it forces you to look at authenticity and readjusts your inhibitions about being that way with others – it’s not pretending; we pretend much of the time as it is!

authenticity + social skills (the ability to elicit positive authentic responses in other individuals) = power

beware though – most people think they’re being authentic when they’re really being selfish. Once in a while you’ll come across someone who’s uncorked something pent up and they’re not being self-indulgent. Not that a little self-indulgence hurts a conversation.

I am not under any influence while writing this, except for being very tired. Hope I’m being erudite about the subject matter!

I sincerely hope not, but I am AS and have tried to use this acting technique in order to fit in.

My experience has been that it can help give me the bravado I need to handle seemingly ordinary situations like being in a supermarket or on public transport, or even just walking around uni. In those sort of circumstances I’ve found that I can fake it by studying and emulating the way other people, who are commonly perceived to be confident walk, carry their bags, swing their arms etc. I’m quite good at it when my head space is pretty calm.

The trouble I’ve found though, is that on anything more than the most casual personal level it doesn’t work at all. Because it’s not who I really am and people can sense it even if I do manage to keep up the act. It makes them shy away from me.

It’s hard work anyway, keeping that persona thing going, and like you, I don’t really know how to do it on anything but the most superficial level because I know my brain works differently to most other people’s and I’m blowed if I can work out their way.

I’m practising learning levels of acting, like degrees of appropriateness so that I can function better in the world.

I’m also seeking out people who don’t require me to do this anyway. People who care enough to understand some slightly ‘eccentric’ qualities that I have. Unfortunately it feels like they may always be somewhat limited in numbers, but that’s ok, I get overwhelmed by too many people and demands anyway. Quality, not quantity.

The last thing that has helped me is that I’ve come to appreciate all the quirks and special parts about my way of thinking and being and accepted that I just am different to most people.
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