To wish my brain didn't do this.

[jigsawbrain2026]

Does anyone else have this ?

I have a feeling I won't explain this well but will give it a bash.
Basically I know details about people that I shouldn't know. Some small some big. I dont seek out the details or put much thought in to it. My brain puts small bits of information together without me trying too. Will give an example.

My daughter had a semi serious accident at school and during that time I had contact with the Headteacher. Obviously she didn't disclose any details of her personal life. Apart from small talk with little details etc. My brain managed to put together where in the city she lived. Her dc were adopted. She is having marriage problems. This is none of my business and I hate that I know.

This happens all the time. I know things about people I shouldn't. All because my brain puts small details together and finds out.

Anyone else? or just me

You mean, doing a Sherlock Holmes? Uncanny deduction and micro clues?

That’s just what brains do, isn’t it? Mine does this, too. I am not remotely interested in knowing about people but you can’t avoid it really.

Yes I think so.

I can understand working out where she lives from conversational clues, but how on earth did you get to the marriage problems?! Are you sure your brain doesn't do what mine does, put two and two together and make five?! I was convinced for ages that two of my colleagues were having a secret affair...they're not!

But are you actually right about these things?

she didn't disclose any details of her personal life

I hate that I know.

How do you square these two sentences away?

It's odd to be so sure of your own intuition. It reminds me of my mum when she had manic episodes.

How are you confirming that what you believe to be true is correct? Or, are you just fabricating a narrative and congratulating yourself on your powers of deduction ?

Either you are just describing ordinary observation and empathy (which, naturally, people have to varying degrees), or you are putting way too much faith in your personal speculations about people.

I'm not sure I understand.
Which facts did the person tell you, and what did you conclude from that that she hadn't told you?
As others say, how have you verified thr things you concluded? Otherwise that's just guessing?

This. Plus there’s no independent confirmation of any of these details as correct. You just have a hunch.

I am autistic. For me, intuition/pattern recognition accounts for a lot of what you describe.

www.connectncareaba.com/blog/autistic-intuition

Do you mean you’ve made stuff up and now can’t I think it?

So what did she say/do that made you certain that her children are adopted?

Thanks for the link.

I was aware of those phenomena but was interested to see if it mentioned being able to correctly intuit real data without the information having been provided, which is what the OP seems to be asserting.

It didn't.