“I have a really acute sense of smell”

[INXS]

I know it’s not something anyone can do anything about. But whenever I hear a statement like the one in the title, it sort of sounds like the person with the nose like a bloodhound is secretly quite proud of their extra special abilities to detect cigarette smoke from one hundred paces, or the smell of someone else’s unwashed bra.

But I don’t like the idea of people who are, unbeknownst to us norms, secretly revolted by everyone around them. That they know that I ate a curry last night, and are resentful that I was so rude as to eat something with spices the day before going out in public (I actually read that on here). That my house stinks to them, or that they have to scrub their house after I’ve been to visit.

AIBU to dislike the idea of someone else having a supernatural sense of smell?! It makes me not want to be around them!

Anne me too.
Got SuperSmell powers in all my pregnancies but it stayed put after DC5.
I have got used to it but I prefered having a normal level of smell ability.

It's really rude to tell people about your acute sense of smell. I do have quite bad misophonia and, after the relief of finding out it was actually a 'thing', I know that I'm the antisocial one as a consequence and always try to discreetly and politely excuse myself for some reason if I'm struggling when other people are eating... I do not announce "I have misophonia and the sound of you chomping away on your food is making me want to cry"!

Findogask, I can also smell when people have their period - sometimes it’s the smell of the actual period but usually it’s the utterly vile smell of scented feminine hygiene products

@Bubblebubblepop - why wouldn't you believe someone has an acute sense of smell? I presume you'd believe someone who told you they had an acute sense of hearing or sight? Smell, like hearing and sight, is a continuum. We're all different.

I have an excellent sense of smell, btu don't worry. EVERYONE stinks, not just you.

i can smell if someone's breastfeeding ....

Bubblebubblepop do you believe that someone who doesn’t wear glasses has better eyesight than someone who does? Why is smell any different?

i can smell if someone's breastfeeding ....

Yes! Me too!

I agree OP it's horrible to think someone may be secretly smelling you. At least dogs like your disgusting smells!

I've never breastfed so don't know if I can smell it because I don't know what it smells like. Can smell when someone has their period though. It smells "rusty" somehow and it's not to do with the blood being old or stale or anything like that as I smell it on myself even when I know I've been diligent about hygiene and not having a hugely heavy period.

Would never, ever, mention it and this is the first time I have told anyone (i.e. a bunch of internet strangers who don't know who I am so would never feel awkward in my presence).

I got the short straw.
Little sense of smell, can't figure out sound (can't sing or understand what singing sounds good), taste seems normal but now hearing & eyesight both failing.

I have this? It's almost reassuring to hear that others 'suffer' to. It isn't fun. It isn't anything to boast about. It makes ordinary day to day things difficult and unpleasant. It has become less of a problem as I have got older (thankfully) but I still find ordinary things like the cooking smells make me nauseous. If I am on my own I only eat cold food as it smells less.

I'm going to pretend people with super sense of smell don't exist and I have never read this thread.

Wow. This is amazing! I want super powers. Not the super smelling though. That sounds grim. Can I get x-ray vision?

Wearing perfume is fine Wizard I may not like the smell, but that's my problem, but I really hate it when wearer appears to apply so much perfume/aftershave that it takes the breath from your throat.

I have this. My big nose has to be useful for something I suppose. It is a curse rather than a blessing. Smoke is my biggest bug bear. I can get in N empty lift and know if a smoker has been in there. It was terrible when pregnant. Everything turned my stomach.

mirialis The 'rusty' smell is the iron.

I've got a really strong sense of smell too. My nickname at home is The Bloodhound. I can tell when my children's bedroom doors are open upstairs because I can smell their individual bedroom smells. Not bad. Just smell them.

I can smell periods, bras, underwear. I can smell 'women' sometimes and 'cock' and I don't mean strong offensive/dirty smells, just natural clean bodily scents.

I find that when people have perfume on I like it, but I really notice it. I have learnt that it's not really appropriate to say to people, "you smell really nice". They find it weird.

I have a good sense of smell and as a teenager used to freak friends out when I knew they were on their period (not a horrid smell or anything, I just knew). I don't tend to mention my sense of smell now as people feel uncomfortable with it.

It was quite annoying when I was pregnant and it went into overdrive.

Surely it's not hard to understand that people have varying senses of smell?

Smell is a really important factor in attraction and sex to me. I can't have sex with someone unless they smell right. It doesn't matter how attracted I am to them, if they smell wrong, I just can't do it.

It's batshit MN wank, OP. I wonder how some of these people had sex to become parents, because they're so revolted by, well, everything

Must say it does make me feel grateful for having had a vindaloo-eating, beer-drinking, chain-smoking DF as, these smells generally make me feel nostalgic rather than revolted!

Oh yes, I can smell 'ill' but I've always just assumed everyone can do that. I can smell tonsilitis, I can smell a cold and I can smell if someone I'm talking to is coming down with something. It's good because I know to avoid them so I rarely catch things.

See? SEE?! They walk among us but they are superhuman!!

Seriously though, this is so interesting. All you super smellers! I’m glad to see that most of you don’t make a thing of it, although it is sort of unfair that you have to go around with this cross to bear and suffer in silence. (I realise I am massively contradicting my OP at this point!)

I hereby change my OP to something more like “AIBU to be a little in awe of all these people with a scented superpower, but dislike the small minority of them who use this power to embarrass/shame others?”

“I can smell when members of my family are coming down with a cold/bug, even before their symptoms emerge. But that’s normal, right?”

Think you’re being a bit disingenuous here scrambled - surely you wouldn’t have mentioned it if you thought it was the norm?

Ok I still say you don't exist but just on the off chance I'm going to start wearing one of those Xmas tree car fresheners round my neck at work. It will look very Christmassy.