In a recent discussion with a few level 1 autistics, the topic of masking in social situations came up and several of them expressed that they find it easier to make a good impression when they’re interacting with people whom they will never see again. Possibly because it is harder for allistics to detect the “oddness” from a single interaction, or perhaps some other reason.

I am interested in your thoughts, both about your own experiences and about the possible reasons for this phenomenon.

Personally, my social deficits and behaviour patterns are too pronounced for such a thing to apply to me. People notice my “oddness” right away, but after repeated interactions some come to enjoy interacting with me. I suspect that they do so in a capacity similar to how one might enjoy a character in a video game, rather than as a full person, but it’s better than being fully rejected, so I will take the small victory.