Neoroid wrote:What is this called? Why does it happen? Are there ways to make these people do it less or at least realize they're doing this? It always catches me off guard.
It is jokingly called "B**chy Resting Face". Here is the YouTube video.
https://youtu.be/3v98CPXNiSkBut seriously...one thing it can be called is empathy.
It happens because in social animals it is generally a highly adaptive trait. Being able to accurately estimate what another person is feeling so as to be on the same page is a huge benefit.
No, there is no way to have people stop trying to empathize. It is very natural and hardwired on a subconscious level to try and figure out if another person is feeling angry, sad, happy, etc. Again, reading the emotions of others is highly adaptive, including for survival.
The above stated, it appears that people are not accurately estimating how you are feeling. Why?
You, whether you realize it or not, also go around trying to estimate how other people are feeling. It is impossible for you not to make these judgments, because your very survival depends on these judgments. Being able to accurately detect that someone is animated because of anger is much different than animated because they are happy. Sometimes you get it wrong.
Again, the question comes back to you and what it is about how you present yourself that gives off signals that you are feeling X when actually you are feeling Y? That doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong. It just means you display some body language or facial expression that is throwing people off.