timf wrote:
Masking is conducting oneself within the expectations of others. This can be done as an entertainer such as with humor. It can be done from a position of inferiority such as one who is perplexed and asking for help, one who is ret*d, or one who is servile.
James Clavel in commenting about Asiatics said that they have six different faces and none of the is real. The reason perhaps is that the consequences for saying or doing something unexpected could be severe (including death).
The idea behind social survival is "don't spook the cattle".
I'm not sure if it was the exact point but I've often wondered on the difference between "autistic masking" and "social masking" all explanations seem to be around the diagnosis leading the type of masking rather than differential. Does social masking get redefined as autistic masking once the diagnosis is made either professionally or by oneself?
All people explain differing presentations in differing environments, feeling safer to be themselves with other people (usually how significant friendships are made), not responding certain ways or sharing their political views etc etc to no be ostracised, end up lonely, alone. Adolescence is a key time of peer development, is liking things others do to "fit in" natural, weird, but part of cultural capitalist norms? 21 jump street always makes me laugh with this, one strapping, two strapping and "gay people driving eco cars on used fry oil" its not the medium its the collective.
There was an explanation somewhere here around not knowing why I was masking that I would like to explore, at want point does that insight come/why would you? etc
For clarity before the likely inference is made that I don't believe in something is made. I am diagnosed by a psychiatrist and told I mask. But the explanations are not insightful. This is why I also don't like the assumptions that "NTs do this", how do we know? are we a special insightful group because a medic told us so? We know the personal experience of people not diagnosed and what goes on in their heads? Is NT everything but ND, and who's definition of ND (the schizophrenia thread is fascinating). We were good enough maskers to rub along but they cant be?
02 Mar 2024, 8:16 am
