ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Lazar_Kaganovich wrote:
I know quite a few autistic people who have no desire to "make waves". Many of them have their hobbies, interests, perhaps a small circle of friends and maybe even a partner and they just want to be left alone to do their own thing and don't pay much attention to the rest of the world until people really bother them. Some outcasts focus their attention on observing the world around them, but others simply shut it out.
Being a gadfly means getting attention; and a lot of that attention is negative. Extroverted NTs, and particularly people with other mental disorders like bipolar in particular, *thrive* on attention and also have charisma and confidence which they use to try to develop a circle of admirers and even a cult following.
The description of Sokratis is that of a man who was not only a rational thinker, but a skilled debater and a highly persuasive character. You WANT to believe that he was autistic, but there really is no evidence for this nor any valid reason to think so.
It's not about getting attention for one's self. It's about getting people to
think about their world and who better to do that than autistic people? It's about a keen social awareness that it might not be such a good idea to always
go with the flow. That's why many autistics feel like square pegs in round holes at nine to five jobs. Everyone seems to just go along but autistics will say what they feel needs saying, especially if it will help a situation. Autistics, generally, are not shy about saying, "No. It would be better if we did it this way. Why would you do it that way? Doesn't make sense," even if it's to someone that has a huge ego and feels like everyone should kowtow. Autistics are not intimidated about using the word "no" while everyone else goes about trying to disguise the "no" with a "yes."
1) you're changing your story. You said "WANTING to bite Athens in the rear could be thought of as an example of autistic thinking." Choosing the role of gadfly is a symptom of autism. Now you're saying something different: that autistics don't choose it, but stumble into the role because they don't know any better. Accident? Or choice? Which is it?
2) Autistics as a group tend to be at least as terrified of "making waves" as NTs. If not more so. To suggest otherwise is ridiculous.
3) I doubt that Socrates just stumbled into the role of gadfly just because he was too socially inept to know any better.
Autism doesnt cause a person to be a gadfly.
However if you're saying that autistics are a group who can take inspiration from Socrates- even more than most folks- then that might be so. Just dont take emulating him to such an extreme that they end up forcing you to drink hemlock! Lol!
06 Apr 2015, 8:08 am
