Thanks! I'm finding the answers fascinating!

bpcyclist - That (being able to read people's motivation) sounds so incredibly useful. Have you always been able to do that, or was it something you developed over time? Is it an intuitive thing - like you just get a sense of whether or nor someone has positive/negative motivations, or more developed, like being able to see what someone is trying to get in an interaction?

My sister said that her thing is... she's great at noticing when there's a rise in tension, and she thinks it because she can read body language really well. It's easy for her, but she's surprised that other people don't seem to notice it at all.

It's really interesting, I think I'm pretty terrible at "people stuff" in general. Hearing about experiences like this makes me feel like... I'm missing something that's really important and helpful in navigating the social aspects of the world.

Also, I heard an interview with Penn (of Penn & Teller) - where he talked about what you were talking about, that most people are basic decent and trustworthy, and that right now, in some ways, we're safer as a society than we've ever been (this was pre-Corona).

An interesting thing he pointed out was - in general, if you need to trust a stranger with something important, your chances of them being trustworthy are much higher if *you* pick *them*, rather than them picking you (i.e. them approaching you).

For example, if you're in a coffee shop and have to hop in an ambulance with a friend, and need someone to drop your car off at your house... if you pick a person at random and ask them to do it, you have a really high chance that they will. If someone comes up to you and says, "hey, I can take your car for you!" - since they're self-selecting, there's more of a chance that they have bad intent (though it's obviously not 100%).

It was an interesting point, I thought!

Raindropvampire - Oh wow. That amazes me, both as someone that often feels "not seen" (and imagining having a friend who can get the emotional stuff like that) and as someone who isn't always great at reading other people. It must feel crazy at times to see other people missing what seems so obvious to you? Thanks for sharing!

Ford Puma - Interesting! Do you have any ideas about what makes you good with serious issues and conversations? Is it that you're better at understanding complex issues, so the conversations are easier (i.e. people don't have to over-explain to you, or worry that you will misunderstand)? I'm just trying to get my head around what this means, if you know.

Re: small talk - I can relate! Seriously! I think it's actually something that you can improve, if you want to. I've actually practiced on the cashiers at the grocery store in the past, to get more comfortable, just saying "hi", asking how their day is, complimenting them if they have a nice scarf or necklace. As a hardcore introvert, it was really eye-opening to see how much some people light up when you initiate a friendly conversation. But I'm still not a natural at it, like some people are... it's not effortless for me.

*hugs* to all of you guys! Thanks - this stuff kind of fascinates me. I'm not really sure what my "thing" is that I'm great at, that others seem to miss it. I'm honestly a bit perplexed by that one. I think that the obvious thing I tend to miss is social cues, maybe? I've had friends, in multiple conversations, where I've told them what I wanted to say to someone (as a genuine way of sharing information) tell me "omg, please do NOT say that - you will CRUSH them!") - and yes, I took their advice

Thanks!