zuckerberg is "borderline autistic"????

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Careful.. you might just give them ideas for their next fundraiser - cure autism so the evil autistic capitalists stop taking advantage of us poor people. I agree though, we need more accurate representations of autism out there. People are woefully ignorant of the words they use, sociopath, autistic etc. no one really cares about the definition as long as it looks/sounds good and will continue to do so until they are called on it. Groups like GLBT groups have had quite a bit of success in getting people to be more aware of words like "gay" being thrown around as insults, someone really needs to do the same with autism.

Hmm... yeah, sometimes I'm conniving. Sometimes I'm downright manipulative, but I realize that I'm a rare exception. I think, in my case, that I taught myself how to be a little manipulative in order to compensate for my inability to socialize. I used to be a department store manager; imagine what torture that is for an Aspie (needless to say, I resigned in short order).

Still, autism should never, never be used as degoratory term. I find that vile and inexcusable.

Last edited by dyingofpoetry on 15 May 2010, 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

Here's what I find interesting. Any time there's a news item that presents a correlation between autism and some unsavory trait--conniving, sociopathic, etc.--this community throws up a rose-colored autism archetype (harmless logical introvert who couldn't hurt a fly if they wanted to) which is supposed to contradict that correlation utterly.

I wonder, how many people here who rush to proclaim, That's not Asperger's! would measure up to that rose-colored archetype themselves?

Here's my guess: almost none.

PS) Sociopathy DOES represent impaired/dysfunctional socialization abilities! Just because the sociopath "benefits" from their sociopathy in a doesn't mean that it should then be considered representative of "good" or "normal" socialization abilities.

hmm, why is it that everyone care so much about public figures having AS or autism? I have some ideas, but I'd like another perspective on this.

I don't care at all about whether any celebrity is or isn't autistic. I personally have serious doubts about Einstein, Jefferson, Beethoven, and so on. I don't need to feel that others with AS have made great accomplishments in order to feel of value as a person. I am only concerned about what I accomplish.

It seems that with every disorder, there eventually comes a list of great people who had the disorder so that the "normal" people can be inspired. Bah! The same thing happened with ADHD and Bipolar. But what evenutally follows is that the disorder is indiscriminately applied to anyone, which then leaves it open as a mere label in the horrible way it has been in describing Zuckerburg.

I don't need anyone else to be autistic, thanks. I just need people to understand ME.

The problem with autism is that it is poorly defined - so it is likely to get thrown out there a lot. Copying the LGBT groups is not likely to be a good idea. Really they are just weak people who believe that they are entitled not to be offended, which isn't something which we should ask for.

Normal people aren't all angels who do good. Nonetheless their condition or 'label' is not associated with cheating, backstabbing, or anything else that is negative.

That one autistic person might be such doesn't make any sense of everyone with the label being painted that way. Desiring freedom from presuppositions isn't some senseless thing; it's desiring freedom from prejudice -- like normal people have.



Plenty of stories here of people who go cheated, bullied, or taken advantage of because they weren't savvy enough to pick up on the games that were being played on them.

I would expect at the absolute worst not much difference than the general population.



? I didn't see anybody praising sociopathy.

The article doesn't do that.

No one has a right not to be offended, I do object to people using someone's identity as an insult however. When people say "you're gay" as an insult, they are saying there is something inherently bad about being gay. For LGBT groups to object to their identity being used as an insult is not being weak, it is seeking to prevent a negative stereotype which has worked. A few years ago "gay" was pretty commonly used as an insult before people started calling others on it and making them look ignorant. Allowing "autistic" to be used as a random insult without calling people on it just makes it ingrained in people's vocabulary and makes any attempt to spread awareness more difficult especially since a lot of people don't understand what it is.

The problem with LGBT groups is this whole identity is manufactured - in order to gain some "rights" which they feel entitled to, they invented an entire culture to give them legitimacy. (to see what I mean, think about the 60's gays who didn't want to get married, didn't feel entitled to have children, etc... - now where are things at today?)

Awareness is unlikely to be a panacea, for us to get any real improvement, society has to change. Which frankly looks unlikely to me, in any case it isn't going to happen out of a PR campaign. By contrast, what the gay rights people wanted can be formulated in terms that the average gnome could understand.

When I compare my life to other people I know, I can see where I am far less selfish and am more giving and I try to encourage other people to be that way. Life should be about helping others, not harming and whenever appropriate or possible, I make either a written or verbal speech reflecting these principles, it's not about what you get, but what you can give to others. It's unfair to stereotype.

I don't really disagree with any of that, and I don't see where anyone is doing any stereotyping (myself or the author of the article in question).

You assume that almost none can live up to the rose coloured glasses archetype of the introverted, logitician who wouldn't hurt a fly. How do you know they can't? You would have to know them personally to be sure.

That's why I used the word "guess".

But if that's just a guess it's like saying you don't know for sure so guessing would be meaningless in this circumstance...

My guess was based on the fact that Asperger's/HFA are widely associated with deficits of empathy, as well as emotional issues and impulsivity.