Sense of Humour and being misunderstood.

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Do you find that people don't understand your sense of humour?

I often make jokes and find things funny but people either miss the joke I made and take it seriously (whilst accusing me of being the one who is too serious when in truth it is their interpretation of what I said/wrote that was too serious) or they seem to think I shouldn't be amused by what I am amused by (ie such as the time I sent everyone 30 miles the wrong way up the motorway because I was holding the leaflet with the map on upside down...they got annoyed, I thought it was funny as hell...not their annoyance (their annoyance was a bit upsetting actually because they told me off), but the fact that I was holding the map the wrong way around without realising at the time and the fact that I had literally 'sent them to Coventry' on a detour...there is a double meaning to sending someone to conventry!).

Do you have similar problems?

I wouldn't mind but I am the one who gets the blame for other peoples misinterpretations of the things I do, when the fault is not with what I have done or said but with how they have interpreted it. If I try and point this out I am in the wrong apparently.

Um why should I suffer and take the blame for other peoples errors without saying anything? I appreciate they need an ego rub (they don't like to be wrong because it upsets their ego and uproots their insecurity) but can't they find a better way of going about it that does not harm (psychologically/emotionally) someone else?

All of the time The only way I can make someone laugh at a joke I tell is if I tell one I heard a comedian tell and I imitate him. Otherwise no one gets my jokes. I have kept from trying to tell them on the forums im on because i dont want ppl to think I am trolling. Just recently someone asked about mental powers like telekinesis. I said "since we only use 10% of or brain, of course it's possible". So I get several responses admonishing me that the 10% thing is just a myth. I'm like well yeah duh, it was a joke.

Me too.

The 30miles the wrong way wouldn't really be funny as its added an extra hour to the trip and cost the driver an hours worth of petrol. They were probably thinking of the wasted time and cost and wouldn't appreciate word play at that time. Also sending someone to coventry is when you isolate or exclude them from a group to punish them, so not sure I get the joke either. Unless its that they excluded you after your mistake?

I make an excessive amount of puns and random links between words that are often misunderstood.

That is all.

Well you can look at it that way but it is just one way of perceiving it. I like riding in cars, buses and trains watching the scenery out of the window, so an extra 30 miles to me is fun. I always did enjoy traveling (literally...I don't just mean arriving at destination...I like the feeling of movement when in certain vehicles) so I didn't mind at all. It's all how you look at it. I am frugal due to my going through a conservation phase, but not a miser, I wouldn't really care about the 'wasted' time or money...to my mind it was an extra adventure and that is not a waste of anything.

The fact that I was holding the map upside down is funny...as it speaks volumes in regards to my map reading skills LOL (I am often amused by the things I can't do). As I was the time I wanted to find the Coastal walkway from Sheringham to Cromer. 3 maps (an ordinance survey, a street atlas and a pamphlet with a map from the tourist board including verbal directions) and I still could not find it. After several attempts I had to track down other walkers in the area and ask if they minded if I walked along with them (they were looking for the walkway too). It was found eventually, but what amuses me is I want to take up hiking (hence the OS map etc).

I also got lost trying to find my way to my CBT therapy session because they held it at a location I had not been to before....twice. I had to leave a message saying I would be late.

I'll practice my map reading skills, it's not a problem but I do think my taking up Hiking might be some kind of comedy waiting to happen all the same..!

The Hapless Hiker...

I still don't get why you think they would find it funny when they were looking to you to provide directions and you got it wrong. I'm looking at it from the point of view of the driver as I drive. Technically it is an extra 60miles as 30 there then 30 back to the point of origin before the detour. Your companions, especially the driver may not have enjoyed the unplanned detour as much as you did and if they were covering the cost of petrol as well, they would be right to be annoyed. I'm not very good with directions either, satnav is invaluable.

I amused by my not realising I was holding the map upside down. My map reading skills or the lack of them is what I find amusing. The detour did not bother me . And this was some years ago when petrol was much cheaper. At then end of the day no harm was done and no one in particular lost out. If I remember correctly it was with my then partner so the funds were a joint thing in those days anyway (we lived together for a while until I realised I preferred living alone).

If these people know you are a bad map reader, why did they pick YOU as the person to read the map and give them directions, and then get surprised when they got lost? THAT would be a little funny.

