Preface 

In our society, socializing is something we do so often, we barely even think about it. 50,000
years ago, this wasn’t necessarily the case. Most socialization in early human history was within
tight-knit groups of people, such as members of their family, or with other members of their tribe
or village. Today, with the advent of large industrial cities and higher concentrations of people
living in one place, it happens so much and with so many people from so many backgrounds it’s
almost a requirement to know how to socialize, at least to an extent.

That is what this document is about — Teaching people (particularly with Asperger’s Syndrome,
but obviously any socially awkward person can learn from this) the “unwritten rules” of talking
to other people. It’s important to remember, when you read this, you won’t be instantly following
all of these rules and having perfect conversations. Socializing takes practice. No one in the
world has a complete 100% success rate when it comes to not being awkward. Everyone can, and
does, mess up.

It’s also important to remember that NTs (neurotypical people — usual Asperger’s terminology
for non-autistic people) aren’t born socialization gods. Throughout childhood, kids are learning
social rules all the time, via trial-and-error. That’s why they’re often described as “annoying” or
“weird”. They’re just very adept at learning and applying these rules.

In fact, that’s the thing with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s brains simply do not learn these
rules, or pick up on the fact that they exist at all. Most people think it’s just that Asperger’s
brains are simply incapable of having any kind of social skills at all, but evidence points to the
fact that ​they're just focused on something else entirely.

This document is public — that means anyone can view this document. However, if you have
any kind of questions or comments, or if you want to discuss this further, you are more than
welcome to email ​waylonmoosberger123@gmail.com​. It’s not an email address I use that much
anymore, but I’ll still get the message.

If you don’t have a question, feel free to read on!

What is Casual Conversation? 

“Casual conversation” is the state in which all of these rules apply. In abnormal circumstances,
like needing to tell someone urgent news, or a physician asking you personal questions, some
rules can be broken without a problem, because everyone recognizes it as necessary. However,
most of the time, in relaxed, casual situations (such as office water cooler talk or an outing with a
friend), the following rules do apply. Even texting or online messaging can be considered casual
conversation, and can used as ways to build up rapport/friendship. This is also why comedians
can get away with telling dirty jokes onstage, even if they don’t know any of their audience
personally, because it’s not a casual, back-and-forth conversation. If you can't tell whether these
rules would apply in a certain situation, it’s best to assume they do.

NT Behaviors 
1. NTs, particularly extroverted ones, almost live off of social interaction. It’s very much
almost like candy to them - they do it a lot. It’s one reason why such a vast amount of
people use social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook.
2. They’re generally very strict about the social rules — There are almost no “almosts” or
“partially”s. Either you follow a rule, or you break one.
3. NTs, in general, react more emotionally — and show it more externally — than people
with Asperger’s.​ ​This, in my opinion, is crucial to how to successfully interact with them.
They don’t react with logic immediately — they react with emotions first, then logic.
And that’s totally fine.
4. NTs generally have a negativity bias. For example, if you say something to an NT that
could be interpreted as a compliment ​and​ as an insult, NTs will most likely interpret it as
an insult and react negatively. Err on the side of kindness. (It’s important to note that
while autistic people can do this too, NTs just seem to have more of a tendency).
5. Some NTs like to complain about people or situations they don’t like, and this is often a
way to build up friendship. Mutual dislike of someone or something is a quick way to
build up a rapport.
6. Most, if not all of these social cues are processed at a subconscious level.
7. Speaking in absolutes is a great way to instigate an issue. It’s also a great way to create
misunderstandings.
8. Not all who seem NT are actually NT. Similarly, not all who seem to have Asperger’s
actually have Asperger’s — they may just simply be socially awkward, or have
Asperger’s-like traits from being around people who have Asperger’s.
9. NTs love to talk about themselves and their experience — A great way to keep a
conversation going is to ask open-ended (not yes-or-no) questions about things involving
them or their interests.
 

Social Rules 
Social rules are certain rules put in place when in conversation with an NT. Depending on the
person, situation, culture, and emotions involved, NTs responses to things can vary, sometimes
wildly. However, social rules can be defined easily, in five separate categories.

1.​ Don’t interrupt a conversation. ​If you see two people talking, and you aren’t at least good
friends (Stage Four-ish) with both people, don’t try to join in on their conversation ​unless​ you
are about to ask a harmless question or make an innocent, non-emotional remark about
something about the topic at hand. Even then, join in sparingly. NTs hate it when their
conversation is interrupted for no good reason.

