I think there are two ways of being polite, one is that fake-politeness you mention, the other is more of an avoidance of proactively hurting people’s feelings.
As an example let’s say you think gender reveal parties are stupid. Your friend invites you to their gender reveal party for their baby. Declining the invitation with a fake excuse is the first kind of polite. Just declining by saying you don’t want to go is the second. Proactively offering your opinion that gender reveal parties are stupid in general and your friend shouldn’t have one even though they didn’t ask and probably already scheduled it would be unnecessarily hurtful. On the other hand if they asked you what you think of gender reveal parties instead of inviting you I would not see it as rude to respond honestly. Also, if you decline politely and they keep probing deeper for reasons you are under no obligation to make up some fake reason.
This is a really helpful answer. The gender reveal party is a great example, because it’s an event people tend to get incredibly emotional and excited about, and also very defensive if they feel you are not as excited. That’s why making up an excuse or just politely decline is good. You shouldn’t really dampen their excitement if they are so much into it.
Most of these same emotionally high stakes special occasion social events are also of the type where you have to suffer through a whole day of pre-scripted interactions like fake smiles and small talk. Not ASD friendly at all.
But I understand for the NT folk out there these events are a really big deal, and I don’t want them to feel bad about what they love.
I think there are two ways of being polite, one is that fake-politeness you mention, the other is more of an avoidance of proactively hurting people’s feelings.
As an example let’s say you think gender reveal parties are stupid. Your friend invites you to their gender reveal party for their baby. Declining the invitation with a fake excuse is the first kind of polite. Just declining by saying you don’t want to go is the second. Proactively offering your opinion that gender reveal parties are stupid in general and your friend shouldn’t have one even though they didn’t ask and probably already scheduled it would be unnecessarily hurtful. On the other hand if they asked you what you think of gender reveal parties instead of inviting you I would not see it as rude to respond honestly. Also, if you decline politely and they keep probing deeper for reasons you are under no obligation to make up some fake reason.
This is a really helpful answer. The gender reveal party is a great example, because it’s an event people tend to get incredibly emotional and excited about, and also very defensive if they feel you are not as excited. That’s why making up an excuse or just politely decline is good. You shouldn’t really dampen their excitement if they are so much into it.
Most of these same emotionally high stakes special occasion social events are also of the type where you have to suffer through a whole day of pre-scripted interactions like fake smiles and small talk. Not ASD friendly at all.
But I understand for the NT folk out there these events are a really big deal, and I don’t want them to feel bad about what they love.