Would you rather be Amish or Autistic?

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Obviously a person could be both.

Doubtless there probably are individuals who are both.

I can imagine how being born autistic into Amish culture could cut either way ( you might fit in better than into mainstream American society, or you might be worse off, or even a mosaic of both things with same person).

I think the point of this topic is if you had a choice of one or the other what would you choose.

Which would be an interesting question for someone to write via snail mail to someone who was both.
(Assuming they knew them of course otherwise it would be stalkerish or they could ask face to face)

Actually, I've always thought of the Amish as a great culture for an autistic. Autistics are rule followers, and Amish acceptance is all about following the rules. As long as the person is working for the group and following the rules they are accepted. Disability is not viewed as a curse put on the family by god as many other Christian sects believe, rather everything is a part of God's plan, and thus if your unit has a disabled person it's because god has extra faith in your group to shepherd that soul to salvation, not as a punishment.

Actually I meant being homosexual. I bet they feel very strongly against that like many Christian sects.

We have an Amish community a few miles down the road from us and I often visit it. I suspect that if someone who was autistic was born into an Amish community and raise there, they probable would do quite well. It is a simpler life, less stress, plenty of hard work, working with your hands. You would learn a number of useful skills in life and your self esteem would not be shattered. Probably more important, you would not be alone in the world because they have a tight community covering your back. Most Aspies like living in the country rather than the city. They like being around nature. They enjoy peace and quiet.

So I suspect if you were born and raised as an Amish, you might find it a good home. But for someone raised outside the community, it is probably impossible to accept their lifestyle.

Ah, yeah, then that would fall under 'breaking the rules', so yeah, probably not the best culture for you. And yes, they have very rigid gender roles that must be conformed to. The man is the head of the household and his word is the law, but they do treat their women with respect and take into consideration their views when making decisions. There are households here where the woman can say what she wants, vote, etc, but is treated like absolute dirt compared to the way an Amish man would treat his wife.

Yeah not all patriarchal societies treat women badly. It's like the difference between China and Japan. Both Asian countries are patriarchal societies but Japan treated their women a lot better than China did. They never forced them to bind their feet, killed baby girls and kept baby boys, and Japan even had female warriors like the onna bugeisha where in China it was a crime punishable by death for a woman to fight in battle (like in Mulan).

Peaches to pears.

If you are Amish then you have a close knit community that you would fit into (even if the community as a whole is on the margin of the American mainstream).

If you are autistic then you differ even from your own family, as well from school peers, and society in general.

But if I had to pick I guess I would pick Amish, because (a) the reason above, that if I were born into that culture then the odds are that I would fit into that culture, and more importantly (b) with Amish you can come and go. When you reach adulthood you can choose to stay Amish (like you can any religion), or you can choose to leave, and you can even leave, and come back again. But if your born autistic you can not "convert" to NTism, and stop being autistic. There is no volition available.

I fit into my own family because autism is genetic and mum has a thing for aspie men. Both my stepdad and dad are probably autistic and mum has a lot of time for autistic people. So in that way it's like my culture.
The times I don't fit into my own family is because I'm too NT or because my stepdad is too blunt.