Over reading facial expression

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Do you over analyse facial expression and usually get it wrong. I understand what a frown is or a really angry stare, it usually makes me feel mortally wounded where as an NT would probably brush it off. I can't bear anger in another person when its directed at me, I usually ruminate over the incident for days.

Yes I over analyze facial expressions (as well as other non-verbal communications), or at least I analyze them wrong. This is why I am constantly asking people thing like, are you mad at me? Have I offended you? Are you upset about something? And it’s why I sometimes apologies to people seemingly at random. If someone seems angry at all I always think it is directed at me, even when it isn’t.

Yes, I sometimes over analyze facial expressions, if I am in a conversation (especially if it's with more than one person) I suddenly 'clock' a change in facial expression, and that throws me.
Seems to come out of the blue, and then a considerable amount of my attention is given to that. Sometimes I'll stop what I was talking about (I think, to work out the meaning of the expression, to determine how to proceed).

I'm always asking my nt friends things like '... have I offended you?' and '... what are you thinking?' (they don't like the latter one and quite often say 'nothing' ... which might be true sometimes)

Don't know if its just me, but when I was younger I used to be extremely uncomfortable being around anyone who had consumed alcohol - I found them too unpredictable.

I also can't bear peoples anger (when it is directed at me), it can be so overwhelming that it gets hard to think, and while the person who shouted or was angry with me forgets about it, it can stick with me for a while.
The feeling is hard to describe .. but along the lines of sickening and painfully heavy (brings you down) ... best thing to do is just try and think who cares.

(obviously, unless it really is something important, lol)

Last edited by Davidufo on 09 Oct 2006, 5:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I can't be bothered with them at all.

Well, I haven't finished my complusory education so...that's probably why.

I am the same. I've actually cried at work because someone spoke angrily to me. I always find it very hard to accept or forget. I always worry about annoying people as well. I suppose I know I annoy people at times, but I hate it when I do and I'm not always sure whether it's happening or not. I imagine all the things people might be saying about me behind my back.

You might find this useful for interpreting non verbal cues

http://members.aol.com/nonverbal2/entries.htm#Entries

No. I didn't discover it was an issue until after I discovered I'm faceblind. I thought there was no point in trying. But it is one of things in my life that Asperger's explains. I had no idea why people would stop talking and contort their faces. I would stand there politely waiting for an answer, not knowing that *was* the answer.

To tell you the truth, I'm tired of looking at people at all, ever, for any reason.

Reading facial emotions is a real weak point for me. I often have to acutally hear the person concerned crying and see the tears to know that they are unhappy or hear them actually laughing to know they are happy. I have often mistaken an expression of unhappiness from an expression of anger.

I find facial expressions confusing especially if the person using them is someone I don't know well. In fact, this, and my inability to differentiate between different people that I don't know very well, cause A LOT of my social anxiety...

Weird that somone so artistically inclined would have SO MUCH TROUBLE with something so visual...

Reading them is easier than remembering whose is whose... anyone have any tricks for remembering faces?...

Hmmn I think over the years I've worked out a whole slew of emotions connection to expression so I can generally read whether its positive or negative, I VERY much prefer to talk face to face, one on one also makes it a lot easier as in groups I stress out trying to pull apart each expression and overwhelming myself.

On the phone is when I tend to apologise too much, cause I can't ever seem to tell.
For me I feel very sensitive to tones, if they're a tad uncomfortable, or nervous I will read that and feel something is wrong with me.

Do you think we're all totally blind? Maybe just receptive to things that aren't usually seen?

This is one of my weak points too, and I frequently misunderstand facial expessions

i can discern facial expressions... but i do tend to have issues with other people's moods when i know they're upset or angry... i always percieve it as something i did and i do worry a lot over that kind of stuff cause most the time, i don't know what i did, if anything at all.

I dunno I've found I frequently get them right, but because of how strongly I feel I used to assume too much, as in I felt something positive I would attack that person with another 10 thoughts, until finally I just kinda go with the flow and when I'm not understanding exactly I just move with my thoughts, we don't need to apologise its not like we're lesser because we get it differently, in fact though I may not be able to read the minute to minute emotions subconciously, conciously I understand a LOT about the human mind, and about people that a lot of those around me find difficult to get.

Every negative has its positive.

I found this question difficult to answer when I was being DXed...I dont know when I am right or wrong in my anylisis of peoples facial expressions or moods.All I know for certain is that ,I will say something and get no response.I assume from the lack of response that the person did not like something or was shocked into silence by some thing I said.I remember vividly the look of anger or disaproval my mother had on her face most of the times we interacted.Her eyes would get squenty and her mouth would get these little lines around it as she pressed her lipps together...I have had nightmares about that look for years and would do or say anything to not be exposed t it...it was physically painful.

Yep, hear ya loud and clear. I'm forever having this problem when I'm in conversations - someone will say something with just a little too much force in their tone, and a slightly angry twitch in their eye, and I'll be put off.

It's even worse when it's not face to face - why, just recently I was in an SMS conversation when my friend on the other side didn't reply, and I couldn't sleep for days afterwards, wondering what I'd said wrong, and apologising profusely. Thankfully she was understanding and assured me that I was stressing over nothing.