Poll on neurotypical recognition of Autist emotions

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My emotion - perception of environment

Content - is perceived as anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, nervousness, shyness, frustration and tension - no pattern

Neutrality - often perceived as strong anger, sometimes perceived as disinterest and worry

Anger - occasionally perceived as happiness and/or content, usually as worry and strong anxiety

Sadness - boredom, disinterest

Boredom - no acknowledgement whatsoever

Surprise - no acknowledgement, when I elaborate it's perceived as anxiety or fear though

Tension - worry (which I find to be different from each other)

Fear - no acknowledgement

The interpretation of my mood changes with the people that try to evaluate it.

Most see me as nervous and anxious, which is the worst ever, since I'm the non-anxious autistic type. I'm quite laid-back. (And bored.)

I once met one person who, despite barely knowing me, identified my mood correctly after a short exchange of saying hi to each other. I told her she must be the most empathic person that I have ever met.

People are always saying to me that they saw me walking down the street and I looked as if I was pondering the fate of the world. They ask me what I was so deep in thought about and why did I look so serious?

When I walk down the street alone, I am deep in thought. Aren't they? What do NTs do? Walk down the street alone and not think? I really want to know. I asked my friend that because she always says the same thing, "Are you OK? I saw you walking down the street today and you looked really serious and mad."

When I asked her, she just laughed.

I don't think that I could even remember to smile as I walk down the street. I am thinking about the world, and beads, and books, and religion.

People often tell me that I look too serious, or mad. Even when I'm enjoying myself. Every day.

Like someone else said, a lot of times people look like they're faking it to me, like they're too exuberant.

Yes, I've had this happen to me before. Sometimes people have mistook my normal demeanor for being angry and confront me about it. Of course that irritates me and then I start feeling angry.

This is what I wrote to the OP in an email but I wanted to share why I think this is an important issue for many of us.



The current diagnosis makes a lot of the fact that people with AS have difficulty reading NT emotions but seldom mention how NT's have the same difficulty reading ours. That causes just as many difficulties for us because they then project false assumptions about us based on how they (miss)read our non-verbals. I actually got fired from a waitressing job in college because I wasn't "smiling" enough ...I was trying to. Given the current jobs that are in the 'people service" industries, that can put aspies in a financial disadvantage and is a form of discrimination that should be addressed.......I mean, could someone not hire r fire someone because a "stroke" had cause certain muscles to be paralyzed in their faces? Many of us have the same issue with lack of vocal intonations and other non-verbal communication.


Krex

Maybe it really is hard to tell when you're happy. Who's to say?

Jeez, sounds like you might be my twin. I just never look "right" according to people - it's so f@#$% annoying that the comments would immediately change my mood to what they're accusing me of. And that off course proofs that they were right. Everyone on this site always freak out if something smells like NT-bashing but sometimes those fools drive me over the edge.

I spend enough time around people who care to see if my passive facial expressions are faulty, although my active ones are fine.

I actually don't disagree with his assessment.

You understand why we freak out, right? Those "fools" probably get pretty annoyed with you, as well. Just try not to disrespect anyone.

I mostly look like I need to pass gas but am politely holding it.
this is my 'neutral'

Merle

People have told me various negative things such as being intimidating or angry, when I wasn't feeling that way.
Then there are the people who say "Why don't you ever smile?"

people seem to think i look depressed when i'm netual for some messed up reason

Why don't you ever smile?

my mouth is quite small for the rest of my face. when I "smile" it looks like a sideways D with the flat part under my nose. It is really more of a grimace, as the sides of my mouth do not curve upwards at any time (smiling or not) however I can frown unbelievebly well.

I have had grown men back off when I frown, grown men with a beef with me. I have watched people go white and back up when I just turn around when startled or just not expecting it.
I never understood before I heard about AS. Now I try to 'arrange' my feature to show mild and bland surprise. They can think I am a dummy if they like, but I don't get instant frightened hostility to have to contend with.

Merle

So you enjoy having a halloween mask for a face?

Doesn't this all bother you on some level?

yes. It has always bothered me. Inside I am a sensitive human with great intellectual capacity. My sense of justice is outraged and my self esteem suffers from constantly having to 'tend and befriend' when 'fight or flight' is what I am feeling inside.
but it bothers me even more to always have to refute and repair instant impressions and reactions from someone having open hostility or shocked defensiveness to me just because I don't know or can't arrange my body and facial language to portray open receptivity to supervisor, medical provider, law enforcement officer or the street toughs on the bus.

other than just carrying a gun and blowing them all away, I do what I can and am open to your advice on the subject.

Merle