This rule is also the reason why attempting to join a new, already established group of friends
can be so difficult - it’s hard to make friends when you attempting to earnestly join in on the
conversation is seen as a faux pas. It’s better to either make friends with people in that specific
group on a one-on-one, individual level (what I’d prefer to do, honestly) or edge in on the group
conversation with the aforementioned, Stage One-type remarks until you’re at least Stage Two or
Three with that group.

This rule also applies to rapidly changing the subject of a conversation to something completely
unrelated or talking about a forbidden topic. The conversation needs to feel smooth and natural,
and kept on-topic, like a river flowing, in a way. Try to say whatever your first on-topic reaction
is in order to keep the conversation flowing. This rule is the reason why NTs sometimes tell
small, white lies in day-to-day conversation (the truth would often take too long or be too
complicated to explain, thus derailing the conversation) When you need to change the subject in
conversation, (due to the conversation fizzling out, probably. You can’t talk about something
forever), change it to something related, or else the NT will be totally thrown off. Here’s an
example of what ​not​ to do:

​ T: Wasn’t that generic sci fi movie convention amazing? I like how generic it was, don’t you?
N
We should go to another one!
YOU: Yeah, it was cool. Hey, did you know that sparkling water has healing properties? Isn’t
that just so COOL?
NT: Uh… (​ The NT has been totally thrown off track by this, and isn’t sure how to continue with
the conversation. You have broken one social rule[interrupting the conversation]).
2. ​Don’t be rude/mean-spirited. ​Now, most people with Asperger’s aren’t trying to be rude or
condescending when they’re talking to people. They just come off that way. Since NT’s have a
built-in negativity bias, they’ll often misinterpret jokes or bluntness as insults, smugness, and
personal attacks, all of which are considered “mean behavior” in the NT world. This is probably
the rule that is broken by autistic people the most. Here’s another example:

NT: ...And then I got accepted into Harvard with a full scholarship! Isn’t that great? I get to
study whatever I want now, free of charge!
YOU (trying to make a joke): That’s pretty amazing, Janice, considering how you’re not really
the smartest!
NT: Uhm….Excuse me? (​ Depending on the NT’s individual personality, they’ll either go into a
classic, awkward “I don’t know what to say” tense silence, or they’ll get angry. This
conversation breaks one rule [being mean-spirited]).

3. ​Respecting the situation​. You can tell someone the funniest joke in the world, but they’re not
going to laugh if it’s at a funeral. Similarly, if you tell someone a story from /r/baww at a party,
they will get angry or confused at you for ruining their mood. This is the reason it’s considered
not polite to talk or joke around during, let’s say, a church sermon, or when the National Anthem
is being sung before a sports game. Here’s a third example:

YOU: *At church. The preacher is talking very seriously about Jesus Christ, and how he
sacrificed himself on the cross. Leslie, an NT, is sitting next to you.*
YOU: Hey. Hey Leslie! Don’t you think it’s funny how he was nailed to that cross?
Huehuehuehuehuehue! He was the son of God, but he got killed by a piece of wood!
(The preacher will probably notice you talking and either tell you to be quiet, or kick you out of
the church altogether. You will also piss off/make Leslie uncomfortable. This conversation
breaks one rule​ ​[not respecting the situation]).

Another situation where this rule can take effect is when you have a friend (Let’s say you are in a
late Stage 4 friendship), and they are talking to someone who they are Stage 2 with, and you
jump in on the conversation with banter and inside jokes towards your friend. This is against this
rule because you suddenly stopped your friend’s conversation (because your friend’s friend
won’t understand the banter/inside jokes, and thus won’t be able to join in). This rule would not
have taken effect if you had just entered the conversation normally, however.

4. ​Being too friendly with someone​. Since we know that all stages of friendship have their own
conversation type, being “too friendly” with someone is basically talking to someone like you’re
closer with them than you really are. Bantering around with someone you don’t know quite well
is one example of this. Here’s another, longer one:
YOU: *Upon seeing a random stranger in the street* SUP, BRAH! WHAT’S GOIN’ ON WITH
YOU? YOU WANT TO GO HANG OUT LATER?
NT: Sir… Um, sir, I don’t know you?
YOU: Since when did that ever matter? We can still go hang out! Have a beer or two, maybe?
NT: Um, no. That actually matters a lot. I’m going to leave now.
​(This is a bit of an extreme example, but hopefully it still gets the point across. This
conversation breaks one rule [misjudging how close you are with someone]).

