Making new social connections can be difficult and confusing when you’re on the autism spectrum. Oftentimes, autistic people do not realize when they’ve made a social faux pas, and can accidentally continue a pattern of behavior that is conducive to an undesired social outcome.
A less common but much funnier phenomenon is one in which autistic individuals — rather than failing to realize they got a social situation wrong — instead fail to realize that they got a social situation oh so right.
That is exactly what happened last night at a party, as autistic strangers Mike Kraft and Raven Marx left the unexpectedly enjoyable social affair, each unaware that they were totally flirting with each other.
“It was so obvious that Mike and Raven were vibing last night,” said mutual friend David Loch. “But when I was texting him hyping him up about Raven, he had no idea what I meant! How much work does a wingman have to do?”
“It’d be great if Raven is into me, but I doubt it,” said Kraft of the woman who is absolutely into him.
“Mike is adorable, but c’mon — me? Why would he want me?” asked Marx about the man who obviously wants her.
Another friend, Kim Renert, echoed a similar frustration: “Sure, they’re the only two friends we have that we know for sure are autistic, but, like, are we going to have to just come right out and tell them we’re trying to set them up? That’s crazy!”
Kraft and Marx then texted each other and set up a date, only after their exhausted but gratified friends gave each of them multiple assurances that the other person very much wanted that.