My autism may very well be the reason that I CAN win a staring contest.
How’s this possible: prolonged eye contact by an Autistic with a stranger in a contest?
My autism doesn’t come with the type of eye contact that some other Autists describe as “painful,” “burning” or “invasive.”
Rather, my neurodivergence comes with easily making eye contact, but – wondering “how to do it right.”
So though I don’t know how to work the eye contact when I’m approaching someone I know in a corridor, and though holding eye contact is distracting while I’m explaining things to someone, and though I overthink it while being the listener – I can easily maintain eye contact in the context of neutrality.
A staring contest has no social expectations. It’s neutral. So if you’re sitting there with your eyes locked on your opponent’s, there’s no component of “how to do it right.”
There are no emotions, no social cues, no communication to pick up on, nada.
It’s just stare. That’s it. Just keep on staring.
I’ve never been in a staring contest because such an event has never come around near me.
But if one ever did, I’d enter and expect to win.
Because I minimally rely upon eye contact to understand someone else’s frame of mind, I don’t get intimidated or overstimulated by someone’s eyes.
I also realize that it’s not actually the eyeball that communicates emotions or messages.
It’s the anatomy surrounding it, such as the brows and skin (crinkles, wrinkles and furrows).
It can be the eyelid fluttering, or the eyelid staying wide open with no blinking.
The eyeball itself always remains fixed and neutral, with the exception of pupil dilation.
If I were to be in a stare-down in a contest, there’d be zero emotions attached.
It’s not a social event. I wouldn’t have to be concerned about making a good impression, being perceived as normal or fitting in.
As an Alpha female, I could easily keep my eyes locked on my opponent’s, no matter who they are.
So these are all the reasons that I, despite being on the Autism Spectrum, could win a staring contest. Hope one comes near me soon!
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health. She has a clinical diagnosis of ASD.
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