How would you rate your ability to understand others and their actions?

I’m pretty good, I’ve learned to trust my intuition and it has worked in my favor so far. Wheneever I doubt myself I always end up getting owned lol. And of course, there are some people that are off their rockers and are hard to figure out.

My first impression is almost always reliable. And I do think it is intuition, I can rarely pinpoint a specific word or action that dictates the feeling, and it is just that, a feeling.

Some people do confound me, those who are cruel to dogs and small children. Why do you get them or have them if you are incapable of dealing with them? Those who deny self accountability.

Actually I confound myself sometimes, where did that come from???

Well for me it really depends on the person and the situation. Sometimes I think I wear them damn blinders on purpose!
But my first impression is pretty accurate. I have been fooled before. I won’t lie about it. Damn good Conmen/women out there.

I always think I am good at it, but later I find that I am really poor at it.
Sometimes my intuition is better than my ability to ‘read’ people. But just barely.
And yes, some people just confound me. I don’t understand a lot of normal, or neurotypical, behavior. (I am an aspie)

Mostly, I think I’m pretty good at it. I really try to get to know someone myself before I have a definite opinion about them. I have been wrong for sure… I guess I try to see the good in people… and it can be very surprising or upsetting when you find out that someone has been lying to you or isn’t who they profess to be.

I’m probably not so good at it; I’m shy so I’m usually stressed when meeting new people. I tend to think the best of people unless there is evidence to the contrary.

It depends on how applicable “Hanlon’s Razor” is.

I understand systems so I can figure out organizational behavior and groups, but when it comes to one-on-one, I’m not any better than Jewel for pretty much the same reason.

Not very good, I don’t trust my first impressions that much anymore because like @ccrow, I’ve got this want to see and think the best of people up front and give them credit for wanting to do the best by me. It feels better than being negative at the outset but I do get disappointed and let down often.

I an utterly incompetant in this area, especially F2F. Things that normal people rely on such as body language, subtle facial expressions or eye contact are completely meaningless to me. There is some kind of magical ability that neurologically normal people have to make use of these things that is lacking in the austism-spectrum mind.

Humor can also be a problem for us Aspies, cutting both ways. We often miss the point of jokes and interpret them as serious, especially if there is no obvious “punch line”.Falling victim to practical jokes is a particular weakness of ours; we tend to assume that people tell the truth or give factual instructions. On the converse, our attempts at humor either “go over the heads” of listeners as incomprehensible or are considered offensive as “going too far”, the boundary line being invisible to us.

The subtleties of human emotions are a closed book to us, especially the emotions of others. Sometimes we tend to view others as unreal; almost like cardboard cutouts that pop up in our paths as irritations or obstacles to be gotten around. The higher functioning autistics, such as Aspergers Syndrome, actually feel these emotions but are unable to express them or only able to express one mode, such as anger.

I find that I’ve gone far beyond the bounds of the question, a typical Aspie behavior. I’ll leave it in place for whatever educational value it may have.( boo, hiss, eggs and tomatos flying)

I have learned to trust my instinct… any time I’ve tried to deny it, it was proven accurate over time. I have been through a lot in my life, and working in health care, I’ve heard of many stories of life’s joys and hardships. I feel that I have developed a strong ability to empathize, especially since so may turn to me when they need someone to listen and not judge, but to also give honest feedback.

The person who confounded me the most is my most recent ex-bf. He was a walking contradiction, and it seems that I know him better than he knows himself, because he is so entrenched in roles and expectations. When he let that go and was himself, we were very happy and had great compatibility, but when he started worrying about what others thought, he created conflict and excuses. Heartbreaking.

Not sure the scale, Polly, but let’s say it’s 1n – 100p.

My first impressions leave me wanting about 30% of the time. Foreign cultures impact that score, since they are part of my life.

How does intuition play into this> Intuition has left me with the hair bristling on the back of my neck several times. It’s like a black, translucent smoke shrouding a person.

Also, I can spot a lie as soon as it turns the corner. You have to be a true sociopath to get past my radar (which won’t bother you in the least), so if you fooled me, then congratulations. You’re mentally ill and no amount of professional help will EVER help you. Therefore, my suggesting it will be conspicuously absent. You’re screwed for life! The majority of that is not intuition, perhaps 25% of it. The rest of it is due to external queues displayed by the person.

Do some people just confound you> Yes! Pointless lies are the ones that I’ve never understood. They don’t benefit the liar. They seem to lie for no apparent reason.

Or lies that are really elaborate story lines. If you’re going to lie, don’t be a dumbass. Even better, don’t lie about things that hurt other people.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land “On the converse, our attempts at humor either “go over the heads” of listeners as incomprehensible or are considered offensive as “going too far”, the boundary line being invisible to us.” .
There is a boundary? Oops!
.
Oh, and you forgot the bacon to go with those eggs

@jerv Canadian or regular? I aim to please.

@jerv and @stranger_in_a_strange_land
Yum! Bacon!

understanding people and their behaviors, i have always left it to my intuition and i must say i have almost never been wrong. Of course we all make mistakes sometimes. I seem to get negative vibe from people sometimes..i wonder if it happens to others too. But my ability to judge has always been more observed and calculated Polly.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Regular, of course. That Canadain stuff isn’t bacon; it’s just discs of ham!

@jerv Fry it up before you throw it at me though, makes more of a mess that way

I’m pretty bad actually. I usually dislike the people I end up liking and like the ones who are rotton.

I’m quite good. But then, I’ve had to study people all my life. My life depended on not being wrong. It is often gratifying when one turns out to be right when going against everyone else’s opinion. My kids’ school is being ruined by the new Head of School. At her parent interview, I asked if she would listen to parents. “No!” She said. I was shocked, but no one else thought much of it at the time. Now that she’s changing the school willy-nilly without consulting with the parents, they are singing another tune. Unfortunately, it’s too late now.