I realized reading this that I learned to lie about my feelings for precisely this reason. People are easy to fool. Bullies pick on the “weak” or the sensitive. Being seen as a sociopath is safer than being seen as what I am, usually. I take my hurt with me into the silence and hide it there where I can feel it safely.
Poverty, severe unrelenting trauma, bullying, abuse, all teach you to lie.
You lie to help you stay hidden.