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Masking and Unmasking

TheLoneWolf

I find this video really interesting......what do you all think of this?

I want to hear from everyone....but female peeps, especially please chime in. I rarely bring up gender. I feel equal...I demand respect-I don't need to talk about it or try for it.

However, I think there is a universal reaction that when a man is direct--he's respected/taken well......when a woman is direct--she's a ***/intimidating/not taken well.

I feel like I've ignored this fact in my past...and have thought in the past that people should be evolved enough to not take it that way---and yet I tend to get specific reactions....mostly negative, some positive/respectful. Sometimes starts as negative and warms up to positive over time.

Thoughts?


Parents

  • I don't (as yet) accept that masking a trait specific to autism. I'm not going to watch this video for this reason. Not yet, at any rate.  I don't think I've ever met anyone with or without autism who doesn't mask their natural personality to conform to social pressures, and/or avoid abuse or social conflict. 

    I know it's a popular concept in autistic circles, which is why I avoid it. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was in any way diminishing their very real experiences. But, for me, I have seen no evidence in the articles I've read to suggest that it is in anyway unique to autistic people. That may be a result of how it is being described.

    What I can accept is that i    t may be more pronounced or exaggerated in autistic people. Autistic people do seek to hide the fact that they are autistic. This is true for many minorities in society who have sought to conceal certain physical traits in order to blend in and be accepted by the cultural majority. 

    So, perhaps I'd feel more receptive to the idea of autistic masking, or some other term that distinguishes the physical and psychological accommodations autistic people make from the ones that everyone else makes.

    No human I've ever encountered, autistic or otherwise, has been entirely authentic in the company of other humans. Even heterosexual males who are considered as having more social privilege are constantly engaged social posturing with one another (usually psychological or physical plays for dominance). We all inherit and perform social roles. We all wear different masks for different situations and for different interactions: Father, Mother, Brother, Friend, Lover, Employee, Employer, Teacher, Student... the list is endless. My understanding is that it's the very foundation of all human interaction. 

    In fact, wearing physical masks to change our appearance has been deeply engrained in every expression of human culture since the first humans danced around fires in caves wearing painted face-coverings. 

    So, while it is possible that masking is more pronounced among autistic people for reasons of acceptance and conflict-avoidance, I don't believe it is unique to us.  All humans conform, to some degree, to the norms of the tribe and culture we are part of, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously. 


Reply

  • I don't (as yet) accept that masking a trait specific to autism. I'm not going to watch this video for this reason. Not yet, at any rate.  I don't think I've ever met anyone with or without autism who doesn't mask their natural personality to conform to social pressures, and/or avoid abuse or social conflict. 

    I know it's a popular concept in autistic circles, which is why I avoid it. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was in any way diminishing their very real experiences. But, for me, I have seen no evidence in the articles I've read to suggest that it is in anyway unique to autistic people. That may be a result of how it is being described.

    What I can accept is that i    t may be more pronounced or exaggerated in autistic people. Autistic people do seek to hide the fact that they are autistic. This is true for many minorities in society who have sought to conceal certain physical traits in order to blend in and be accepted by the cultural majority. 

    So, perhaps I'd feel more receptive to the idea of autistic masking, or some other term that distinguishes the physical and psychological accommodations autistic people make from the ones that everyone else makes.

    No human I've ever encountered, autistic or otherwise, has been entirely authentic in the company of other humans. Even heterosexual males who are considered as having more social privilege are constantly engaged social posturing with one another (usually psychological or physical plays for dominance). We all inherit and perform social roles. We all wear different masks for different situations and for different interactions: Father, Mother, Brother, Friend, Lover, Employee, Employer, Teacher, Student... the list is endless. My understanding is that it's the very foundation of all human interaction. 

    In fact, wearing physical masks to change our appearance has been deeply engrained in every expression of human culture since the first humans danced around fires in caves wearing painted face-coverings. 

    So, while it is possible that masking is more pronounced among autistic people for reasons of acceptance and conflict-avoidance, I don't believe it is unique to us.  All humans conform, to some degree, to the norms of the tribe and culture we are part of, whether we do it consciously or unconsciously. 


Children