Is it weird that I´m quite good at reading emotions?

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I know that a common treat among aspies is that reading peoples emotions and expressions can be difficult. But I don´t really have a problem with that, I can quite easily tell what people feel. I can feel empathy too, but find it really difficult to give comfort to people because I don´t really know how to do it and get kind of confused.

I think it's quite common that we can sense all the emotions around.

I can read emotions in real time, occasionally. When watching movies, I am better at it because I can stare without being noticed.

The only time I really struggle with reading facial expressions is when I'm actually around people... unfortunately when the ability probably comes most in handy.

But when watching movies and such... yeah, I usually don't have much of a problem. I also like cartoons, animated movies and drawing, where expressions are exaggerated and perhaps much easier to make out. I believe growing up with this stuff has helped me out the most.

I can read pure basic emotions just fine, like happiness and anger and fear. It's the next level of subtlety, like all the shades of happiness and anger and fear that I have trouble with. Is it like this for others? I don't know which way someone is happy and why, or which way someone is angry and why. And if someone is feeling multiple emotions at the same time, that's yet another level of subtlety that I am unlikely to get. Recognizing strong emotions is no problem for me. Recognizing subtler emotions is. Responding to any emotions is.

I seem to absorb other people's emotions. It's reacting that's the problem. If I see someone acting anxious or irritable, even subtly, I usually react by becoming anxious and irritable myself. The same goes for other emotions like sadness, worry, or depression, though this is to lesser degree. A true empath would intuitively know how to calm/soothe the person. I don't really. Instead I just act like a tuning fork, giving out the same frequency I pick up. It's not very helpful in most circumstances.

I'm not bad at it. I don't experience affective empathy, though.

The best way I've heard it put is that it's like being bad at picking up the surface level of "pantomime" that people do when they communcate, but being good at picking up on their animal-level signals underneath. So, it isn't as simple as not picking up any non-verbal communication, but rather trouble with the non-verbal communication that normal humans are most consciously aware of (the "pantomime" level). And maybe that explains why ASD people might tend to be ok (or good?) at reading animals. I.e. Temple Grandin being able to see what the cows are feeling.

Anyway all the above fits how I experience things. -- Though, there are other factors, like if I'm having to listen and verbally respond I'm usually so mentally busy that I can't think about much beyond the words. Also, Donna Williams describes have trouble with a simultaneous sense of self and other. IOW, that it tends to be "all self and no other," or "all other and no self."

I would put all the subtle social emotions into that pantomime level. Like who is being subtly nice or mean to who for whatever ulterior motive. I think Temple Grandin described her emotions as that of a 10-year-old. Mine are as well, but perhaps even younger. I am very unguarded with my emotions and rarely express or repress for social reasons or while considering social context. Whatever I really think or feel tends to come out a lot or not at all.

That self vs. other idea from Donna Williams is also interesting. I think I get that in a small percentage of interactions, but mostly, it is like "no self and no other", only topic being talked about.

I think it's quite weird that I can read body language, tone of voice and facial expressions well like the average person. I've even been disbelieved that I'm an Aspie on some of these threads before.

But I am not faking it.

I am also quite sponge-like. eh heh.

I am good with reading facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, emotions, and I have a good TOM. Well, I wouldn't say good, but I am not typically poor at it. Everyone has different levels of abilities of reading these sorts of things because everybody's different, but for an Aspie I must say I can read body language etc well enough to be able to say I don't have any difficulties with it. Also I haven't learnt it myself - I already developed the natural ability in childhood.

So I must say I'm weird for an Aspie!