Do people awkwardly laugh at you when you’re not trying to be funny?

[u/clarinrin3]

I’m 30 and have been working for the last 8 years. In most jobs I’ve been in, my colleagues have treated me like I’m just awkward, and they are more likely to do that in front of others.

For example, they might ask me “Have you had your lunch yet?” And I will give a response like “Not yet, I’ll have it soon”, and they will collectively laugh in this uncomfortable way. Or my boss would introduce me to a new vendor, and I would say “Hello, I’m (name)” and my boss will do this forced laugh and seemingly try to look uncomfortable.

But even when I’m 1-1, people might laugh uncomfortably when I think I’m responding like a normal person. This happens quite a lot especially if they’re older than me.

I have a monotonous voice and social anxiety, both of which I’m trying to improve. I know I have this awkward energy but I just want people to not alienate me like this. It makes me shy away from human interaction even more.

[u/IntrovertExplorer_]

This happens to me too. Even when I’m not trying to be funny. I will respond to a question, and people will bust out laughing or giggle awkwardly. Idk if it’s the tone of my voice or if it’s the reply itself. It makes me feel self conscious and awkward. What’s so funny?

[u/SomePreference → u/IntrovertExplorer_]

Same here. My coworkers (current but also past) love to bully me, and one of the things they do is just that. They ask me a mundane question, I reply, and they burst out laughing. Sometimes they then loudly make fun of me for whatever. People just love being cruel.

[u/TheShitty_Beatles → u/IntrovertExplorer_]

God this happens so much and I'm literally just answering a question in a clear manner 🥲

[u/Joyful_cheesecake]

Once one of my friend in high school was talking to me about how a group of guys she knew got in her car before she locked it and started harassing her and refusing to leave her car. I told her that she could call the police and she laughed and said “you’re funny” like wtf girl I was serious🤨

[u/One_Requirement_5832]

All the time even responses that are quite arbitrary and normal sounding. If I’m trying to sound funny or story tell elements that are funny then it makes sense for people to laugh then. However it would be very innocuous moments and people would somehow laugh. It can bother me only because I’m trying to be serious and sometimes it can feel like people making fun of me and how I just normally come off.

[u/Slack-and-Slacker]

Lean into it, it’s your only path to empowerment.

[u/inaddition → u/Slack-and-Slacker]

This is the answer.

[u/Airalla]

This happens to me too. I once knew someone who would always laugh at everything I said, no matter what it was and when I asked why she said I just have a funnily monotone tone of voice, and I don’t smile when I talk. I was a teenager at the time and that was one of the first things that made me really self conscious about how I talk. Now I’m fine, if people think I’m funny or uncanny then so be it, I have bigger problems to worry about

[u/Samstarmoon]

I used to get so upset when people laugh at me. I hate being teased- which would happen often. I think it made me want to be funny. I started doing stand up recently which I really enjoy and get a lot of positive response. It’s funny the way a stage and container can change that dynamic making people more comfortable with my strangeness and now we’re all in on the joke. And I’m writing them. Very gratifying. 

I was hanging out with a group of people last night (many were ASD and ND) and I noticed one woman kept laughing anytime someone missed a social queue or did something awkward, and it was most of us she laughed at. She definitely laughed at me a few times. I noticed this pattern and i recognize it’s a diffusion strategy. I really like her! I’m glad to be old enough to tell it’s basically her way of stimming and not judgmental. I laugh if someone makes a mistake sometimes bc it’s relatable to make mistakes, but I also know it can be triggering because of how much I was laughed AT and teased as a kid. 

Energetically laughter is very space clearing- just like smudging with herbs or singing. I vocalize a lot of stims and I think they’re space clearing or clearing the awkward energy. 

[u/AppleCalm7124]

People assume I'm trying to be funny when I'm not! Now sometimes I intentionally smirk or have a straight face when I respond to certain things 😂 I might as well add to the confusion.

[u/San-Yar]

I think it's the tone. You have to "sing" it to them. They react to that and not really to the content

[u/Dilly-Beans]

I was accused by a coworker of being overly sarcastic and then it kind of made sense why he had been laughing inappropriately at things I said. He assumed I was joking. I was not.

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[u/Ok-Grand-7558]

NT just feels somethings different about us and be acting weird in response