5. ​Eye contact. ​This isn’t a verbal social rule, so no example will be included with it, but it’s
important enough to be put here. Eye contact is the almost universal way of showing someone
you are interested in what they have to say. You don’t have to look directly into someone’s eyes,
however. Looking at the forehead, nose or mouth gets the same message across, and is
indistinguishable from looking into their eyes if you’re standing at normal conversational
distance (Approx. 2-4 ft for normal conversation, probably closer if you’re Stage Four or higher
with someone).

Stages of Friendship 
Even though they can make friends pretty quickly, NTs don’t see everyone as a potential friend.
There are stages of friendship that all friendships go through, in the world of NTs. In order to go
from stage to stage, one must repeat the kind of conversation that happens within that kind of
stage (Each friendship stage has its own special type of conversation). Given enough time, the
NT you’re trying to build a relationship with will feel that you’ve developed a closer bond, and
will accordingly converse with you in the context of the next step. (e.g., if the NT feels that they
have gotten emotionally close enough to you, they will begin to talk to you like an acquaintance
instead of a stranger). You could also be the one to do this, of course, if you feel you’re close
enough to the other person. Social interactions get less formal the deeper you are into a
friendship, social rules begin to get more relaxed (some may not even exist at all), the two of you
begin to touch more and get physically closer during conversation, and the amount of trust and
emotional investment the NT puts in you rises.

It’s also important to note that the amount of time you actually spend with the NT has an effect
on how fast you two become friends - for example, if you only spend around 15-30 minutes per
day talking to them, that means progress through these stages will likely be pretty slow going (on
the scale of weeks or months, even) but if you’re in their vicinity for, let’s say, a good few hours
every day (and you actually talk to them and follow these rules), you’ll probably become faster
friends. A new stage can be identified as having 1) a different conversation type than the
previous, and 2) having a greater emotional intensity than the previous.
1. Stage One — Strangers — Social interaction doesn’t happen much at this stage.
Conversation, if any, is limited to “Hey, could I borrow a pencil?”, “Where are the restrooms?”,
“What’s the time?” and things of that nature. Small talk is most prevalent at this stage. No
intimate emotions involved.

2. Stage Two — Acquaintances — Acquaintances are the social stage after “strangers”. Typical
conversations with them will last longer. You typically don’t make any kinds of plans with them.
Most conversations are limited to when you see your acquaintance in a school hall, or a public
place you both frequent. You may say hi to each other, and maybe share some small talk, but
there is nothing deeper to it than that and there are no intimate emotions involved.

3. Stage Three — Friends — This is the middle stage. Around this point, your conversations
start to break off from small talk and start to delve into more personal (but not too personal)
topics, like a shared interest or family and mutual friends. You start to talk to them longer, and
more often. Intimate emotions involved are low to moderate.

4. Stage Four — Good Friends — You and the NT should be casual and comfortable around
each other by now. Bantering and teasing should be common. You talk for longer, and start to
have inside jokes. You both feel close enough to each other to converse regularly. Intimate
emotions involved are moderate to high.

5. Stage Five — Best Friends — Stage Five shares a lot of commonalities with Stage Four.
Inside jokes usually start becoming common, if you didn’t already have them in Stage Four. You
both feel pretty close to each other, and start to tell each other things (secrets, problems, etc) that
you might not have shared otherwise, and more serious, personal conversations start to happen
occasionally (which, if pursued, can lead to a Stage Six friendship). Intimate emotions involved
are high to extremely high.

6. Stage Six - Stage Six is the final frontier in terms of friendships/relationships in Human
Socialization Theory, and behaves noticeably differently from the first five stages. This stage
involves a lot of the joking/bantering seen in stages Four and Five, but a significant portion of
your conversations will also be about very personal, serious things, such as past traumas,
personal feelings, (towards each other as well as other things), etc. Nothing is “too personal” to
talk about in this stage. Depending on the amount of hardship both you and your respective NT
friend have been through, it may be possible to achieve Stage Six earlier than usual (i.e., before
Stage Five, all later stages are essentially skipped) due to you or the NT needing to release
greater amounts of emotional tensions in a therapeutic way, thus inspiring Stage Six
conversation. However, most Stage Six conversation probably happens directly after Stage Five.
This stage doesn't necessarily constitute a romantic relationship, either (see below section) - it
just constitutes a very close, personal one. You can usually talk about ​anything ​with a person you
are Stage Six with. Intimate emotions involved are extremely high.

