Emoticons

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This post is appropriate for General Autism Discussion in that I virtually cannot read emotions. I am really bad at this. I cannot 'read' anyone.

I know some use emoticons regularly. I do not too often but if/when I do I have to put the cursor on the emoticon to know what they are. I suppose this is a demonstration of not being able to read emotions. Or expressions.

Adverse implications socially. Maybe I'll practice with trying to identify emoticons. Does this make sense? Except real others do not have yellow faces......I'll deal with that later.

Emoticon/emotion id advice? Is there a key?

hi man.
Well, many times it's harder because the emoticon alone won't tell you much. You also need to check in what kind of sentence people are saying something. Like:

"I loved Gigli, the movie with Jenifer Lopez "
and then, that laugh means that of course you didn't like that movie.

Shoulnt that be " I loved Gi with lopez "

A razz, Is he sticking his tounge out?

I can't get the "more emoticons to open"

I find them VERY important. I have a friend who doesnt use them and he always comes across as a smart*ss when he types. I've had that problem with him for years. Of course maybe hes just letting his inner self out at a computer!

It might help to know I grew up reading a lot of comics. In comics and cartoons they exagurrate the expressions a lot. But I too don't know what some emoticons mean but once I learn am glad to have them.

People ARE yellow in Legoville and the Simpsons.

I have noticed that this is the only forum in which it's list of emoticons does this. This was the first forum that I joined...and I used to have to put the cursor on the emoticon to know what they mean. Now, I don't have to as I have memorised them. With the negative of not being able to "read" emotions...comes the positive of a great memory!

Great, now lets get Spellcheck on the forum!

I had considered starting a thread about this when I first joined WrongPlanet, because most people here seemed so comfortable with emoticons and I completely failed at understanding them. It seemed odd that a site devoted to emotional/social ret*ds (no offense meant, it is often how I term myself) would be so fluent in emotional expression.

I asked a "normal" friend what he thought of emoticons, and he said he doesn't get them either, so he makes up his own (this doesn't help anyone; people have become familiar with the conventional ones, so even if his are more "accurate," nobody can decipher them). I think that has more to do with what Brittany2907 said: memorizing the patterns and fitting them to a situation.

TrueDave had a good point, though. These little pictures are absurdly exaggerated. I don't know of anyone, save perhaps comedians, who makes faces like this. Identifying and understanding emotional expression has, for me, always been an elaborate system of pattern recognition. The emoticons threw me off because they don't mimic the patterns I associate with those emotions. The best you can probably do is memorize the pictures and the context they are used in.

Hmm... This is interesting. What exactly is the difference between learning that = sad and $ = dollar? Emoticons are symbols that represent certain emotional states. There is no need to read or intuit emotions behind emoticons. It's like learning any other symbols.

Do you have problem understanding simple emoticons like and ? Or, you have problem only with those that are more ambiguous? like ?

Also, not all emoticons are designed well. It might not be your fault. I actually have no idea what means. It looks to me like "singing" or "saying hi", which is not an emotion.

Yes, apart from the really obvious ones like "grin", "groan" or "blushing with embarrassment" I need to hold my cursor over them too (and even when I do some of them still don't make sense - I mean what the **** is ????)

I agree with the previous poster who said that facial expressions in comics are easier to understand than real people's faces.

When they do quizzes in newspapers or magazines asking you to identify emotions I always get all the subtler ones wrong - it is like I see in black & white when really there should be a lot of shades of grey in there too.

One thing I have noticed is if I am asked to describe a person's emtions I will say "He is laughing", "He is crying" etc rather than "he is happy" or "he is sad".

The only one I do identify as an emotion is "he looks pretty angry...."

Until I found out about AS I had no idea that I had a problem with any of this!

I agree with this.

I agree; looks a bit like another happy face, but it says 'surprise'.



Another member (I won't mention the name in case it embarrasses him) told me that is sticking his tongue out and it means jest on WP it's like teasing but friendly, so I'm going to stick with this rule.

I thought meant "I'm looking with my eyes peeled", which is an uncomfortable expression. When I spotted first few 's I kept on wondering for a while why is this little figure staring at me?

It's good that this site is the only one that tells you what each mark means.

I found a Facial expressions test using real faces but I warn you this is very difficult because they show the expressions only very briefly like maybe for 100 or 200 msec or so (I know there's at least another thread on this). When I was looking for this test I saw some sites advertising facial expression reading skills training for business ppl, so I think it's difficult for many ppl.

I am glad <insert proper emoticon here> others are mystified by this too. Well, not 'glad,' per se, but at least I'm not alone in my social kindergartener-ness.

