Overstimulation on XKCD, <3

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Now if you'd oblige me and trot over to the newest xkcd ( http://xkcd.com/602/ ). It's about overstimulation and tuning out.

OK, show of hands, who else thinks Randall Munroe is an aspie?

Thre's already been a thread on this. And I'm not surprised there's another one because so many people relate to it.

*raises hand* the more of those comics I read the more obvious it is

I have considered this question thoughtfully and I do not think the author of XKCD is on the spectrum. Brilliant, yes, with a great understanding of mathematical and programming concepts. But when I've read his "blag" blog iand his comics, it is clear to me that he is socially quite capable. (Lots of posts about sex, relationships, parties). A lot of us relate to his comic- both in subject matter and presentation- but maybe he just really knows human nature and social interaction rules just as well as he knows coding and computers. And I really thought for sure he was NT when I saw the pic of him after he installed one of those things full of plastic balls that you jump into in the office, and all the people in the office sitting in it together, having fun.

Now that I just wrote that down, it seems like a silly answer, but you asked.

haha. I zone out that way all the time. One thing i do, and usually just do it without thinking much about it, is look at the words written on things around me and then kind of mentally find the middle letter in a word, or the middle word in a sentence. I kind of visualize crossing out the outside ones 'til i get to the middle, then circle the middle one(or two in the case of a word with an even number of letters). It's totally pointless, i know, but that's just how it goes.

I relate very well to a lot of XKCD comics and I'm not surprised that a lot of others here do too.

But to consider Randall to be on the spectrum based on his cartoons would be overreaching enormously. A lot of people can relate to these cartoons and they certainly aren't all autistic.

At the same time, to suggest that because he has friends and a social life he can't be on the spectrum is also totally wrong.

Remember, the autistic spectrum blends seamlessly into "normality." There is no clear place to draw the line and lots of people who can't be diagnosed who nevertheless have some traits.

IMHO a lot of XKCD cartoons show a way of thinking that has a lot in common with the ways a lot of us think, but that doesn't mean anything in particular. I wouldn't be shocked if Randall had AS but I certainly don't expect that he does either.

Since this was posted here I think this should not be too OT for this thread.


for example me I have the tendency to do two things when in the same situation it's
1- running some stuff in my mind often along the convos lines and giving that as an answer/just saying it despiite not noticing that other people have no clue how I related it to the convo since I only thought about it (I have only noticed this very recently.. )
2- zoning out unconsciously out of long multi-person conversations I am just standing in the side and untill someone asks me something when I usuall remember what was said (like the cartoon) due to boredom sort of a like day dream

on the other hand someone might just be very very pissed off / bored / no motivation to keep track of what he precieves as annoying babble and literally push that situation apart like in frame 5 a lot of people do that.

I think Randall is a pretty cool guy; eh draws aspie stick figures and doesn't afraid of anything.

I love XKCD.
As others have said there is no clear point that the autistic spectrum starts at. Everyone has traits. Nerds have quite a lot of traits, but may or may not have an ASD. XKCD is a nerd comic.

XKCD is my absolute favorite web comic ever. There is definitely evidence of Aspie-like traits in it, but you can't diagnose someone based on that.

I do this all the time in noisy group situations. I love this comic http://www.xkcd.com/602/.