Love/Male and Female Interactions 

Love, in terms of Socialization Theory, is ​very​ weird — It doesn’t follow any of the rules. It’s
possible to fall in love with someone, and begin to date them when you’re only acquaintances,
but the same thing is also possible (but probably rarer and more difficult) with people you’ve
known for years.

However, the Stages of Friendship still apply — For example, the first few dates with a stranger
tend to be awkward because one or both parties may have romantic/sexual feelings toward the
other, yet they are only Stage One or Two in reality. Of course, this awkwardness fixes itself as
you two go through the stages.

However, because of this, that means a romantic relationship isn’t necessarily the Sixth Stage of
Friendship, because it means that romantic relationships are built off of the foundations of the six
stages we already know - superficial, meaningless relationships ​are a​ thing, after all. They ​do,
however, greatly enrich and enhance a relationship that’s already Stage Five or Six.

Love/dating is also the reason why conventional social rules are considerably more relaxed when
a man and a woman are having a conversation, compared to a same-gendered one. Since both
parties subconsciously know the friendship can turn romantic/sexual at any time,
bantering/joking around early on is generally seen as acceptable, even if the two parties haven’t
known each other very long (see the “Flirting” section for more details about this). If the
friendship goes on without any sign of it turning romantic/sexual, normal rules begin to apply.
(This is also known as “friendzoning” to some of the internet denizens out there).

This is also why “picking up women” is a thing that happens.

Socially Unacceptable Topics 

These are topics NTs have aversions to, and will react uncomfortably when brought up in almost
any context, in almost every stage of friendship. Here is a swift list of everything I could think
of:

● Genitals (this includes breasts and animal genitalia)

● Really niche things (Like geology, quantum mechanics, and other things the average NT
may not understand or know of). It’s not possible to have a conversation about something
 one knows nothing about. However, this will depend on the NT — you can ask with a
simple “Do you watch X TV show?” or “Are you studying Y?”.
● Body excretions (Excrement, urine, vomit, etc). Sweat and blood are semi-okay for some
reason. This may depend on gender or social class.
● Very personal things (like a bad breakup you’re going through, a family death that just
happened, or a traumatic experience), most NTs don’t want to hear about that because of
the high emotions that are involved, unless you are at Stage Six or almost there. Close
friends/family will usually they will ask specifics if they really want to know, like “How
are you doing since (someone) died / left you?” as opposed to the general “How’s it
going?”.

The Snowball Effect 

The Snowball Effect is, when a social rule is broken, if you continue to break rules after the
initial transgression, you will be met with increased hostility/discomfort than if you had kept
quiet. It “snowballs”, so to speak.

Here’s an example:

Aspie: *Breaks social rule*

NT: “Uhh, WTF???” (Hostility/Discomfort level: 50)
Aspie: *Is confused, continues to talk to NT*
NT: “You are really starting to piss me off now…” (Hostility/Discomfort level: 100)

Interestingly, the reverse also works. If you laugh, make the NT laugh or have an otherwise
positive interaction with them, they will respond better to positive social interactions in the
immediate future. (This “Snowball Effect” usually resets after about 5-15 minutes of not
conversing with the NT in question).

Breaking Social Rules - How to Go About it Gracefully 

Here’s a hypothetical situation: You’re holding conversation with an NT, and you break a social
rule. Maybe you were too awkward, maybe you spoke of a forbidden topic, the rule you break
doesn’t really matter.

What I have observed of NTs breaking social rules is this: They go into a silence for around 5-15
minutes, (thus avoiding the Snowball Effect), and, provided they are still in the vicinity of the
other person(s), will jump back into the conversation at a relevant spot. Sometimes the other
person will re-engage in conversation with them, signaling the waiting period is over, and the
conversation can re-continue without problem, and the social transgression will not be
mentioned. The conversation re-entry is slightly hard to get the hang of.

A good rule of thumb for social rules is this: If it makes the other person feel awkward or uneasy,
it’s very likely that it’s against the conventional social rules and will result in the behaviors
mentioned in some of the above sections.

Flirting/Early Romantic Interactions 

Before I get started on this section, I should say that, contrary to some people’s beliefs, you ​do
not​ have to look like a 69-foot tall Greek god to be successful in attracting women. Similarly,
you also don’t have to look like a female underwear model to be successful with men - NTs (and
people in general, really) will say that they have specific attractiveness/height/fitness standards,
but ​countless​ ​studies​ ​show​ that, in reality, people are more likely to be attracted to other people
most similar ​to themselves - meaning that superficial qualities such as height and physical
attractiveness ​do not matter,​ and as such won’t be further discussed in this document. There are
countless examples of people of both sexes dating “out of their league”. Honestly, I’d personally
even go far as to say that dating “leagues” aren’t (and shouldn’t be considered) a thing - and this
isn’t even me rationalizing a “feel-good” explanation. I’m a 5’6”, slightly overweight, pretty
goofy-looking kid myself.