Getting lost in general, on the other hand, is scary. I get lost all the time when I am driving anywhere I don't go every week. I don't have any trouble with map reading or following directions, but I keep missing where I am supposed to turn, or turning the wrong way, or thinking I already passed a road when I didn't (or really already passing a road and thinking I didn't) and if I am supposed to get there by memory I have no chance of finding any place.

My daughter goes to a homeschooled teen meeting once a month (since September), and I have to get Google map and/or GPS instructions every single time I drive her there. My son has been going to the same doctor for ADHD medications every 2-3 months for almost 2 years, and I still have to pull out the Mapquest instructions every single time I take him. My husband works in construction all over the county and surrounding counties, and often asks me to bring him supplies or pick up paychecks from contractors, so I have lots of practice getting lost. Even though I always eventually find the place I want to go to, and I am confident I will not stay lost, I still get very scared and angry every single time I am lost.

I will laugh about getting lost later (after I am safely back home and have been there for at least a couple of hours), but not right away. It might be your timing, rather than your sense of humor, that is a problem.

As to your original question--nobody agrees with me about what is funny and not. For example, I think saying I have lots of practice in getting lost is both funny and true. My kids, including the one with probable Aspergers/HFA, would disagree about it being funny.

I'm actually surprised as heck that people do get my sense of humor. I write completely insane movie parodies, and I'm always wondering "did I go too far off the deep end this time?" But weirdly enough, people seem to get it – which reinforces my belief that autistics really do have a unique perspective to contribute, that NTs seem to appreciate!

I find that people misunderstand me when I am joking, they take me seriously and also take offence.

The strange thing is, is that when I'm being serious people seem to think I am absolutely hilarious. It is a bit distracting, especially when I am working and trying to get things done.

I studied geography and geology at University. I got A grades for the other modules I did but a C for that one. All the same I am expected to be a good map reader. Um.....



It depends. If i have an important appointment and I may end up missing it, then yes getting lost can be upsetting. If I was in the Australian outback and lost after taking a wrong turn with all the poisonous spiders I'd worry, but I live in the UK. It is pretty hard to get lost here and if you do you don't have to go far to find assistance. The time I would worry most is if I were going to end up being stranded with no where to stay for the night. If on the other hand I have funds with me or means with which I can find alternative arrangements (such as finding a taxi or phoning one if i have a mobile with me) then I don't see the problem. Getting
lost under the latter set of circumstances can be fun.

There is no one correct answer as it all depends on the variables involved and the possible consequences of getting lost that time.

So sometimes it is funny
Sometimes annoying
Sometimes upsetting
Sometimes its an adventure
Sometimes it just is what it is without being anything at all.

Or it can be a mixture of those things and more.

It depends on how you want to perceive it, the consequences and other variables or individuals involved.

Never travel without back up plans.....and always have means with you if you do go a traveling...just in case. It's always wise to be prepared.

This happens to me all the time. I have an ironic sense of humor and one that relies on word-play. I don't even tell jokes anymore unless I am around good friends because I don't want people to get offended because they take it the wrong way or to think I am weird or crazy.

People have trouble understanding my jokes too. I love to grouse about it and my bestie will go, "Oh, it's because your sense of humour is advanced," to comfort me. Mind you, among my circle of closer friends, I am the joker and they genuinely find my jokes funny.

What I have noticed is in my native country, very few people understand my type of jokes. When I went overseas to study, I found others had the same sort of humour. I put my strange (for my country) sense of humour to the fact that as a child I was exposed to British 80's sitcoms and later, to PG Wodehouse's novels.

hey, all the time - and I found this hilarious - especially the double meaning ( I actually got it)

I make literary and historical references all the time to be funny (or even serious) and then when people look at me as if I were either an alien or and idiot (they are the ones not getting it but they think ME the fool) I just sigh and walk off knowing I have blown it yet again.

I try to be really careful about who I tell jokes to and which jokes I tell.

I have a really bad habit of making sarcastic statements intended as humor and they never go over well, people always think I'm being literal and mean - so I try not to do that (but sometimes they slip out).

When I'm actually telling a joke or pointing out something I find funny, people who know me either laugh hysterically or groan. Sometimes my jokes are about complicated word play and some of them are really silly and childish.