Analysis

If asked, many autists will tell you that they hyper-analyse.  Everything.  Academic subjects, sports, special interest topics, spatial orientation of objects, light and shade, colour, sound, the line of ants travelling from the back door, through the kitchen, and out the dining room window, patterns in the carpet, patterns in language.  Everything.

But if there is one thing probably more likely than all the rest to be hyper-analysed, it is social interactions.  I will hyper-analyse conversations I had anywhere between five minutes and many years ago, and contemplate for weeks what I will talk about in my next conversation with certain people.  My Other Half rehearses, and analyses, expected conversations months in advance (as well as those in the recent and distant past, of course).

Please understand that when we do this about our interactions with you, it is not you, yourself whom we are analysing (if anyone it is ourselves).  No, generally we are analysing the interaction to see if there were any nuances we missed, ways that we could have been misinterpreted, ways that we might have accidentally offended you, or ways in which we could have responded better or differently (based on your reactions).  We are probing our own understanding of the interaction, and by extension, our understanding of you.

You could say that we are trying to think our way into your shoes, your point of view.

But it is not you we are analysing...though I understand if sometimes it feels that way for you.