I have noticed a pattern which concerns and confuses me. Many interactions I have with strangers, for example cashiers and store workers, are often incredibly tense (in my view). It’s as if they are afraid of me, or at least dislike me in some way. The communication is sharp and very much to the point, and I can see they are not comfortable, as if they just want me to go away asap. I have no concrete idea what I could be doing wrong, so I’m reaching out to strangers here to see if anybody could throw some potential reasons for this my way. I have considered that I may be imagining it, but it’s pretty consistent, although not universal.
I could give a few examples, but I’ll try this one. I approached a guy in my local supermarket and asked him where an item was. He seemed visibly uncomfortable and said “no, no” while motioning for me to go away with his hand as he backed away. On the other hand, there are other workers there who I can speak to just fine and they don’t seem annoyed by my presence.
I feel like I’m going crazy or just plain self-pitying sometimes, but when I consistently notice the change in a person’s demeanor when they interact with me, its a little bit worrying. What do you think could possibly be happening here? Maybe I need to be more gregarious and friendly? If that’s the case, I will try, even if I don’t feel like it.
1 comment
It’s probably your expression. When I’m having a bad day people can feel it and avoid me cause my face says “fuck you I’ll blow if you talk to me”. I’ll go get food and order in to have them give me my food to go. I’ll have people cross the street when they see me coming. They’ll avoid my gaze and look away as soon as possible.
When I’m having a good day I get random compliments and generally friendly interactions. Small talk happens with shop keepers and randoms. It’s a whole different response from people and it’s mostly determined by how warm my expression is.