Is anyone else slightly offended by the name of this site?

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MadeinHisimage
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18 Dec 2016, 2:40 pm

I don't really like the description of aspergers as being 'as if your from another planet' ....I am not an alien. I am a human being who happens to be autistic, and autism is a normal part of the human spectrum. I don't want to be described as an alien. I don't feel like an alien.

So, I'm using this forum for the community and because when I first joined, I couldn't find any other aspie groups. I think the community makes up for the name, but I was just wondering, am I the only one who has a problem with it?



ramondamyconi
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18 Dec 2016, 3:17 pm

I understand your thoughts, where your feelings are coming from and how it could be seen as being hurtful.

I personally see it in a different light (I have a fantasy-prone personality lol!) so I constantly compare myself to things like aliens, mutants, and androids in a positive light, that and I'm huge sci-fi fan so of course I'm gonna like stuff like that :lol: .

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on this factoid, but the name of the website I believe alludes to a commonly documented story narrative told by those in the ASD/AS community-constantly feeling our whole lives as being outsiders. Feeling like an "alien" among others is usually what is said. One of my favorite quotes by an aspie/autie professional (I'm crap at remembering names and careers apparently) said he likened his experience as a person with autism to being "a Martian anthropologist doing research on Earth".

Excuse me I started rambling! :oops: But the point I was trying to make is that the name is supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to that commonly found narrative. Depending on one's perspective it could even be argued that it's a reclamation, turning a negative into a positive.

Back to your post, I understand that in our super diverse community not everyone is going to have the same experience-you've made it clear the alien thing doesn't speak to you and feels like it doesn't define you, and that's totally okay! Your feelings are valid and understandable. You are a human with autism, as am I, and most of the other folks on this forum.

I'm not sure if any of that helped, I'm not very good at consoling/cheering people up? Or explaining things haha :oops:



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18 Dec 2016, 3:23 pm

No.

I don't exactly feel like an alien either but that is the name of the website and getting offended by it isn't going to change anything.

I take the "that's interesting, I've never thought about it that way before" approach.

I highly recommend it.


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League_Girl
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18 Dec 2016, 3:25 pm

I have never been offended. AS being referred to as an alien from another planet is a feeling that many aspies have. I never felt that way. I have only felt different and always felt like I was in a different culture. Apparently NTs feel that way too from time to time. I also wonder if they also feel like an alien from another planet sometimes.


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blackicmenace
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18 Dec 2016, 3:30 pm

I don't feel like I belong, so I identify with being an Alien.


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18 Dec 2016, 3:46 pm

Nope


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18 Dec 2016, 5:04 pm

I was never offended by the name of this site. I've always felt that I was from a futuristic planet and I was dropped off on Earth which is 30 years behind my home planet as far as the values of society are concerned.


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Fraser_1990
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18 Dec 2016, 5:25 pm

The "wrong planet" thing is referring to everybody else. We're on the right planet, everybody else is from the wrong one. :)


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18 Dec 2016, 5:26 pm

it doesn't specify which planet is the wrong one.


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18 Dec 2016, 6:20 pm

No. I accept that while physically I am human, there are some social interactions that are "alien" to me. So I think it's a perfect name :)


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Joe90
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18 Dec 2016, 6:50 pm

I dislike the name of the site too. It makes it look like it's acceptable to call Aspies "not people", even though it's unacceptable to call people born deformed as not people, or homosexuals as not people. In fact it would be offensive, so why shouldn't I feel offended when made to feel like less a human just because of my diagnosis?

I am a human. I feel like a human. I am not an alien sent from Mars. I am a human, produced by 2 humans (my parents), and I came into the world between my mum's legs, and my mum and dad are humans, so I am a human too, all right?


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blackicmenace
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18 Dec 2016, 6:57 pm

Joe90 wrote:
I dislike the name of the site too. It makes it look like it's acceptable to call Aspies "not people", even though it's unacceptable to call people born deformed as not people, or homosexuals as not people. In fact it would be offensive, so why shouldn't I feel offended when made to feel like less a human just because of my diagnosis?

I am a human. I feel like a human. I am not an alien sent from Mars. I am a human, produced by 2 humans (my parents), and I came into the world between my mum's legs, and my mum and dad are humans, so I am a human too, all right?


No one is debating your genetic makeup is human. It's about how you connect to the outside world.


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Fraser_1990
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18 Dec 2016, 6:59 pm

I think some people are taking it far too literally. It's not intended to be literal or to mock anybody. But rather, it's the way that people with Autism often feel. Obviously we're not from another planet, but it almost feels like we are at times, because we seem to be on a completely different wavelength to the "norm".

It's just a description of how we feel, not who we actually are.


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Aprilviolets
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18 Dec 2016, 7:04 pm

No, I like the name Wrong Planet its a good name for this forum.



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18 Dec 2016, 7:23 pm

I am not at all offended. I think the name "WrongPlanet" perfectly captures the way I feel... so different from the neurotypical individuals who dominate society by their sheer numbers.

It's not about who's better or worse, just who is more prevalent.



fourcandles
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18 Dec 2016, 7:45 pm

I was "slightly offended" when someone threw a bun at me from a moving van. I got over it. I suggest you do the same.

"Wrong Planet: Better Than a Smack In The Face From a Flying Bun"