Social_Monstrosity
Well-known member
Does anybody else struggle to facially express their emotions? My face is so stiff and neutral all the time, I think it creeps people out...
Completely nonexpressive face?
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hippiechild
Well-known member
yes, I have had similar experiences... either that or I end up looking like some arrogant, aloof jerkface.
I can usually conjure up enough bizarre mental imagery to tease my mouth into a smile, though... which helps, kinda, maybe.
I can usually conjure up enough bizarre mental imagery to tease my mouth into a smile, though... which helps, kinda, maybe.
I don't much anymore, but I used to. As late as high school I didn't express much with my face and I wasn't even aware of how blank and wooden I appeared. With much effort and practice I have improved on this substantially.
Social_Monstrosity
Well-known member
I cannot for the life of me conjure up a genuine looking smile. Lol
eso
Well-known member
Yes this is a HUGE problem for me. My face, when I feel neutral, is stuck in a way that seems to be slightly pissed. People always think I'm angry.
From what I understand, your face can in fact start to stick in a certain way the more you feel a certain emotion. So if you're sad for a lot of your youth and teen years, in adulthood your normal 'neutral' face will seem to evoke sadness even if you aren't because your face has been like that a lot. I heard this from a special facial expressions expert who studies social psychology who's been studying faces and expressions for about 11 years now. I asked her after her presentation if there's a way to fix it and she said not really, you just have to be aware of it all the time.
From what I understand, your face can in fact start to stick in a certain way the more you feel a certain emotion. So if you're sad for a lot of your youth and teen years, in adulthood your normal 'neutral' face will seem to evoke sadness even if you aren't because your face has been like that a lot. I heard this from a special facial expressions expert who studies social psychology who's been studying faces and expressions for about 11 years now. I asked her after her presentation if there's a way to fix it and she said not really, you just have to be aware of it all the time.
Phoenixx
Well-known member
^ I always get this. And because people ask me about my "seriousness" I get all self-conscious about it. Facially expressing my emotions has always been an incredible struggle for me. I hate it.
Social_Monstrosity
Well-known member
Isola
Member
Yeah, I also get pretty self-conscious when people ask me about it, it makes me feel very uncomfortable.
I mean, I can't really help it that I have a neutral face.
I try to express my emotions, but it's hard.
I hate it too :
:da_illest101
Well-known member
from as far as i can remember people told me that, lately i have been working on it, i practice alone to smile when i greet someone and stuff. I always force smile before entering a class room or my job, not to look like that but to not have stiff emotionless face when people see me. It's hard but i'm getting the hang of it
but to not have stiff emotionless face when people see me. It's hard but i'm getting the hang of it
hoddesdon
Well-known member
Yes, this is a classic symptom. Lack of the neuro-transmitters dopamine and serotonin give you a susceptibility to social phobia, and dopamine controls facial expressions. If you do not have enough, it is difficult to be expressive.
If you look at profile albums, and the "post your pictures" thread, many people have the same lack of expressiveness, so that they all look quite similar. On the "famous people with social phobia" thread (not the exact name), someone pointed out that Harrison Ford was expressionless in a photo.
Negative emotions towards someone are expressed through a lack of expression. If you are offended, you stare with a blank expression. If you think someone is saying something stupid, you look at them with a fixed, blank expression. If someone is speaking to you in a language you do not understand you have a blank expression. So fixed and\or blank expressions are associated with negativity\hostility - the other person has no way of knowing that something else is causing it, and that is not what is intended.
If you look at profile albums, and the "post your pictures" thread, many people have the same lack of expressiveness, so that they all look quite similar. On the "famous people with social phobia" thread (not the exact name), someone pointed out that Harrison Ford was expressionless in a photo.
Negative emotions towards someone are expressed through a lack of expression. If you are offended, you stare with a blank expression. If you think someone is saying something stupid, you look at them with a fixed, blank expression. If someone is speaking to you in a language you do not understand you have a blank expression. So fixed and\or blank expressions are associated with negativity\hostility - the other person has no way of knowing that something else is causing it, and that is not what is intended.
Cynicalloner
Well-known member
I guess mine is stuck in a sad state because my mom always tells me I look depressed and what not all the time.
LazyHermitCrab
Well-known member
Yea I don't like it if someone says "are you ok?" I just give a fake smile and go yes.. im greeat thanks and you
Same. Although I am still difficult, these days, to understand. I have been allowing things to happen.
Curious, practice? How so?
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JamesSmith
Well-known member
Let's put it this way, in high school, the teacher that saw me most created a nickname for me, "stoneface." I'm more of a guy that only shows expressions when I'm very comfortable with the people around me which isn't very often. I've had close friends tell me I am always smiling, then I've had other close friends tell me my facial expression never changes. It's mostly the stoneface for me, though. Most of the time I don't even like smiling. One of my counselors said my face never changes and that scared her.
I don't think I'm psychotic, but I find it odd that I get really happy when bad guys hurt the good people in movies. The biggest I smile is when a serial killer murders people in a movie. Or when the bad guy insults someone in a movie, I laugh really loud.
I don't think I'm psychotic, but I find it odd that I get really happy when bad guys hurt the good people in movies. The biggest I smile is when a serial killer murders people in a movie. Or when the bad guy insults someone in a movie, I laugh really loud.
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Brightinfinity
Active member
People always ask me if I'm okay because my neutral expression is so sad/angry.
Although I'm very easily amused so I'm usually smiling (so my neutral expression is quite a shock). I dunno, I guess I just hang around a lot of humorous people.
Although I'm very easily amused so I'm usually smiling (so my neutral expression is quite a shock). I dunno, I guess I just hang around a lot of humorous people.
GhoulsNightOut
Well-known member
Same here! But it's also with trying to talk and not have a depressed tone but I just come off sounding fake, which turns off people even more and gives them more to talk trash about me.