Realized something about reading faces

[Wireless]

By NT standards, I don't think that I'm very good at reading the expressions on people's faces. Most of the time people's faces seem to be neutral to me and it's only been recently since I have able to see the smile in the famous Mona Lisa portrait.
However, most of the time I am able to understand people and I wonder if it is because my brain takes small pieces of information from a person's body language, tone of voice, context and what it can from facial expression, and adds it all up to give me understanding.
This seems to backed up by the times when I have been exposed to one of these factors in isolation and misunderstood the message e.g. two years ago I was listening to a radio comedy. So, I could only hear the actor's tone of voice. As part of a joke a character was complaining sarcastically, but I didn't pick up on the sarcasm and misunderstood the joke. I couldn't understand why the audience was laughing. It wasn't until my sister pointed out the sarcasm that I was able to hear it and now it seems obvious that character was being sarcastic.

So, I'm wondering if any of you guys are good at understanding one or more of these factors on their own, but not all together, leading to misunderstanding?
For example, are you good at reading faces, but not body language? The disadvantage being that a large percentage (I'm not sure of the exact number as different sources give different percentages) of communication is non-verbal.
Or can you hear different emotions in a person's voice?

Thank you

 

[Axeman52]

I'm not so bad with facial expressions when I make a conscious effort to pay attention to them, but I can't do that and simultaneously pay attention to the words people are saying. And I just don't pick up on body language even if I try.

Weirdly, I think I'm oversensitive to emotion in people's voices... but can't think of a way to explain that right now.

 

[Spiller]

By NT standards, I don't think that I'm very good at reading the expressions on people's faces. Most of the time people's faces seem to be neutral to me and it's only been recently since I have able to see the smile in the famous Mona Lisa portrait.
However, most of the time I am able to understand people and I wonder if it is because my brain takes small pieces of information from a person's body language, tone of voice, context and what it can from facial expression, and adds it all up to give me understanding.
This seems to backed up by the times when I have been exposed to one of these factors in isolation and misunderstood the message e.g. two years ago I was listening to a radio comedy. So, I could only hear the actor's tone of voice. As part of a joke a character was complaining sarcastically, but I didn't pick up on the sarcasm and misunderstood the joke. I couldn't understand why the audience was laughing. It wasn't until my sister pointed out the sarcasm that I was able to hear it and now it seems obvious that character was being sarcastic.

So, I'm wondering if any of you guys are good at understanding one or more of these factors on their own, but not all together, leading to misunderstanding?
For example, are you good at reading faces, but not body language? The disadvantage being that a large percentage (I'm not sure of the exact number as different sources give different percentages) of communication is non-verbal.
Or can you hear different emotions in a person's voice?

Thank you

I've read that up to 98% of communication can be non-verbal in certain situations, say, small talk.. well I'm at a hell of a disadvantage then!
I'm ok with gross expressions; smile, frown, etc. I find I have to get used to someones face first.. once I've seen them a few times and studied their face enough, I can pick up more subtle expressions, though that doesn't guarantee I know what that expression means Often I see a look and wonder what it means, but I'm usually dealing with the verbal component and the moment's then passed.
I wonder if much of the problem, at least for me, is that lack of social interaction, right back to childhood, means I haven't learned social conventions. So while a smile might be an innate expression, universal to the human race, the subtle expressions adults use are learned and so, therefore, forever outside my understanding.
I was with my last partner for 2.5 years and even after that amount of time, she had to explain how she was feeling when I noticed a certain expression.

 

[Suzanne]

I used to believe fully that I was too good at reading faces and emotions etc but actually, I am good at MISREADING expressions, because I always think if it is negative that it is aimed at me!

I find that I cannot listen to what a person says and read their expressions at the same time.

Take the other day, I shook hands with this rather handsome man and although he did shake my hand back, I caught a look, but I admit, I could not tell completely what his look was and so took the plunge and said: would you like a cuddle? Heavens why I said that lol and he embraced me. Which feels foreign to me anyway. I have zero emotion when being hugged; just knowing it is a compliment!

I simply hate meeting new people and seriously hyperventilate

 

[inabox]

For me, it's like a real life puzzle going on. I'm trying to find the right pieces, then put them together in the right arrangement, all the while making sure I am not being handed pieces from a completely different puzzle.
I don't often look at a person' s face so that's never a good start, and if I do I can't make much sense of it. The only help I usually get is if they are looking distinctly happy when I would think that they would be sad, so then I know at least I am wrong in that first assumption. Then I observe the way they are standing. Don't really get many clues from this, but I know that if I knew how to interpret it, I would get lots of clues. I can understand the extremes, like if someone is crouching down, hiding their face it seems like they would be feeling some sort of negative emotion. People's voices confuse me the most.
But putting every piece of information together that I may get from the above means that I may get a vague impression (with a bit of luck!) Although in observing people in this way probably makes me appear weird.

People I know are slightly easier than those I don't.

 

[inabox]

I am good at MISREADING expressions, because I always think if it is negative that it is aimed at me!

I'm EXACTLY the same!

I simply hate meeting new people and seriously hyperventilate

And I'm the same as this as well, but thankfully I don't hyperventilate much anymore (unless it's a bad day)

 

[Progster]

I can usually understand the most basic obvious expressions of joy, anger or sadness on people's faces without difficulty, but don't pick up on the more subtle nuances, and often misinterpret people. I don't pick up on people's moods, and that can lead me to say inappropiate things. I rely mainly on what a person is saying to understand how they may be feeling rather than their body language or facial expression. If I pay attention to their body language, I won't hear what they are saying and appear staring and rude.

 

[Warmheart]

Faces are tough for me to read. I see them as disjointed collages, rather than as a cohesive whole, until I have known someone for a while, and, both myself and the other person must be c-a-l-m for their faces to register with me. I'm also "face blind" to a degree, seeing someone out of context (a neighbor at the grocery) makes it hard for me to guess who they are, sometimes.
I find that although I am challenged at reading facial expressions, I can read expressions better once I know the person, and when both of us are relatively calm. Clearly, I am sensitive to mood, and tension makes reading faces all the more challenging.

 

[Kari Suttle]

I can read faces and body language of those i know well fine for the most part, probably due to having learned it by being around them so much i would guess, but with strangers i can't. Customers at work i can't read at all unless the expression they're using is like what, say, i've seen my mom use a billion times when she's annoyed and even then, half the time i'm left feeling unsure of myself cause i'm not sure if its me that annoyed them, if having to wait in line annoyed them, or if they simply came in the store annoyed.

For me it depends on their personality how well i can read someone i'm in semi-regular contact with, if at all. For example, with my supervisors who are moreso the no-nonsense, business types i can't read them at all. Other supervisors i can but only up to a point and my ability to do so practically vanishes if i'm stressed out, sleepy, not feeling well, etc.

 

[Spiller]

Faces are tough for me to read. I see them as disjointed collages, rather than as a cohesive whole, until I have known someone for a while, and, both myself and the other person must be c-a-l-m for their faces to register with me. I'm also "face blind" to a degree, seeing someone out of context (a neighbor at the grocery) makes it hard for me to guess who they are, sometimes.
I find that although I am challenged at reading facial expressions, I can read expressions better once I know the person, and when both of us are relatively calm. Clearly, I am sensitive to mood, and tension makes reading faces all the more challenging.

I know what you mean about face blindness.. I don't know if it qualifies as prosopagnosis, but when someone changes their hair, or wears sunglasses, or casual clothes when I'm used to seeing them in a uniform.. I might not recognise them at all.