Social Fake

Ever in a conversation that you didn’t care much about?

People with strong social cognitive skills are great with the “social fake”. They appear interested in the conversation when in reality, they have zero interest. We do this all the time. We never learn this skill directly. We pick up on the social cues over time and eventually develop the skill to engage as an active conversational partner.

This is news to people on the spectrum. These people may expect a conversation to give them more information about something or a be a topic of great interest to them. They may walk away if disinterested or may outwardly tell you.