Autism and Navigating Honesty in Conversations

I don’t always say the right thing, especially in new situations that I have never experienced before. Sometimes, I say something without thinking, and I feel bad after saying it if it is not helpful. I don’t like to give details of conversations with others on my blog for their privacy, so I will describe it as best I can.

Honesty and Injustice

I can be too honest without thinking about the feelings or experiences of the person involved. It is usually because of an injustice that I feel strongly about, and I can be impulsive about what I say, and not always be able to predict how those words will affect the other person.

Coping Strategies

I think it is best when I am unsure to keep my mouth shut. If I want to say something, I think over what I say and pay attention to the tone of what and how I am saying it. I pause and think my words through, whether speaking or writing. Writing can give me more time to evaluate my thoughts before I publish, as I pick up ways I have said something through the editing process. A strategy that can help is, as I am thinking, I count to ten, and this gives me enough time to predict the results before I speak. Although this is not always possible when speaking, asking for more time to answer would be the best solution.

Emotional Cost

It is difficult to keep censoring and monitoring myself about everything I am saying. However, I do not want feelings of regret about what I have said if it comes out wrong. So, I must be mindful, as it shapes my relationships and the outcomes of a conversation.

Final Thoughts

When I am blunt in a conversation, it does not mean I am being nasty. Sometimes it takes time for me to process conversations. If I am silent, it does not mean I am not interested in what someone has to say. It is not always about how I have said it, but what I intended to say.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

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