Does anyone find it really difficult to work out conversations with someone wearing a mask?
Assuming the sound is not obstructed - even then it seems impossible to tell who someone is, whether they are happy or angry and how to have a conversation?
I am dreading the masked world that lies ahead of us. POST-EDIT: I really want people to be protected, but I hope it doesn't need to be like this too much longer.
In Belgium at 20.00 people have this new habit to come out of the house and applaud the people who work in healthcare. Then I see my neigbours stand there and chatting close to each other... kids run around and in between them. Two of these people are going towards 80... if they get it it might be very serious... It baffles me. They could also keep their respective distances, and be cautious, but somehow slowly slowly they seem to forget there's a global pandemic going on.
Yes, me too. It's hysterical. We just have to put it down to the human need to communicate whatever barriers (sic) are put in the way.
I have seen people stick their head around the plexiglass, defeating the object - several times :-D
Yes and no actually. I've worn an autistic mask - faking being neurotypical - for a very long time (I was only diagnosed as neurodiverse recently). I find the whole thing so freeing that I'd be happy to go out wearing then whole PPE gear. I can be 'me'.
The technique I have adopted now that we actually wear those semi surgical masks and the like is to smile at people with my eyes. They smile back. I don't do it with everyone but since we're all 'staying local' it's amazing how much of a boost to the mood it is - like some benevolent and very positive secret society of smilers.
We all give out little breath droplets when we speak and this is the reason, or one of them, for wearing the mask. The way round this I have found is simply to raise my voice. The person you are speaking to raises their voice as well and a conversation can be had even 2 metres apart.
I'm still working on how to hear and be heard when faced with those plexiglass screens that are now in al the shops - that is really hard.
This is Ess Cee btw - I just worked out how to sign in properly - progress !
(Facemasks are considered essential here, but do seem to have helped.) I have a slight tendency to recognize some faces as people who I've had contact with in the past, but I can't remember their names. Just yesterday, I was in an office I often visit,and a couple of people came over to ask how my partner was. As we were all wearing facemasks, I was left with no idea as to who those people were; but it was obvious that we are acquainted. They obviously can remember my name; even though we don't meet too often.
I believe this is is not a classic case of face-blindness, but it's something quite close. I have to go through the motions of greeting them as if I knew exactly who they are. But it makes it difficult to follow up the greetings with some discussion of their specifics.
In more normal times, I meet some people whose face and voice are familiar from work but I can no longer name them. OK, that is a constant burden for teachers, but in this society, people are often quite visibly displeased if their names are not remembered. (There is some degree of 'loss of face' involved ;-) Teachers here are expected to have very long memories for names. (It doesn't help that so many people here use nicknames, with the same names occurring regularly. I'd say it has been a significant career disadvantage.
In the beginning of the crisis, it took me a while to get adjusted to wearing the mask, my wife insisted, and we were not the only ones in the shop. Now it's much more common, and in many situations like in public transport, also mandatory.
Levelling the playing field, I get that statement too, I try often to be ironic, but my face expression doesn't indicate that, so people think I'm serious and think I'm really unhinged…
off topic: a funny example:
I used to work for a subcontracting company in IT, but then I joined the company directly, so I got to work 36 hours iso 40 and I had 10 more days of holiday, so I explained to somebody that I didn't really like to work for the company, so I joined them, which meant I had to be there 4 hours less a week, and 10 days less a year... that person took that serious …
Later they gave internal people (directly working for the company) a day of telework, and the externals not, so I told them that now the terms internal and external should be switched around, because an external was present at the office much more often than an internal…
There's still a man out there who thinks that I actually decided to follow the absurd logic: 'I couln't beat them, I joined them'.
i realised that I tend to look at the mouth or nose in order to avoid looking at eyes, but also to try and get clues that i can't get from the vocal pitch alone. Now there's nothing to look at unless they have very look-worthy hair. And i get paranoid that people might be annoyed, even if they are not. The mask looks a bit severe.
I usually look at people’s mouth so I find it hard to talk to someone wearing a mask. I keep staring at their mask and thinking about how it looks like and if it’s comfortable or if they’re hot in it. I can’t focus on conversation and understand what they’re saying at all.
Look at it this way; it levels the playing field...
yes, i originally wrote the title like "masks" then thought hmmm. I also thought, "now NT's get to find out what it's like!", but I don't wish to come across so hostile , particularly in the heading, in case it triggers someone.
**insert pun here about aspergers and masking**
