used to be awful but I've gotten much better. I used to be completely zoned out and uninterested. Nowadays I'm just working on my eye contact because as far as manners, I'm much more comfortable with them.

However, if I'm meeting someone attractive, I'm awkward all over again.

I think to myself "Okay heres a chance to make a friend. Let's try not to F*** it up".