[A010]

> have barely learned to "fake it" well enough to pass as a normie

So do I. I don't mind to practice social skills but I can smell the b.s in many people and don't like the fake socialization, so I prefer to be alone (now with my dog) with a small number of real friends who have the similar concept.

[mirimir]

I've learned to "fake it" so well that I can seem more social than my wife, who is a very social person. And yet, I'm always aware (on some level) that I'm faking it. Life is funny ;)

[sliverstorm]

Now imagine that everyone else was "faking it" too. That's always a real mindbender to imagine for me.

Because to some degree we are all faking it, but then when does the front become reality?

[mirimir]

Yes, that's a mindbender.

It's not easy to talk about. People tend to get defensive.

Most smiles that I see seem forced, for example. And even when I'm eavesdropping. So it's not just about me ;)

But it can be learned. Decades later, I still vividly recall the video sessions at the start and end of the est 6-Day course. Most people managed to own their act.

[mbrutsch]

6 cats, 2 dogs, one wife, no friends, what more could any insane homeworker ask for?