Training to Improve the Ability to Read People's Feelings

I don't know if it is even possible to improve your ability to read people's feelings, but if there is I would like to try it.

I am in my mid-60's and have Asperger's; although it didn't have a name when I was born. I have recently attended a mediation course but found it very difficult. I found that I cannot work out how somebody sitting in front of me is feeling speedily enough to be an effective mediator. Given a few seconds to analyse the words they used and to think about their physical expressions; I can work out how they are probably feeling and plan a suitable response. However, this makes for a very disjointed conversation.

Has anybody come across a technique that I could be taught or learn from a book (a book that is showing my age) to speed up my internal processing? Before the course, I had suspected I might have a problem, but I hadn't realised how much it would limit my ability. It hasn't been a significant issue before.

All suggestions gratefully recieved

Parents
  • Have you tried going somewhere, coffee shops are good for this, and just observing the people and trying to work out what you can about them from that?  Try and make a quick guess at what you think is going on, and then observe for longer to see whether your hypothesis appears correct or not.  When you see the thing that gives it away, if you were wrong, then think back and try and see if you missed anything that could've helped you make the right deduction sooner.  If you were right, what was it that you picked up on that meant you were right?  Try different places, different times of day etc.  Take a book - it's amazing how much you can go unnoticed with the help of a suitable tome - my favourite is large undergraduate maths textbooks :-).

    I suspect it's a skill you can only develop through sustained reflective practice.

     

Reply
  • Have you tried going somewhere, coffee shops are good for this, and just observing the people and trying to work out what you can about them from that?  Try and make a quick guess at what you think is going on, and then observe for longer to see whether your hypothesis appears correct or not.  When you see the thing that gives it away, if you were wrong, then think back and try and see if you missed anything that could've helped you make the right deduction sooner.  If you were right, what was it that you picked up on that meant you were right?  Try different places, different times of day etc.  Take a book - it's amazing how much you can go unnoticed with the help of a suitable tome - my favourite is large undergraduate maths textbooks :-).

    I suspect it's a skill you can only develop through sustained reflective practice.

     

Children
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