Masking can you be doing it and not know it?

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This is that has come to my mind recently and I was just wondering if this is possible.
Also, how do you mask?

Yes.

If you want to actively mask, look at how NT people around you act, speak, dress, and think, and then try to imitate that.

Yes. Masking is the set of skills you developed when interacting with NTs. I mask mostly in trying to soften my ideas and presenting them in softer ways. Not always successful.

Yes.
I found I mask in more then one way.
What I call automatic masking which has been learned over a period of time to such an extent that one does it automatically, and then manual masking where one will be constantly thinking to mask on top of this in a manual way.

secion B of previous post .

and yes have been so used to observing NT behaviour can appear to fit in using mimicry
uually by applying previous experiences and observations , and thank heaven for that or my situaion could be far worse that it has been .occasionally these
decisions have to be made manually. depending on social complexities.

I use "masking" to refer to two types: 1) outward and 2) inward.
I do not know or care if anyone uses these terms differently.
I've gotten to the point where outward masking can be, at times, fairly subconscious. If you've learned a foreign language but no longer have to think in your native language to translate from then you know what it's like.

1) outward masking - once I identify a behaviour of mine that others either don't like or don't understand, I deliberately change what it is I do when I know I'm doing or about to do something that does not end well for me. I've gotten pretty good at identifying those moments but they're like stopping a sneeze....lots of awareness and focus and luck.

The easiest "mask" is nothing...a contemplative stoicism that buys me time to get past that immediate moment so I can think of a scene in a tv show or movie where the guy was in a similar situation and did something that worked out well. It's surprising, to me, how easily adaptable a few movie scenes are to a variety of real-life situations. Just don't pick a comedy. LOL. There are others but this is the gist of it.

2) inward masking - primarily used for those "overwhelming" or "outburst" triggers where one compartmentalizes the feeling and forcibly replaces it with something else. For me, that something else is usually humour; usually a Monty Python sort of humour.

Inward masking usually also requires a "surrender to the moment"...giving up what I want. I've learned this surrendering over several years. It's gotten easier to do but takes a long time to recover from (hours to days). Sex can speed up the recovery process...seriously, sex works for me.

I think so. If by that you mean you aren't consciously thinking bout it. I used to have to think in depth about how I presented myself to others but now it comes very naturally.

Yes. I was copying and mimicking other kids in my class when I was 6 and 7 and thought that was normal behavior at school. My parents found out and they put me in a regular class with regular kids so I would be around kids that modeled appropriate behavior for me. I have an online friend and he would call this being a copy cat.

If your special needs kid can mimic others, do not put them in self contained classrooms and be careful what programs you put them in or what special school you send them to that are for kids with disabilities or else they will mimic that behavior they do that isn't neurotypical.

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Can relate to scripting growing up , and was able to build a vocabulary by doing this and some intense interest in a set of encyclopedias. As early as 5 or 6 years old. Used sound like I was talking to myself . I thought sometimes.

Scripting everything is how I floated by for the past 19 years. Observing other people, practicing what I learn, thinking of scripts for every possible social scenario. Intently keeping track of what works and what doesn't work, and rethinking my script when it doesn't get a good reaction from others. I can't really go "off script" or things get confusing and I noticed that even in my writing, I reuse phrases a lot. I also only figured out "masking" was a thing probably a year ago, or not even a year ago.

i never was able to mask, i never was able to hide me from anybody else. i never was able to follow a script.

Certain situations when your dealing with possible life changing events or. Potentially life changing , my tendency towards thinking what am I gonna say if this comes up , or the other thing .for days in advance . And add alittle mimicry and there you Go ,
You maybe able to get through a conversation . That has potential to go off in a bad direction .
A few people , after I get to know them , I find myself unmasking to a certain degree . Requires little to no. Scripting
Society seems to have certain scripts for initial interactions. Are like prepared answers for some social interactions.
Occasionally just going To a smile , and being silent too , has helped me get through sometimes .

Yes, it's possible. I was diagnosed this year and I was never fully aware of masking. I remember when I went through th diagnostic criteria and was thinking "me, stimming? highly unlikely", but then I observed myself for weeks and realized I do it very often, mostly alone and in public settings under the table. Same went for losing attention, I made up games not to get bored. For example as I'm an anime fan, I learned voices from anime and also some social clues from Japanese conversations (they tend to say short words to ensure the other person they are still listening and paying attention. Something like "oh really?", "no way!", "hmm hmm"). So I started using these in my own language and.. fell in love with my own voice This way it's funny to listen to someone, even if I don't pay attention.