Hey,
Do you ever find yourself slipping into autopilot mode during small talk? As someone who’s naturally on the shy side, striking up conversations with strangers can already be a challenge.
Lately, I’ve been noticing this curious phenomenon during my interactions with people I don’t know well, especially when we’re discussing trivial topics like the weather. It’s like my brain shifts into autopilot and words just tumble out of my mouth.
While I haven’t said anything offensive, it’s unsettling to realize afterward that I can’t recall what I actually said or why I said it. This sensation is a bit tough to put into words, but I’ll do my best in the hope that some of you can relate or provide insights. When I’m by myself, I find it easier to express my thoughts. My thinking becomes more analytical and logical during these solitary moments, though that doesn’t mean I’m immune to emotional struggles.
However, the story takes a different turn when I’m around others. It’s almost like I adopt an autopilot persona tailored to the specific individual or group I’m with. It’s not a malicious act – I think it’s more about adapting to different social contexts.
The variations might be subtle when interacting with most people, and honestly, I can’t always tell how distinct I am from one person to the next.
Yet, the awareness of these shifts remains. With a few individuals, the differences are more pronounced, especially when it comes to people from my distant past who knew me during a different phase of my life.
Strangely, I slip effortlessly back into those past personas without any conscious effort.No matter the social setting, I can’t shake off the feeling of not having complete control over my thoughts when others are present.
It’s like I’m not fully myself; perhaps I’m subconsciously performing what I believe they expect of me.In the moment, I can sense this phenomenon, and I’ve attempted to convey it to people, though I’m not the best at explaining things, especially face-to-face.
Unfortunately, despite recognizing it at the time, I struggle to break free from autopilot mode.
Can anyone else relate to this sense of going into autopilot mode during conversations?
1 comment
Yes I made a post about that in the r/PeoplePleasers subreddit about a conversation i had with a women in a line i was in. In the beginning I was not on autopilot, I was responding to her instead of reacting to her. But once she started talking about some personal story I missed a couple details in the story and instead of asking for clarification I just started agreeing with her.