showing of feelings by aspies.

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Neurotypicals express themselves more than they actually feel inside their mind while aspies feel more inside their mind than they express themselves ? true?

I don't know. I express very little emotion but I feel quite a lot of emotion. I don't seem to be able to identify a wide range of emotions, nor am I able to describe very many.

I have trouble hiding my immediate emotions but think I can hide my deeper, long term feelings well.

More often than not I have to try to hide them because they tend to be negative and I don't want to get into any arguments or anything. Otherwise I'm never really concerned with what may show.

This holds for me.

sounds plausible

I think that many neurotypicals actually feel as much as they express.

I think it would be a mistake to take the above statement as a rule. Just because someone is displaying what seems like an excess of emotion, does not mean they are not also feeling it internally with a similar intensity.

I would say that some people feel a lot and express a lot. Some people feel a lot and express little. Some people feel little and express little. Some people feel little and express a lot.

A sociopath, or hypo sensitive person for example, may feel very little yet learn to display emotion in a culturally appropriate way, consciously or unconsciously.

Some people display with more emotional power than they actually feel in order to manipulate, get what they want, tweak the emotions of those around them, etc. Colloquially they are called 'drama queens' 'attention whores' or similar. (both inherently sexist terms, but that's another story). It does happen (maybe a lot).

Possibly the role of media (TV, film, in particular) can influence social norms in this regard. But it doesn't necessarily always mean everyone is going over the top.

Basically it's more complicated than carving it two ways and saying that's it.

I feel and express a lot of emotion. I am very big on talking about feelings and not keeping things bottled up.

That being said, when I do feel something that I know is inappropriate, or that I've probably taken something the wrong way, I try and hide those feelings. I don't always succeed.

Also known as:

Sales people
Publicists
Promoters
Some marketing people
Motivational Speakers
Con People
Drill Sergeants
Prostitutes & Porn Stars & Strippers
Actors / Actresses
Bartenders
Politicians

and many many others...

I may be over-assuming... but these are people who make a living out of expressing more than they feel I figure... of course any of those people could potentially feel as much as they express but I somehow doubt that it's an equal level often.

I was in sales for my first couple of years working and I was lousy at it because I couldn't fake the enthusiasm... when I did, I just came off as creepily obsessed in the product lol

Thank you for compiling a much more complete list.

Okay, so there's a lot of commercial and political and entertainment value in emotional manipulation, which is why you see so much of it. Something I'm a bit blind to; I have no interest in inauthenticity in any form, except for the purposes of spotting it when it might be in my interests to do so.

I would be a complete failure in any kind of sales role where I was not selling something I utterly believed in the value of.

I rarely "advertise" what I'm feeling. There is usually a disconnect between my internal state and my external expression.

For example, when an NT gets mad at someone else, they tend to contort their faces and their body language changes significantly. When I'm angry at someone, my face stays the same and my body will stiffen-up and go rigid on account of an excess of emotion shutting down my thought process.

It's a real PITA.

lol, my attempt at being clever.

I tend to trust people less when I find out they belong to any of those above professions. They typically lead a similar personal lifestyle as they do their professional one which makes them someone obstructive when dealing with me (I'll either piss them off, I'll feel betrayed by them at some point, or they'll figure out a way to take advantage) I know that essentially I am being bigoted in a way but oh well :p

Someone with manipulation skills is likely to utilise them in all spheres of their life. It stands to reason.

Though I do believe there's positive and negative uses of manipulation.

When I consciously think of how to create positive outcomes and put them into effect, that's basically manipulation right? My goals usually take into account the other person's needs and desires as well as my own, which is perhaps the difference.

I share the views of M. Scott Peck who wrote about the differences between selfishness and enlightened selfishness.



I'm as selfish as they come. Huh, I didn't know I was a utilitarianist until now

I apologise to the OP, as I fear this wildly off topic now.

I'm NT

I think sometimes I do express more than I feel, but I do it because I think it will make the other person happy.
For example I will exaggerate when I say things like "I love that!! !" or "That is so awesome!! !" because I think the person I'm talking to will feel good that I'm reacting so positively to what they say or did.

What? I'm not a brick, am I?

I have no trouble expressing my feelings.

That's interesting, because it is a minor manipulation to effect a positive outcome.

I've always had real problems feigning more interest or enthusiasm for something than I actually feel.