As honestly corny as it might sound, what I’ve found that really matters is confidence, status and
personality - people, regardless of gender, just simply ​like ​people who are well-regarded by both
their peers and themselves. To put it simply, if you can be open about yourself (i.e., don’t bother
having a significant ego, or a ‘fake personality’ in public), and you can make yourself the kind of
person you’d look at and think “Wow, this dude/dudette is awesome”, and you have the
confidence to project that kind of personality onto your peers and make ​them t​ hink that, then you
will have people, regardless of gender, liking you for you and wanting to spend time with you. In
short, be your best self - the more positive you are, the more you like yourself, and the less
insecurities you have, the better. Having an interesting life/hobbies is also a huge bonus.

All in all, be a fun and interesting person to be around. It’s also important to have goals and
something you can work towards so you can look back and be proud of yourself later. It doesn't
matter if these goals are personal, social, or professional in nature.

As far as flirtation goes, then, it is a social process where one or both NTs attempt to generate
romantic/sexual feelings in another person. The Snowball Effect (described above) plays an
important role here: successful flirty interactions mean that advances in the immediate future will
probably be more accepted by the NT - they may even escalate it. (Of course, the opposite is still
true here, too - NTs will probably not be receptive to any more flirty interactions if the first
attempt or two don’t go over well). In a similar vein, it’s fitting that Social Rule #4 somewhat
applies here as well - flirting with someone too intensely at first (staring at them too often/too
much, touching them too much or too often - with practice, you’ll get a sense of how much is
“too much”) will probably lead to any attempted flirting going poorly, and you coming off as a
creep.

Common, but effective NT flirtation behaviors include:

● Having a one-on-one conversation at some point​ (since flirtation doesn’t ​really​ work in
group conversations)
● Longer-than-normal eye contact
● Leaning in close to them during conversation​ (In platonic settings, this is usually an
indicator of interest in the person themselves and what they’re saying in general.
However, in conjunction with the rest of these behaviors, it will probably be taken as a
sign of romantic/sexual interest).
● Glancing at their body (without overtly staring)
● Confident voice/body language ​ (without coming off as sleazy or threatening)
● Genuinely smiling at them
● Moving in closer proximity during conversation
● Jokes/wittiness/playfulness/a sense of humor - and generally being the life of the
party ​(These are big ones, both for relieving any awkward tension and making the other
person like you more. Bonus points if you’re close enough to use inside jokes)
● Touching (socially-appropriate touching such as placing your hand on their arm,
playfully punching it when they make a joke, hugs, etc. More intimate touching comes
later as the flirting progresses and both of you slowly make it obvious what you want)
● Lastly, it’s also important to simply relax, and have fun with it. Don’t hesitate to show
that you’re into them (I mean, that ​is w​ hat you want to do, right?) and don’t worry about
whether your flirting will be successful or not. Yes, this is easier said than done, but
flirting is meant to be a casual, fun, low-stakes thrilling social activity that releases
addictive “happy-feeling” brain chemicals. People will be put off if it’s obvious you’re
not enjoying yourself or if it seems like you’re trying too hard. Let it all come out
naturally, if you can (this is in the spirit of Social Rule #3, even). Being rejected sucks,
and it’s not easy putting yourself out there, but it’s nowhere near the end of the world.

Flirting like this obviously works best if you follow the advice above about “being your best
self”. ​It’s also important to note that befriending the NT of your interest (following the
social rules above, of course) first will probably yield significantly better results for you,
since they then have a chance to experience your (hopefully amazing) confidence/personality
that will attract them to you, rather than a simple straight-up judgement on looks and maybe a
paragraph or two of description (i.e., what happens with Tinder, OkCupid and other online dating
sites/apps). Befriending them first also has the benefit of putting you in a position of having a
better chance of having a strong, long-lasting relationship with that person, rather than casual sex
(if that isn’t the kind of thing you’re looking for). ​However, it’s important to reiterate that
you shouldn't wait too long into the friendship before initiating flirty behavior - otherwise
the message given will be that you’re not interested, and the NT may not be easily as open
to advancements later on.

