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How good are you at reading people?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Canterpiece, Jul 22, 2017.

  1. Canterpiece

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    By reading people I mean understanding body language and facial expressions, not going up to someone and writing something to see if you can read it from a distance. Haha. :grin:

    I think for me it varies, the biggest mistake I tend to make is detecting hostility and aggression when there isn't any, so basically just seeing negative emotions in the situation when there aren't. This happens a lot with my sister, I think she's being mean when she isn't, and she thinks I'm being mean when I'm not, so it's like a constant loop of miscommunication. XD

    I'm questioning how good I am at reading faces because my sister has always said I'm bad at it, because I usually misunderstand her and my dad's facial expressions, but I took a quiz recently and scored the same as my friends (on facial expressions) and one of those friends thought they were good at reading facial expressions, but I've always been told that I've been bad at it, so I don't know. I remember reading somewhere that we usually misjudge how good (or not) we are at understanding expressions, so yeah... who knows?

    Regardless, how good (or not) do you think you are?
     
  2. Morri

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  3. JonSomebody

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    I have to say that I am very good at reading people from their facial expressions and body language. For example, while bar tending at the club, there were these two couples that always hung out together. Both were very attractive and they were supposedly best friends before getting involved with each other. Whenever they would visit the club, they would always come by my station to say "Hello" and for a little conversation..just general stuff. However, this one particular night, something just wasn't right and although both couples were standing together giving me conversation, I could tell by the body language that two of the boyfriends that weren't together as a couple had sex with each other. Like I said...they were acting normal as could be, but because I picked up on their body language and facial expressions, I just knew they did. The DJ played a song that one of their partners' really liked and wanted to dance. He asked his boyfriend but he told him he wasn't ready to hit the floor. Therefore, he suggested that he go and dance with the other guy's man which they did. Now...this left the two that I had suspicions about alone with each other.

    By them standing there and engaging in conversation, I really knew that something happened sexually between them. All of a sudden, they both approached me talking about how they have the best boyfriends in the club. This is when I confronted them on my suspicion. I leaned over and asked..."So..how long have you two been sexing each other?"...They both choked on their cocktails and lost their composure. I went on to tell them what I had speculated about them and this is when they begged me not to say anything and then asked me how did I know because they did everything possible to make sure that everything remained normal and intact with their boyfriends. They were still surprised and amazed that I knew their dirty little secret. In fact, after they confessed to me that my assumptions were dead on about them, I even mentioned that I suspected that they had sex earlier that day. However, I was curious in knowing how much longer do they think they could keep this little affair going and are they still in love with their guys and what it will do them once things come out?

    They went on to assure me that they will stop and they did not want to ruin their relationships and that I was the only one who knew about them. Needless to say, I saw them maybe a couple of times after that and then I did not see any of them ever again to this day.
     
  4. Kodo

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    Not naturally. I tend to intellectualize observations rather than innately understand what someone is feeling through their body language and facial expressions.

    So generally no. But I am working to improve that.
     
  5. Loves books

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    I'm not very good at reading people I prefer to figure it out through conversation. If they start shouting good clue they are angry.
     
  6. Humbly Me

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    I have no natural talent for reading people's body language, but I can identify psychological clues because I have studied it. I honestly really like psychology and somehow I can be natural at analysis and yet not passively do it... I have to actively try and understand what's up with people except sometimes I have rare random moments of wisdom.
     
  7. Andrew99

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    Very good. I see right through people.
     
  8. DementedTrendz

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    Very well.
     
    #8 DementedTrendz, Jul 23, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2017
  9. Joelouis

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    I can't read people on forums very well but face to face I can usually nail 'em fairly quickly.
     
  10. Canterpiece

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    You know taken literally those two things bring up some rather graphic imagery. :astonished: :grin:
     
    #10 Canterpiece, Jul 24, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2017
  11. Andrew99

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    Haha.
     
  12. Shoei Loei

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    I'm good at reading people in the sense of identifying what kind of person someone is. I can tell pretty quickly whether or not I'm going to like a person, or if I feel safe/trusting with a person based on how I perceive their emotions, attitude, body language, and personality.

    But when it comes to reading people socially and as a whole, I'm not very good at it lol. There are times when I misinterpret a person's intentions, misunderstand what they mean, take things too literally, or feel that a person is upset with me/doesn't like me. Part of that is just caused by my anxious thoughts & socially awkward demeanor, while another part of me suspects I might have a bit of undiagnosed ASD or Aspergers (although getting an evaluation & diagnosis as an adult is kind of tough).

    There are times when my mom and I get into arguments, and it becomes frustrating when she starts saying things that I misinterpret or that I take literally. I'm an English teacher...I understand irony, sarcasm, and metaphors vs. literal language, but sometimes I have a hard time interpreting these things in conversation. This leads to frustration on my part, as well as for the person I'm communicating with (such as my mom when we're arguing or upset). When I'm teaching, my social skills seem to be a lot better with students, but I have a hard time with colleagues and other people when I feel out of my element lol. So I end up getting a bad reading of a person sometimes.
     
  13. Lawrence

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    Yeah I'm at least decent at reading most people. That's the main reason why I prefer dealing with people in person

    For example, sometimes I'm certain people are lying to me (about important things such as money) but I play along and trick them into digging their own graves. Er, please don't take the graves thing literally! ^_^;
     
  14. Canterpiece

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    Haha, don't worry I won't. Your kill number by mind control methods shall be kept a secret. ;D Joking, of course- I know what you mean.
     
    #14 Canterpiece, Jul 25, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2017
  15. SnowyOwl

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    I can find it pretty easy to tell what someone is thinking/feeling based on their body language and facial expressions, but I can't always tell what their personality is going to be like as soon as I first meet them. I've been very wrong about some people in that aspect in the past.
     
  16. Miaplacidus

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    I'm hopelessly inept at that, particularly when people are interested in me. My best friend says that in order for me to understand that someone likes me, (s)he would have to start dry humping me like a randy dog. hahaha
     
  17. Twist

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    Body language, excellent.

    Innuendo, humor, flirtation, etc that is supposed to come through in the spoken word? I'm crap at it.
     
  18. Young Blood

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    I think I'm relatively good at reading people. Being an introvert, I think we tend to rely on this a lot so we develop more of sense of it. I'm not a particular fan of talking to people face to face unless I know them, so I tend to observe people a lot. I also people watch too.

    However, giving that I have anxiety, I can sometimes misinterpret facial expressions and body language as something else.
     
  19. Creativemind

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    Not that good at all in all honesty
     
  20. RMember1

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    I can read other people's body language well but I'm not good with interpreting sarcasm or differentiating when someone's joking or not.