But I cannot place my cursor over real people to know what they are emoting....that is the dilemma. I guess I'll need to ask, if that is deemed appropriate or pertinent. I'm quite face blind so expressions are.....open game?

I find that I'm quite thankful for the emoticons; they are very useful to me for attaching an otherwise unspoken emotional state to what I write; I'm quite fond of the wink , which I think of and use as a smirk. I've become so dependent on them, that I'm known to constantly complain when using other where these standard emoticons are not available. In lieu of them, I sometimes resort to older school *shocked* or *surprised* or *smirk*, but that is both tiresome and unwieldy to me.

This is based on a real example from recently; I wrote to someone:

"Someone suggested to me that you are probably lying about some things; I wonder how much truth there is in that."

This statement actually rather upset the recipient; it came off like an accusation. In truth, I meant the "accusation" in jest.

"Someone suggested to me that you are probably lying about some things; I wonder how much truth there is in that. "

There is no "reading of expression" for me with the emoticons here; I see them and "read" them automatically as typically what they are intended to display; I do not stare at the emoticon and try to read the expression; I see it and just think "confused". They are simple language extension constructs to me, emotions represented in convenient iconic form, just as their name implies; they fall easily into place for me along with all of the other symbols humans use to communicate.

Good fortune,

- Icarus is unsure how to read the smurf emoticons...

Hmm, I would think that emoticons would be ideal for a forum for those with Aspergers who may have difficulty reading people. Emoticons make one's mood known, many times avoiding misunderstandings. Look:

Ouch! Offensive!



Oh fiddle faddle, he was just joking!

What about "special" emoticons just for us AS people?

What would they be?

Which emoticon is stimming? etc

TrueDave, there is a stimming emoticon

Icarus, I am, with Spock-like finesse, running my cursor over you like a tricorder. I'm receiving signals (chanelling my really lousy ESP), order arbitrary:





So there! I have no idea what this means. I am not in the Hallmark card business. Considered yourself emoted.
I guess I 'get' the easier ones (ie: painfully obvious), like 'smile,' or 'satan,' plus the emoticons that look like a cherry, elephant, etc.
Thank God (minus the religous aspect) I am a scientist and NOT a Wal-Mart greeter.

So you're another scientist. Cool. I feel tempted to use your phrase (Thank God minus religious aspect). I'm giggling.

I'd hardly call myself a chemist, but would you care to share some interesting facts about chemistry please (sorry it's a deviation but I can't miss the chance)?

Yes, we're allowed to diverge. Incidentally, I noticed Icarus has not responded to my emotional flood <emoticon usage> Icarus is afraid.

whitedragon, I am firstly an analytical chemist; photochemistry. I manipulate light w/respect to plant behavior. Especially I am a laboratory chemist and this where I feel at home - hence my nickname. I have a strong and diverse science background and am mathematical. Also, I am very artistic (not a typo, that's aRtistic, not to be confused with autistic, but I am that too). These are continuous functions for me.

I am shifting/expanding my interests somewhat; I am currently pursuing a PhD at the University (Fairbanks) in neuroscience. This means I must concentrate on my biochemistry - where I lack, especially the 'bio' part. I love what I do.

Mostly, in chemistry (sciences in general), I rely upon my observational skills using all my senses (enhanced sensory modality) plus the autistic analytical mind. In photochemistry I am fluidic. Light, nm, corresponds to sound. Since excited electrons, when they fall back to their preferred natural state, they express this energy as a specific light wavelength, depending upon the constitutent elements, which corresponds to sound, or heat (thermodynamics).

But now, very ironically, I am working with some great neuroscientists and my advisor alters circadian rythym in mice and studies their corresponding behavior - congruent with my previous research in plant behavior using photomanipulation! And, more ironic: These neuroscientists are actively pursuing autism research. This is what their/my goal! I am fascinated and I sure didn't expect that I would be shifting into autism stuff -but that's what happened. Plus, since I am a high-functiong autistic, I have an 'espionage vantage' for them, if you know what I mean.

I love entropy and theorectical science/math. Okay, that was a divergence. Back to the part that I am lousy at emoticons.

I am very sensitive and I do feel. But I lack some rudimentary emotions &/or their not really developed. This makes me a 'social kindergartener' even though I'm often described as 'very sweet' (more like naive). Plus, I'm very shy and mostly do not speak. I am trying to learn more emotions and not be so painfully, stupid shy. I shall follow Icarus emoticon advice. Apparently emoticons are a 'social lubricant' to words are not misinterpreted; that is, they can be 'softened' with an emoticon so the other knows if I am kidding and their feelings are not hurt or they get the wrong impression. In RL, this is not so easy since social language is quite complex. Neurotypicals do not come with a downloadable instruction manual.....sigh. I really try.