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Do people ever look at you like you are crazy?

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Ragtime
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25 Apr 2007, 4:59 pm

Wolfpup wrote:
For those of you this happens to, I wonder what on Earth is causing it?

To be honest, I'm not sure with myself. I don't think people do with me, but then I never look directly at people unless I have to, so I don't see how they might be looking at me (I either look somewhere else as I'm walking, or kind of focus my eyes out so I'm not really SEEING them).

I think normally when I interact with someone at a store or whatever they usually don't seem to act like I'm weird, though maybe occasionally.


All it means is that you're tuned-in to your own thoughts more than the people around you, irrespective of your desire to be social. If you're an Aspie, you're always thinking more than acting.


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Esperanza
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25 Apr 2007, 5:25 pm

Ragtime wrote:
It was always a mystery how I could 1. not be socially normal in my body language, and yet 2. be fully aware of everyone's reactions to it. It didn't seem possible, until I read about AS. I mean, it's really hard to imagine being, in a sense, "aware" of what you can't control, and still be unable to change it, when it's something so "simple" as facial expressions and slight body language differences. But, I know it's true, because that's exactly what I have, and have always had. :?


Yeah. That's how I am. I know when people think I'm strange- which is very often- but I can never get it right so they stop thinking that. I know I'm supposed to smile sincerely and look them in the eye, but I do it at the wrong moment, or the smile comes out as a pained grimace, and I look them in the eye way too long and creep them out, or I glance and then look away like a shamed puppy. I always say the wrong thing, and I KNOW it's wrong and I KNOW they're looking at me funny but I can't get the right thing to come out!!



DingoDv
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25 Apr 2007, 5:40 pm

I regualrly notice people staring at me, or is it a leer...
Scarily, often it will be kids doing it as well (not anti-social ones, 6-10yr old children).

The thing is though, I am different, I wear shorts and sandals alot, often have a massive rucksack (well in there terms, its actually quite small for me), bike helmet and used to carry the saddle around as well (you can't leave it attached with a QR buckle, people decide they want it) coupled with that I am probably fidgeting/stimming with hands (I've realised I fiddle with my hands an awful lot :() or looking at a book, knelt down on a bookshop floor (with the helmet and saddle on the floor for people to trip over, and my bag sticking out so they have to dance around me - when I think about it, it is rather selfish...).

I guess, I don't really mind what people I don't know think about me, often not even the people I know bother me that much...

As nb411 said, I do think that it happens to everyone, its just we are maybe more aware of our surroundings and since we don't really like eye contact too much it 'gets' to us.



KurtmanJP
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25 Apr 2007, 5:56 pm

Only when I have an outburst.


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ikambokem
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26 Apr 2007, 1:31 am

yes they do



Lightning88
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26 Apr 2007, 1:54 am

No, everyone just smiles at me as if I'm the most adorable thing on the planet. Once a couple years ago, there was this lady at Home Depot whom I could easily say was obsessed with me. Mom said it looked like she wanted to take me home with her! And then at other random times, I'll be walking down the mall and people I pass by just smile at me all friendly and stuff. What's also weird is that some people at random will come up to me and say things like "You're beautiful", "You're adorable", "You look very pretty" and so on. I guess I really shouldn't be complaining! :wink: Although there have been times when I've gotten mad at my mom in the store and people will look at me and you can just see they're thinking "what a brat". So I give them a look that says "You better stop looking at me right now". lol



ahayes
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26 Apr 2007, 2:23 am

Lightning88 wrote:
No, everyone just smiles at me as if I'm the most adorable thing on the planet. Once a couple years ago, there was this lady at Home Depot whom I could easily say was obsessed with me. Mom said it looked like she wanted to take me home with her! And then at other random times, I'll be walking down the mall and people I pass by just smile at me all friendly and stuff. What's also weird is that some people at random will come up to me and say things like "You're beautiful", "You're adorable", "You look very pretty" and so on. I guess I really shouldn't be complaining! :wink: Although there have been times when I've gotten mad at my mom in the store and people will look at me and you can just see they're thinking "what a brat". So I give them a look that says "You better stop looking at me right now". lol


You are pretty adorable. :wink:

Yeah, people do it I'm sure.



Lightning88
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26 Apr 2007, 2:25 am

Thanks, ahayes! :)



Pakahafi
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26 Apr 2007, 3:05 am

Yeah, I've noticed that quite a bit when I'm in public with someone I don't know. I suppose it has something to do with how some people psychologically can sense something about the way I hold myself in public. I try not to let it bother me, but it can get strange knowing that I don't appear "normal" in public to some people.



TheTjalian
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26 Apr 2007, 6:41 am

Sometimes, although the mild tourettes doesn't help :P

I just look them in the eye back and they either look away or just like continue to stare... weird people lol. I couldn't really give a damn to be honest. I just shrug it off.



invivo
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26 Apr 2007, 6:55 am

all the time



ProfessorX
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26 Apr 2007, 8:27 am

:idea: Honestly, I've often had stares and looks from other persons usually from when I might exhibit stimming or in other terms not act nor react as, most people might expect, if this makes sense? I'll close by saying other can stare,gawk,gaze regardless cause, I'm not going away anytime soon nor do I sincerely choose to pretend to be normal just to so-called fit in with other citizens of society :!:


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ZanneMarie
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26 Apr 2007, 8:30 am

Ragtime wrote:
manalitwist wrote:
Pretty frequent, especially when i am being interviewed or there are questions and responses to cover. I put it down to inapropriate body language responses on my part, such as looking to briefly or too intensely or perhaps the timber of my voice may be a bit over formal. Usualy happens more when im strained and perhaps when i am unreadable to an NT. I can tell by the persons very subtle delays and pauses in speech and strange second glances.


It was always a mystery how I could 1. not be socially normal in my body language, and yet 2. be fully aware of everyone's reactions to it. It didn't seem possible, until I read about AS. I mean, it's really hard to imagine being, in a sense, "aware" of what you can't control, and still be unable to change it, when it's something so "simple" as facial expressions and slight body language differences. But, I know it's true, because that's exactly what I have, and have always had. :?


It's your brain not doing what you are telling it to do. The message fails. If you were a software package you would throw a log error and they would know why it happened. You are receiving the message from the input, but the message sent back so your body will respond is either not happening at all or not making it all the way. That's all.

That's why I just look at them, shrug and say my synapsis just misfired. What are they going to do? Sue my brain?



9CatMom
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26 Apr 2007, 8:39 am

Most of the time, no. However, that is because I work on being like everyone else and don't talk about my interests, except on the internet. Luckily, I work in an animal-friendly environment where nearly everyone has pets of some kind and I can talk about my dog and my cats.



Danielismyname
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26 Apr 2007, 8:40 am

Yeah...every time I don't answer them; which is quite frequently. Though, only on the rare occasions that I stare into the painted mask; so it could be a frequent event or not...probably frequently though....

People think the worst of my thoughts...every damn time.



Wolfpup
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26 Apr 2007, 9:22 am

9CatMom wrote:
Most of the time, no. However, that is because I work on being like everyone else and don't talk about my interests, except on the internet. Luckily, I work in an animal-friendly environment where nearly everyone has pets of some kind and I can talk about my dog and my cats.


I subject my mom to whatever I'm interested in :D How terrible is that? Gives me an outlet where I can go on and on and on about whatever. It's like I have to tell SOMEONE, but can't really in "real life".