1w ago

What's your superpower?

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I can smell fear. I always thought that was normal, because it’s used idiomatically, but the first time I said something in a group of people, they looked at me like an alien. When someone’s anxious, their sweat smells more metallic to me, like amphetamine/coke sweat (which makes sense).
- One time I had to wait in line behind this guy who had a very strong metallic odor, it was making me sick. I’ve smelled it a few times since and recently smelled it on my mother. Not sure if it’s a drug. Probably not fear. Very interesting though.
  
  To be clear, I can’t differentiate between fear, anxiety, stress, and stimulants, except for intensity. It might be any of those if it smells a little like a battery. The first time I noticed it on someone else, it was someone with a crush on me who had to spend all day with me, so not exactly fear, but nerves.
  A sudden change in BO can indicate all sorts of things though, from Parkinson’s to diabetic shock to sepsis, so you might want to let her know.
  
  I did tell her. I haven’t noticed it since her hysterectomy, maybe it was the cysts.
  
  The first time I noticed it on someone else, it was someone with a crush on me who had to spend all day with me, so not exactly fear, but nerves.
  What did you do about it if you could notice? Has it ever worked in your favor?
  
  In that case, I wasn’t interested and just felt immense pity at the situation, so I completely ignored it and talked to another coworker about our SOs at the group lunch table with him.
  I’ve definitely noticed it on job interviews I’ve held and first dates/relationship milestones. In the former, I just ignore it, and in the latter, I do keep it in mind.
  I have to shower after I have something like a job interview though, because it’s not a pleasant smell.
  
  Cool. My sense of smell isn't that good, so it's kind of curious to know some people are that sensitive.
  
  there are a few diseases (mostly in the cold/flu family) that i can smell. it's something in the sweat.

578 comments