Laughing when angry?
I have read that this is an Aspie thing to laugh at inappropriate times. Earlier when I found out my car was going to be a ton of money to repair, I didn't even feel mad at first. I was just like, "Oh. Ok."
Then later in the evening, I started thinking about it, and also talking/arguing to myself about it as well. Multiple times I actually started laughing, even though I was actually angry. It's like I couldn't figure out how to express it for some reason, so I had to have another way to let out the tension. Now that I think about it I can recall at least a few times that I've done this in similar situations before. Is that sort of typical for Aspies or am I just strange?
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"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important."
- Sherlock Holmes
I laugh like a maniac when nervous. In high school when I had group projects, I would, without fail. end up laughing during the presentations. This didn't just affect me as sometimes I'd burst out laughing when a partner started talking and, well, it was just bad. Or sometimes I'd start chuckling to myself after my presentation while sitting at my desk because I'd be so physically worked up over it. There are a few other times laughter happens besides in nervous moments, but let's just say I am no stranger to inappropriate laughter and leave it at that. For me, I think it is a self-regulation issue. Not entirely sure, though.
I think many people do this, sure I laugh at inappropriate times, breaking the discomfort with a moment of levity allows me to release tension and move forward being less influenced by intense emotions. Maybe it?s an Irish thing, a lot of people I know were raised to laugh at themselves, a sense of fun and mischief, ?Craic? is largely dependent on the ability to laugh at and be laughed at.
androbot01
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little_blue_jay
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I have noticed I have reacted to someone being angry with me by laughing.
Then of course you get "Do you think this is funny? I don't think this is funny!" and they don't understand that, no, I don't think it's funny either, I'm laughing because, well, I don't even know how to describe why really - as you said L Holmes, it's like an alternate way to let out the tension of having someone be angry with you. I don't know why the tension comes out as laughter. I wish it wouldn't. It makes a tense situation worse because now the other person thinks you think the situation is funny when most times it is the opposite. I guess I just feel very awkward having someone be mad at me and that's how the awkwardness gets expressed
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Diagnosed "Asperger's to a moderate degree" April 7, 2015.
Aspie score 145 of 200
NT score 56 of 200
AQ score: 47
RAADS-R score: 196
It's just something my family does. When we were at the emergency room Monday night after my dad had been airlifted in (he'd been riding his motorcycle and got t-boned by someone hopped up on speed) my mom, brother, husband and myself were all joking and laughing, making jokes about ebola (oh how I'm sure the other patients loved that). We say that at the end of the world, we'll be laughing and making jokes. We do it at funerals too ^.^
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Your Aspie score: 171 of 200
Your Neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 40 of 200
I have noticed I have reacted to someone being angry with me by laughing.
Then of course you get "Do you think this is funny? I don't think this is funny!" and they don't understand that, no, I don't think it's funny either, I'm laughing because, well, I don't even know how to describe why really - as you said L Holmes, it's like an alternate way to let out the tension of having someone be angry with you. I don't know why the tension comes out as laughter. I wish it wouldn't. It makes a tense situation worse because now the other person thinks you think the situation is funny when most times it is the opposite. I guess I just feel very awkward having someone be mad at me and that's how the awkwardness gets expressed
I do exactly the same thing, except the anger doesn't necessarily have to be directed at me. I work in a school and when teachers 'lose it' with the students I lose it too - by automatically laughing. I need to clap my hand over my mouth to stop it. I've had so many dirty looks directed at me for this but I can't seem to help it.
I've noticed most of my nervous laughter is triggered by hearing someone speak with unusual emotion (such as an angry, sad or distraught person or someone speaking very formally or unintelligibly). Some of my worst examples of inappropriate laughter have been at a funeral, at someone speaking in a foreign language, at an ANZAC day memorial, at someone having an emotional crises and (the most horrible) at disabled people.
I feel so awful about these. I would gladly give up my ability to laugh if I could.
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It's like I'm sleepwalking
I have noticed I have reacted to someone being angry with me by laughing.
Then of course you get "Do you think this is funny? I don't think this is funny!" and they don't understand that, no, I don't think it's funny either, I'm laughing because, well, I don't even know how to describe why really - as you said L Holmes, it's like an alternate way to let out the tension of having someone be angry with you. I don't know why the tension comes out as laughter. I wish it wouldn't. It makes a tense situation worse because now the other person thinks you think the situation is funny when most times it is the opposite. I guess I just feel very awkward having someone be mad at me and that's how the awkwardness gets expressed
I do exactly the same thing, except the anger doesn't necessarily have to be directed at me. I work in a school and when teachers 'lose it' with the students I lose it too - by automatically laughing. I need to clap my hand over my mouth to stop it. I've had so many dirty looks directed at me for this but I can't seem to help it.
I've noticed most of my nervous laughter is triggered by hearing someone speak with unusual emotion (such as an angry, sad or distraught person or someone speaking very formally or unintelligibly). Some of my worst examples of inappropriate laughter have been at a funeral, at someone speaking in a foreign language, at an ANZAC day memorial, at someone having an emotional crises and (the most horrible) at disabled people.
I feel so awful about these. I would gladly give up my ability to laugh if I could.
I know what you mean. One time our choir class had a motivational speaker come, and he started out really upbeat and energized about everything he said. And then he suddenly, for effect I suppose, changed the subject to his young son dying of cancer. A lot of people were crying including him. I knew that wasn't funny of course, but I was looking down, covering my face and shaking trying not to laugh, I seriously couldn't help it. It was pretty horrible.
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"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important."
- Sherlock Holmes
I can be in a serious argument with my boyfriend and all of a sudden he will ask why I'm smiling. I guess I don't notice I'm doing it. Then the thought of him thinking I'm crazy for smiling at such an inappropriate moment makes me start laughing. He just looks at me so confused and still upset...but I can't help it.
I've had other public, inappropriate bursts of laughter too. When you're in a room with a lot of people and it's silent and something serious is going on but then something vaguely funny happens (in your opinion) and just the thought of the fact that you really cannot laugh like now just causes an uncontrollable burst of laughter.
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Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 130 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 93 of 200
You are very likely neurodiverse (Aspie)