As for the realm of casual sex, unfortunately, due to its nature, superficial qualities such as looks
do tend to matter more in those kinds of situations (again, take a look at Tinder).
However, lacking in such superficial qualities still doesn’t mean you won’t succeed in ​getting
casual sex at all - it may just be a matter of lowering your standards, following the advice above,
and putting a real effort in on your part.

Miscellaneous Bits - Stuff You May Or May Not Find Useful 

These are little tidbits that I felt didn’t deserve their own section, but deserved to have a place in
this document nonetheless.

Social Rules 
● Some people’s definition of what “being rude/mean-spirited” could be different from
yours, so make sure to keep that into account when talking to people of different
backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Unexpectedly breaking this rule with actions that you
didn’t i​ ntend to be rude isn’t fun, so expect the same anger/confusion you’d get if you
broke this rule with someone with a similar culture/worldview to you.

● The bit about “trying too hard” in the Flirtation section also applies to platonic
interactions - people will probably notice if it seems you’re uncomfortable or trying too
hard to be sociable, and you may come off as awkward, strange, nervous, or just boring
(though being boring isn’t necessarily breaking a rule). Again, let it come out naturally if
you can. It’s okay to let your personality out a little - it’ll get easier the more you do it.
Social skills are just that - skills.
 Friendship 
● If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re in a close vicinity group of people,
all or most of which who did not previously know each other (think summer camp,
protest, or other gathering of strangers), it will be easier for you to make friends as a
group. That being said, you’d probably still be better off making friends with people on
an individual-by-individual basis, as that allows you to focus your time on one specific
person, rather than spreading yourself thin trying to put all of your time and energy into
multiple people and creating the illusion you’re not getting anywhere with anyone. (It’s
what I prefer, anyway).

● If you ​do f​ ind yourself in a situation where you’re put into a group where most, if not all
people already know each other, it’s best to try to get someone alone somehow in order to
build up a friendship with them specifically. As you become closer friends with that
person, it’ll be easier for you to be accepted into the group as a whole. You ​can t​ ry to
make friends with a group as a whole by initiating Stage One conversation (but try not to
interrupt any existing group conversation). Given time, it’ll probably work for you, but
it’s difficult, and just not a terribly efficient way to go about things (see above
paragraph).

Flirtation 
● People can smell insecurity a mile away, and it’s not usually attractive. However, don’t
let it get to you if you do end up coming off as insecure in some of your interactions -
people forget easily anyway, and you should challenge yourself to be better.

● Try not to refer to people as “males” and “females”. That’s just weird, man.

Other 

● Taking advantage of the ​Ben Franklin Effect​ is a good way to get people to platonically
like you (though obviously it’s not the end-all-be-all). Just remember to be moral with
this, and return the favor if the NT in question ever needs your assistance with anything -
otherwise they’re probably ​less ​likely to like you in the future.

● It’s okay if you want to have just a few close friends, and maybe an SO, rather than being
friends with many people. Four quarters is better than one hundred pennies anyway, in
my opinion.

● Communicating your wants and needs in a relationship (platonic or no) is not necessarily
Stage Six conversation, it’s just common sense and something you honestly should be
 doing if you aren’t already, even if it’s difficult for you. However, communicating will
probably be easier for you if you and the NT are Stage Six (or at least close to there)
already.

● Getting a good night’s sleep and eating properly will give you more energy to succeed in
social interactions.

● Someone being socially awkward, and not following the above rules, isn’t indicative of
them being an Aspie - you can be NT and socially inept. All “being NT” means in this
context is just that your brain is better wired to understand these rules, not that you 100%
will, or that you’ll never blunder socially at all.

Useful Links 
http://www.succeedsocially.com/​ — Doesn’t go into the same amount of detail as this
document, but still super helpful.

Body Language Basics​ — A short Psychology Today article describing body language and how
NTs use it. The whole series of body language articles can be found ​here.

Why do we consider certain traits socially awkward in our society?​ — Great rundown of social
norms written by sociologist. (reddit link, so don’t click this if your workplace monitors web
browsing activity).

Understanding The NT or ASD Individual​ — A document that goes into more detail on the
actual differences between autistic and neurotypical people, what those differences are and
why. Huge thanks to everyone who worked on this!
How To Flirt​ - It’s an old, crappy, 2-minute Howcast (back when it was actually good) video, yes,
but this will at least give you a good starting point on how to flirt (YouTube link).

Official Aspergers Subreddit​ — ​An Asperger’s-focused message board on reddit that inspired
me to make this document. Thanks so much to the moderator who put the link to this doc in the
sidebar!