General

So most of the time we expect to receive negativity and condemnation from strangers, but who has experiences of positive responses, or at least reactions that affirmed your identity?

I don't normally say anything to strangers, partly out of being a little shy and partly out of not wanting to inadvertently offend or be weird, but I always smile and be polite as if there's nothing different. Although I'm sure a few times people have noticed me quickly looking up and down in admiration, it can be hard not to sometimes. When you greet someone though, and get a comfortable smile back with that look in their eyes like they know you liked what you saw; That does make me happy if I made someone feel good about themselves.

I haven't really gotten much feedback myself (except my coworkers poking fun at me for the little bit I gained), but something small the other day made me think about this. The name "SkinnyD" is simply a nickname from work (D is for Dan, not something else), it was a play on the name of another company. I used to be 130 at 5'9" with next to no bodyfat, so pretty skinny.

Anyway the other day I was walking backwards with something when a customer walks back in through the doorway behind me. A coworker, who happens to be a pretty big guy himself, jokingly says "Skinny, you almost ran over the customer!" The customer immediately says "uh, he's not that skinny..." I had to laugh, but I liked that response, something felt good about someone saying I definitely wasn't skinny. I didn't really like the nickname before, but now I enjoy the increasing irony of it, and the customer disputing it was just too funny.

I’m just about 5’6”, if that, but I often get called “big guy” or hear something like “… because/since you’re a big guy …”. I know they mean fat, which I love hearing.

I try to be the one doing the affirming. I am in the process of losing some weight, mostly for health reasons, so I have been getting a lot of intended but unwanted 'compliments'. I try to shift the focus and deflect from what I look like or weight, but if pressed, I have told people outright that I was happier fatter but am accepting of myself as I am. This acknowledgement is always met with either joy or resistant confusion; I am happy if that joy makes people love themselves more and when the confusion leads to growth.

I like to get smiles as affirmation that as big as I am I still have fashion sense and still look reasonably attractive.
I guess that works with guys too because any nicely dressed BHM is always worth a friendly smile from me letting them know they look good.

I like that! Especially with the “smiles of affirmation” part. The reason why is because I do just that as well when I see an attractive looking plus size person OR a couple. It’s almost like as if I’m cheering on??

Being called big guy or people thinking you are strong simply because you are fat is awesome.

I doubt. I very rarely have good interactions with strangers. Maybe I just live in a city, region, or country full of assholes. But anyway I know it's either due to my appearance. I think there must be places on earth where people are less rude and stupid. When I leave the house and have to go somewhere, I sometimes have mild anticipatory anxiety and fear of running into assholes. And no it's not psychosis or paranoia. So no, it would surprise me if I received affirmations or positivity from strangers one day. I don't expect anything from others.