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Not sure where I am on the spectrum, but definitely have some of the described characteristics of AS.

I can "go along to get along" for a while in most situations, but as learned behavior it breaks down eventually. Relationships sour, prospects dim.

I take refuge in mathematics, searching for patterns and meaning. And finding both.

Yet this society rejects most of what I have to offer. And I also hold it back from society -- do they deserve the benefit of my endless inquiries? My discoveries are only valuable if they build a better bomb or make someone else more wealthy. But to me, that would be the most profound abuse of what I consider to be a basically spiritual pursuit.

I find the common belief that formal education confers intellectual validity to be wanting. I've struggled with wanting to find a home in academia, where in theory the pursuit of ideas is valued. But it is a strict social order there, as well, and I don't have enough skill or interest to succeed there.

I find the idea of a community of people like me to be a bit ironic, but also a possible lifeline.

I was discouraged to read that the community of Aspies/Auties is split along several fracture lines, depending on beliefs about treatment, diagnosis, and so on.

Well that's just great. Not. Like I need to navigate yet another social maze. Sheesh.

Anyway I don't know if I'll fit in here (heh) but I'm glad this site exists at least.

Welcome Spotdawa,

All I can say is "Don't look for divisions, look for commonality and synthesis".
Works for me.

I guess the problem for me is that I (think that I) tend to entertain ideas on an individual basis, whereas most groups seem to use certain buzzwords and concepts to identify which "side" you're on.

Those kinds of interactions are hard for me, even though I do try to engage and be reasonable.

Not to say I won't end up choosing a "side" on issues that are important to me -- but in the beginning, it's like walking through a minefield!

Thanks TallyMan. Looking for commonality is always a good idea!

Welcome spotdawa!

Nice to meet you, spotdawa.

I don't consider disagreement to equate with division. Lots of people here "hate" curebies, and I am one, but maybe not by someone else's definition. I understand many people have been through horrific times while someone tried to 'cure' them. Others have philosophical differences about anyone trying to change someone else to suit an ideal. There are lots of sparks in such discussions, but I don't know why that should be considered a division. We all want what is best for us and others on the spectrum, disagreeing only on the method. The only people I dislike on this site are the trolls, and they usually disappear pretty fast.

nil carborundum illigitimus est...

I don't let it worry me none... If you have a good idea for something the world can use, there's no reason you can't do it yourself (and become one of those rich people). However, doing this in an academic setting may be problematic, as many labs and universities at least get a cut (if not whole hog) of any profitable research.

welcome to the show that never ends...

That makes sense. Having been unaware of AS most of my life, I am not used to connecting it with my experiences. So I'm going through a kind of reevaluation of my experience in light of my neural wiring, as it were. Before, difficulty interacting with others always just seemed like a personal problem, a failing. Now it looks more like a misunderstanding, a miscalibration. Actually I kind of always thought that, but didn't understand the lay of the land, and took to heart the difficulties.

In view of this, it is hard to walk into this new environment with so much to learn, and hearing so many different opinions.

Still this is a sign of health in the community! Monolithic institutions are much scarier than noisy arguments.

I mostly blog about politics, so I'm familiar with the trolls, but curious as to what form they would take here? Would a person that discredited the idea of the spectrum be considered a troll, and do people come on here trying to do something like that?

That's a great latin phrase!

I'm pretty good at making useful software tools, and I have done well with that at times. But there is a big part of my intellectual and spiritual life that is devoted to mathematics. So this makes me think that I have constructed a kind of religious aura around my obsession with numbers. Suddenly I can look at it from both points of view:

1) a typical manifestation of Asperger's number fixation
2) a kind of spiritual practise

That religious aura, maybe just a part of the compulsion (?), still makes me want to pursue those inquiries strictly for their own sake. Actually following the fairly radical advice of Plato along these lines. The idea of profiting from it is distasteful philosophically.

Suffice to say, I'm confused.

Welcome Spotdawa!

i send greetings from wrong planet.

Hi!

Welcome to Wrongplanet!

You'll fit in here, I'm sure!

I hope you enjoy posting!

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome to WP!