You're only pretending that you're normal.

So, my family growing up was definitely not 'normal'. To compensate for this, I tried to do the opposite of what sounded right whenever I was around normal people. Sometimes this didn't work so well. A man in the mall offered me hand lotion, which I figured, 'ok that's weird but I guess normal people just give each other lotioning'; he spent the next fifteen minutes of my life trying to sell me a $30 nail buffer.

I can't be the only one who does this. How do you pretend to belong when you're around "normal" people?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Make idle comments about the weather. Ask how people are, ALL THE TIME. Smile until it hurts. Stand up straight with shoulders back. Suck in my stomach. Carefully track what people are saying to me for nouns such that I can ask questions about said nouns to continue the conversation. Study the sports page. Study the news. Commiserate endlessly.

e.g. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry that happened to you! Aren't salespeople the worst? Do you often go to the mall? I go sometimes, but not in this weather. My goodness, it's just been so hot lately, hasn't it?"

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Mostly idle chatter. Sometimes joking around to add excitement to a topic. I'm usually quiet myself unless the subject being talked about interests me.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Term

I'm usually quiet myself unless the subject being talked about interests me.

The golden rule. Seen some people who were obviously already feeling awkward cock up because they felt they had to say something. We were chatting about facial hair at some BBQ and when a lull had come after a joke this girl just pipes up "HA HA, beards." Silence. >.>

When I'm not socialising solo I stick to that rule almost religiously, only speak when spoken to or until I genuinely have something to add. In situations by myself it depends on the context. Since most of my socialising is with people on my course, I usually talk about work and the course or about any uni events as a starting point. Just looking for something we can both talk about and then it stems off from there into something more specific.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Respond with: 1). Yes. 2). No. 3). IDK. 4). Perhaps. 5). Whatever. 6). [giggles/smiles] + no. 1-5. when talked to. Otherwise, stay silent as a rock.

I was speaking idiomatically.

What the hell is wrong with all of you?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Being surprised that a few people on an internet forum have social issues :v

FELIPE NO

Yeah, I pretty much just act myself in public. I fear I am painfully "Normal" at times.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Quote:

How do you pretend to belong when you're around "normal" people?

I've given up on such pretense.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

About those awkward silences in conversation. I tend to use those as an out. "Ok, I really should get back to what I'm doing, it was good to see you." Usually I'm not up to something terribly pressing, but I'd rather make myself a sandwich than search for some other line of conversation. I sometimes play it up and try to be visably impatient and say to them, "I'm sorry, I'm very busy lately and I have to go, but I'll catch up with you later." I don't have anywhere to be.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by packrat

I've given up on such pretense.

I approach this similarly: I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT BEING NORMAL.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Shorty

I approach this similarly: I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT BEING NORMAL.

Says the girl who goes clubbing, follows most girly fashion and generally carries on as the most normal female here.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Bernard Black

Being surprised that a few people on an internet forum have social issues :v

Not that. More that people care that "normal" people view them as their own.

I was speaking idiomatically.

A couple of years ago I realised that my stupid bullshit is just as dumb and boring as everyone else's stupid bullshit, so now I do my best to be interested in whatever people have to say. Not just feigning interest; actually forcing myself to take what people are saying into proper consideration when chatting to them.

If you want to be interesting, be interested! Unfortunately you also need to be highly tolerant of really awkward conversations sometimes.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by krelian

If you want to be interesting, be interested! Unfortunately you also need to be highly tolerant of really awkward conversations sometimes.

QFT.


I have a list of topics dear to my heart that I know are abnormal enough to make people outside the right circles uncomfortable (polyamory, feminism, religion), and avoid them unless invited so as to avoid social pain and/or violence. But other than that, I don't put much effort into fitting in. It just kind of happens. Most people have enough rough edges that they're pretty forgiving of yours. (The ones that don't are dicks and don't deserve to be spoken to.)

FELIPE NO

I don't think of myself as normal. The foundation for my positive self-image isn't a belief that I am accepted. I don't feel it necessary to belong to any particular group. I have enough positive qualities that my interactions with other people are rarely hindered by what could be considered abnormal behavior.

How ya doing, buddy?

When around normal people I act like I'm not a normal person who thinks acting like a normal person will make me think that I'm acting like a normal person around normal people even though I can't really distinguish what normal is anymore because my environment is filled with social norms that says what a normal person should do, so I don't do the normal things which makes me not normal but I think all normal people think about doing the not normal things so that they can be their true selves but they're too stupid to know what's normal or not.

Most of the time I just try to be polite around other normal people.

But since I'm not normal, I don't really know how normal people act polite! ONOES

Jam it back in, in the dark.

What defines normal, mortal?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Normal is defined by the confines of your environment, and what you percieve and believe to be normal may not be the same with other individuals.

Normal is when your HP bar is green.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I don't consider myself normal until I've reached Limit Break status.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Encephalon

I don't consider myself normal until I've reached Limit Break status.

So when you reach your "limit break" status, you can jump across The Great Wall of China?

How ya doing, buddy?

No. Just across the Rio Grande.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Jumping accross the Rio Grande while riding the Midgar Zolom

FELIPE NO

"Normal is what everyone else is, and you are not."

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Filthy Hockey Beast

Says the girl who goes clubbing, follows most girly fashion and generally carries on as the most normal female here.

The differene is I carry the "I AM EXCEPTIONAL AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT WELL FUCK YOU TOO." attitude. All the time.

What the fuck is "normal" anyways and who gives a shit? If everyone was a certain level of "normal" wouldn't life be fucking boring??

Jam it back in, in the dark.