Emotional perception--directionality / severity of symptoms

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At the request of Mr Xxx, I am opening a new thread to address this question, from the thread "Not coldly rational 100% of the time?":

"Does the issue with emotional expression usually work both ways in a person (one's own outward emoting AND perception of others), or is it ever something that may affect one direction more than the other?"

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Official diagnosis: ADHD, synesthesia. Aspie quiz result (unofficial test): Like Frodo--I'm a halfling? 110/200 NT, 109/200 Aspie.

Darn. And I'm just about to go to bed.

Hope it takes off. I'll check in tomorrow.

I have more trouble with outward emoting than with perception.

I think something that isn't given enough attention is the difference between intentional emotion and reactive emotion. Reactive emotion arises internally and involuntarily while intentional emotion is more controlled and communicative. The latter also tends to be utilized in the presense of a "target" person that one is trying to communicate to while the former occurs just as readily in isolation.

Anyways, my theory is that autistic people have more trouble displaying controlled intentional emotion than NTs. Our expression of reactive emotions is in most cases the same as that of NTs. The issue is that the expression of involuntary reactive emotion only activates when internal emotions are intense. Weaker emotions have to be communicated in a more voluntary way, similar to acting, though it might be subtle and NT's might not consciously notice when they are doing it.

Anyways, I'm pretty tired at the moment. Please let me know if what I wrote makes any sense to anyone besides me.

Made sense to me...I would be interested to see other thoughts on this subject.

_________________
Official diagnosis: ADHD, synesthesia. Aspie quiz result (unofficial test): Like Frodo--I'm a halfling? 110/200 NT, 109/200 Aspie.