I hate dealing with people who've got Aspergers. They don't laugh at any of my jokes, and they don't know when I'm insulting them.

Also, people can say a great deal with their faces. I've had entire conversations that consist of little more than a tightening of the eyes and a quirk of the lips.

It's a visual laugauge.

 

LOL! QFT.

I'd have to agree that the things we read about happening in fanfiction happen quite quickly in real life. You may smile like an idiot, but you probably only do that for a couple of seconds unless you're incredibly happy. Same with shooting someone a dirty look.

 

Sexist or not, it's fucking true.

 

If I talk to someone without seeing the person's face, it feels as though I'm missing half of the conversation. The facial expression decides what I say next, and especially whether or not to continue a joke.

 

Just to put it out there –

I've met some pretty expressive people, people who'll make exaggerated expressions in conversation and really make their thoughts visible. But they've been few and far between. Most people, although exhibiting some degree of emotional range in expression, are pretty fucking hard to read. At least when you're trying to talk to them - watching from a far is easier because you can simply focus on them and not the conversation.

In any kind of story, if characters are throwing their eyebrows into the ceiling or showing secretive smirks... it's not something that really happens all that often in real life. Most facial expressions in fanfiction are exaggerations so the author can vary the writing a little.

As for Aspergers... while I don't doubt its existence in some people, I think it's over-diagnosed. If you don't talk to people and are antisocial, how will you have any ability to make conversation, read emotion or react yourself? While there is evidence that emotion and emotive response is innate I think a lot of it is learned too. So, I'd really advise you don't go throwing that about yourself out there on the internet unless you want to get singled out and labelled as a vampire or something.

 

Facial expressions though not easily interpreted could be guessed somewhat. Everyone tend to show some sort of expression when we talk to them. Though not as exaggerated as the authors make them to be, we could pretty much understand their moods.

Of course there are fucking exceptions; One friend of mine always use to laugh even when you say things that probably should have made a sane person angry yet he keeps laughing. He never understands that he is fucking annoying.

In most cases if you had known the person well enough you could guess their emotions and that is why I think so many authors make Hermione do some facial expressions.

 

Maybe THAT'S why I hate talking on the phone...

I, too, never know when it is appropriate to crack a joke if I can't see the person's face. (I usually do it anyway, because I'm an asshole like that, but still.)

 

You are right that aspergers has been overdiagnosed in the past 5 years or so, much like ADHD in the past 10. I was diagnosed with the disorder as a child(well before it was well known) and to be honest, I have no problem "throwing it around on the internet" due to the absolute awesomeness of anonymity.

 

I would disagree with this. If anything, I'd say people use it more in real life - it's just that it's all being processed subconsciously.

IMO, expression, tone, posture etc. all tells you more about how a person is feeling that what they say. Of course you don't think stuff like "Her hands are clenched in x way, indicating she is anxious". You just think "She looks anxious".

 

It starts to become ridiculous when authors use such phrase as "by the look on her face, he could detect a mix of anxiety, jealousy, hurt with just a hint of fear". You know you've read it.

I agree with what most everyone said that body language is at least half of the conversation, but I also think that's the part that's lost in translation most of the time.
I know (too ?) many people IRL who aren't nearly as observant as the average fanfic character. For example, if a movie uses subtle acting and dialogue filled with subtext, it will go over the head of a large part of the audience. And they're people who are totally focussed on the characters on screen.

 

My eyes twinkle on a regular basis. True story.

 

Then I vote the admins change your name from Justblaise to NigerDumbledore, as niger is an antonym of albus.

If I was any good with Photoshop I'd take a pic of you from the PYP thread and add a tall wizard hat and a long, flowing white beard. Put some flamboyant robes on you and voila! we've got our black Dumbledore. What's a good name...

AlBama? Obamadore? Dumblebama? Right, I've overplayed that joke already. Still, seeing you in the hat with the beard would give me a chuckle.

 

My point exactly. A lot of people IRL are dumb, and that's reason alone not to give all your characters mad body language-reading skills.

It's not an absurd phrase. I see exactly the expression you're trying to convey. What is absurd is derivating a whole psychological profile based on the aforementioned flashing eyes. It's not the literal meaning of the phrases authors use that bother me, it's how every character know what the eyes are flashing for/about.


As for the rest of your post, you have a point. But what if the author is trying to write from a non-omniscient point of view ? You can't have the whole emotion-mix seen through the eyes of a character if you're trying to be realistic.
Or if you use an omniscient PoV, you can describe the emotion-mix, but purely for the reader's benefit. All the while making sure the actual characters have only a vague idea of what's going on in each other's head, as in RL.

Also, damn you and your superior dash mastery.

 

I think Taure brings up a good point. We don't notice most things in our daily lives because of our attentions constantly shifting from one thing to the next. Although a woman's hands might be affixed in an anxious way - although we see that and our minds interpret that as a sign of anxiety, we don't consciously think "<>'s hands are telling me she's anxious."

If a writer is ever that specific, even in facial expression, it's usually not genuine sounding.

 

Well, there's always the option to mention those actions--wringing hands, slumped shoulders, crinkled eyes--and let the reader draw their own conclusions. I have to say, it bothers me sometimes when an author describes an action and then automatically ascribes an emotion to it. Sometimes you don't know what that smile meant, or if they're slumping because they're tired or if they're despondent.

 

I don't want you trying to Photoshop mah' prettah face D:

@Chime: You don't? I'm constantly watching people, especially during those instances I take the metro or walk around. Over the years, good writing (both fanfiction and book fiction) have made me look for certain gestures and "tells"...helps me not put my foot in my mouth at certain times.

On topic: I'd heard a radio DJ talking about an article that mentioned how today's youth, who text a lot, will have more trouble reading non-verbal cues. Finally found the article here.

EDIT: LAWL. For further reading

http://www.dumbestgeneration.com/home.html

 

I say you can read emotions and behaviors through text, but apparently it comes natural to me.

 

You cut me real deep, man. Of course, if the above in red were true, this thread would have you believe that I'm nice in addition to being handsome as hell and smart as fuck, when in truth I'm just an asshole.

 

I'm pretty surprised no-one's brought up Lie to Me yet. Awesome show, but people can't read faces like the characters of that.