Why am I different from most aspies?

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I used to be a shut in but I've been coming out alot more for the past year and I like it more than staying shut in.

I now know that if you aren't vocal and progressive, your opportunities are lessened. So I stopped being a shut-in and a recluse and stopped being so distant and aloof.

I don't really like socialising. I guess you aren't as impaired in that area.

I'm aware of social rules and have developed a theory of mind. Sometimes it gets confusing and sometimes I do ok. When a conversation fails to get past 'how you doing?' 'great' is when I start to feel awkward.
I think it's more I get over social interaction easily. I actually think I'm not really a people person in that my strong opinions get in the way of having a good time. It could also be ODD or PDA because I want people to agree with me and I like arguing, or always end up arguing but I stopped once I get too angry. I dunno, people disinterest me and irritate me by having opinions.

I'm also not a shut in, my medium of choice just happens to be a computer.

You are obviously young, as are some of the other people who mentioned similar traits to you - I am wondering whether early intervention may have had something to do with your ability to socialise?

I hate this kind of post. You're not any kind of metric for what other autistic people can be like. You are you, but you're not any of the rest of us.

I had no idea I had any social deficits for most of my life, and I've never thought of myself as not being a person. Even so, I don't like to socialize much at all and spend most of my time alone. Even when I was at my most social, I spent probably 80-90% of my time by myself, not counting work or school where I had to be around other people whether I wanted to be or not. And whenever I was in work or school I crashed, was exhausted all the time, was unable to process simple things (subjects I could typically easily pass most of the time became completely incomprehensible to me the last time I dropped out of college), and on one occasion developed severe panic disorder.

I've tried it and apart from getting severe social anxiety nothing really changed. I no longer have severe social anxiety because I stopped caring. Consciously thinking I'm autistic has saved me from many a panic attack. I dunno, maybe I'm just weak.

I never had an interest in people when I was younger and as I feel this is the natural me that is who I choose to be.

I don't really think I will learn how to have any better social skills in my lifetime. I've already forgotten them twice and given some health issues I don't think I will make much progress. Everyone has different levels of functioning and while some can overcome enough symptoms to be comfortable socialising not everyone will.

There was no social skills training or anything like that; I was very different to this a couple of years ago. I was the opposite and hate virtually no friends at all apart from a couple at school. Since I left school, it seems I have suddenly started gaining the ability to socialize with people and not get rejected because of it. I realise that there are a**holes out there who might still dislike me because I'm not 100% the same as them, but they're just useless wastes of skin anyway, so why should I get upset over them and their small minded, bigoted attitude.

You must have met a group of people who like you for you. I know people like that too but it's still a lot of effort to socialise with them.

Well, you seem confident and sure of who you are which is commendable at any age but especially at 17, so good for you

I think i am different from many aspies too.I am generally a loner who likes to spend time alone,instead of a crybaby who is depressed because he has no social life(no offence).

I don't hide off on my own, either. I like doing things with people and learning from people. I feel like trying to learn some things with other people because I am forced not to give up so quickly. The people around me put pressure on me to continue doing what I'm doing until I reach the end. And I love learning things and improving myself... That is one aspect of myself I can't help.

Everyone is different from everyone, aspie or not.

Agreed.

Why should I practice at something I don't like?

Someone who is introverted (like many of us are), can't suddenly become extroverted because of happening to think of ourselves slightly differently whether said person is autistic or not. Not everyone is extroverted. Not everyone wants to be loud. Not everyone cares about being in groups of people rather than focusing on what they're interested in.


And really, thinking of myself as an aspie is far more of thinking myself as a person than thinking of myself as a "person with Asperger's". I don't deny that I'm autistic, I embrace that part of me. I don't view myself as not a person because of being autistic. I also don't view being autistic as being wrong or something I need to somehow "fix".

I was terribly introverted until a year and a half ago. I'd always retreat to my room and lock it when we held parties. I held the opinion that no one was interested in what I had to say. That kind of stuff. Socializing didn't just come to me. I learned through mimicry and observation and I applied it until it became natural. I'm still terrified of multiple social situations and I have a habit of being awkward around certain people or under certain circumstances, but I have plenty of friends. I've been messaged on three different occasions today by three different people who want to hang out. 2 years ago, I didn't have any friends in real life and I didn't hang out with anyone.