The Mask Game

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What is it?

It is the mimicry of "generally accepted social behavior". Essentially, this is performing an act around "normal people", so that you appear more like one of them (or whatever else you choose to project) for the sake of gaining acceptance.

More recently, I have read about people using "scripts" in social settings so that they can manage greater acceptance, which is clearly an application of this construct.

Personally, I developed this concept near the end of elementary school, and eventually began to reject its use around middle school.

The reason for it is that while I noticed that it was spectacular for the initiation of friendships, I would always eventually run out of scripts at some point. At this point, the "mask" would be lost, and people would immediately see me as a fake. The guise I typically tried to use was that of a "normal person", which probably was a poor choice due to its difficulty. I also recognized the superficiality of any friendships obtained from it and the obvious limitations reached when situations progressed to the point that I did not have any applicable ones.

More advanced levels of this game are the creation of additional personas to impress different types of people, creation of more advanced and unique personas, and using that uniqueness to gain incredible levels of popularity. My (most likely aspie) brother did just this.

I find this a rather intriguing topic, and I would like to know if anyone here did/does something similar.

I think this is yet another perfectly normal social behavior that NTs do better than aspies, but I'm naive...

Earlier I could see some caracters in a film and wish I could act like that person out in public. I never managed to do it - too complicated.

What I do now is to take little bits of what people, I know, do and act it out under the right circumstances. My aunt has a special harsh way of saying "Yeees?" when she wants to see the back of you. I use that when people call me on the phone to sell me something. It works wonders, they get really nervous.

My niece's husband is a person I love to give gifts, he always examin them carefully, and it gives you a feeling that he appreciates that special gift, he takes his time with each gift. He may never actually say he likes it, but he gives you the feeling he does.

I try now, when I receive gifts to copy him, to give other people the same feeling.

Addendum to mask game theory:


I forgot to mention this, but I also heard about situational mimicry: that of mirroring the reactions of the other person in the act of conversation. I suppose that this is a sort of false empathy.

Exactly the same thing happens to me! I've never seen it put into words so well before now.



Do they realise that they're doing it? I watch people and it is so obvious that they have their masks on, but they seem to be unaware of it. If I am wearing my social mask I am painfully aware of it for every secpmd that it is there.

I used to try to use the mask with people my age but I failed because I constantly made ''mistakes''. With adults it's easier, except if they ask too many awkward questions. I used to put on quite a show when I wanted to impress them but now it seems too much a hassle for me to do anything more than use pieces of behavior from other people except in some situations. I never really did it to gain popularity, as that would have just made me terribly uncomfortable.