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Rordiway
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14 Apr 2009, 12:17 pm

There is a large amount of emphasis on happiness in our world. Why we should be happy about somthing, or why we should be unhappy about something. There is an expectation to react in a manner that shows joy in a multitude of situations. It seems to upset people if you do not show this joy. I can only seem to find "joy" when I am engaged in one of my hobbies, or as they seem to be described here my obsessions. During these moments when I am supposed to show my joy I am not unhappy. That seems to be the way I can describe life most of the time when I should be feeling joy; I am not unhappy. Is this familiar to anyone else?



richardbenson
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14 Apr 2009, 1:53 pm

here bud, take one. you'll feel better.

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i feel better already. :D



Willard
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14 Apr 2009, 3:01 pm

It's common for people with AS or HFA to seem less than happy to neurotypical folk, because NTs do have a tendency to whoop and holler and slap hands with each other when they're happy and excited.

If I won the lottery, I'd be excited, but the television camera crews would be very disappointed, because I wouldn't be squealing and crying and hugging everyone around me. All that brouhaha seems needless and extremely silly to me. I'd be embarrassed to be seen behaving like that.

My lack of visible enthusiasm would by no means indicate that I was less than happy. Though I realize a lot of people do take me that way, all the time. The very fact that I'm somewhere where I can be seen is an indication that I'm not unhappy. If I were unhappy, I'd be hiding in a hole somewhere alone. But then I do that a lot on good days, too. :compress:



glider18
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14 Apr 2009, 7:48 pm

I am generally a happy person, and I am happy with my AS. I would like to relate a situation that happened to me when I was about 10 years old---back in the 1970s.

I won the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby in my pack. I was very happy---but I evidently didn't show any enthusiasm. I remember my mother saying to me as I held the trophy to have my picture taken that I could at least act happy. In those pictures I am blank faced with no emotion. But yet, I was really happy inside.

So yes, I can relate to this discussion. I think it is common for us with autism to not appear happy when we are happy.


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pensieve
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14 Apr 2009, 9:28 pm

Willard wrote:
If I won the lottery, I'd be excited, but the television camera crews would be very disappointed, because I wouldn't be squealing and crying and hugging everyone around me. All that brouhaha seems needless and extremely silly to me. I'd be embarrassed to be seen behaving like that.

That's what I'd do. I once won a prize (Jurassic Park video game) and was like 'that's cool' and other people are like 'is that all you can say?' And then people get excited to go to a concert and I'm like really neutral, even though I am looking forward to it.



Katatonic
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14 Apr 2009, 9:32 pm

I guess I would have to agree. I do, however, show brief moments of exuberance such as the time I beat Through the Fire & Flames on Expert mode......that took me MONTHS. I think I showed more enthusiasm over that then I would, say, someone handing me a check for a million dollars.

I also become over joyed when I set some sort of fun little booby trap for a coworker at work or when I scare the living excrement out of someone...


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