Although the list of my unusual quirks can be exhausting and quite lengthy..lolol.. I think one that has been the most entertaining to me and others and sometimes caused me a bit of trouble is that I am a parrot. I’m sure it developed early on in my life as a way to mimic emotions that may not necessarily be present in my own wheelhouse (I think I may have some sociopathic leanings that keep me from experience emotions as most do and it has had a negative effect on some relationships throughout my life) and it has grown to be as much of a part of my personality as my smile or sense of humor.
So this quirk manifests itself on a regular basis but it becomes much more severe the more mentally and emotionally stressed I become. What happens is I begin to mimic the speech patterns, body language, and (sometimes) even the dialect and accent of the person I’m dealing with. Not only does it happen more often when I’m stressed or exhausted it become much more exaggerated as well….lololol sometime to the point that it is extremely obvious and the other person thinks I’m mocking them lololol The vast majority of the time I don’t even realize that I’m doing it unless it is pointed out by someone (usually my wife lolol).
However, this is not just a social liability as far as quirks go because it has been proven to be an invaluable attribute with regards to establishing rapport during interrogations where mimicking and mirroring behaviors can assist in raising the suspect’s comfort level with you and thus them being more susceptible to share their secrets honestly and openly. During my time in investigations I was quite adept at securing confessions and admissions and it was one of the most rewarding parts of my career and I excelled at it.
On the other hand, I have had more than one boss become irritated or mad at me because they felt I was mocking or making fun of them during serious meetings…lolol. Some of the most humorous occasions of this were on multiple occasions starting up a conversation with a stranger from a much different dialect or accent from mine and them inquiring what part of their home country or region I was originally from due to how exact I parroted their accent, body, language, and speech inflections…lololol I never, never ever intend this to be a sign of disrespect or mockery and, as I said, I honest believe it developed as a defense mechanism to sociopathic tendencies and moving so often to so many regions during my development years as a way to cope with being the new kid or stranger.
Well, that is only one of a myriad of quirks I have and now you know a bit more about me…lololol. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post and I love you all!
All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien