Why "acting NT" is psychologically damaging

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I believe it's a matter of degrees, really. I usually "hunt solo," but there are times when "group hunting" is essential. I believe even NT's crave their individuality, but are more constrained by group dynamics than people with ASD's. If one reads memoirs written by NT's, there is often regret that one didn't "follow his/her instincts--that is, one adhered too much to the conforming view, rather than doing "what was in his heart" in an individual sense.

I agree with you.

But that is not what I meant. Let me try to write it more clearly.

It is not like NTs do not care about their ranking in the hierarchy. They always attempt to get higher in the hierarchy so they will have fewer leaders and be leaders to more people.

But unlike people with AS, NTs accept their current ranking. NTs would rather accept their ranking than risk getting excluded by the group. People with AS are more likely to want to get rejected by the group but not have to accept any social ranking. That is the crucial difference. NTs are so social that they willingly accept their ranking in trade for group acceptance.

AS people do not accept a ranking because they ultimately do not truly see themselves as part of the group. They see themselves as an individual seperate from the group.

True, definitely a matter of degrees. It is only that NT are good representatives for the one direction, while AS people are for the other. But of course, they may overlap etc.

I think the hypersensitivity is a matter of not expressing enough anger/will power. As long as you express enough anger/will power, the hypersensitivity should be no problem. The issue is that expressing that kind of "uncontrolled anger" is socially unacceptable. In a social context you are only allowed to express anger corresponding to your social position and social norms. The boss is allowed to express the most anger/will power (i.e. making decisions), while the pariah is allowed to express the least anger/will power.


Try it for yourself. If you act "angry" as if you are to decide everything that is to happen, the hypersensitivity should disappear. The social realm inhibits our natural adult state of being.

It seems that we don't share the same concept of "hypersensitivity". I'm using is as a type of sensory prossesing disorder.

in a nutshell, NT's are compeletely nuts. one of the more stupid therapists i went to said i have an "authority-disturbance" (I'm translating the german term literally). HELL what authority, what disturbance? everyone is created equal! or are some "MORE EQUAL" THAN US? screw authority. who the F came up with this concept of authority anyways? It's completely stupid and beyond comprehension!

Yes, yes, NTs are group hunters, Aspies are solo hunters, like I haven't heard it a thousand times on WP already.

When I'm around other people I kind of subconsciously act NT because I don't know of any other way to act without being rude or sloppy or anything. I don't know if I go all the way out of my way to act NT as such, I just like to act normal and approachable. I want friends, so I will have to make a few changes about myself to get friends. Yes we can drone on and on about society not letting us be Aspies, but that's just the way it is so you'll have to live with it.

I disagree. But I already wrote about it on other posts so I am not repeating it all again.
Some points:
-NT's are diverse
-Nt's goals are diverse and not "being accepted by the group"
-Nt's also think of themselves as individuals
-this solo hunter theory doesn't make sense
-autism is not defined by wanting to act individually. it is not a necessary nor sufficient condition. and it is not just a social disorder

My biggest problem in school always has been (and still is) group work. If I'm in a group of one (with me, myself, and I) then I know who has what role: all of them are mine. But in groups, especially larger ones, I don't know exactly what to do. If I'm not precisely told what to do, I'll sit there like a lump. Personally, I'd rather go solo and get a D than get a B grade given out to the whole group. Sometimes they dont even realize I'm in a group.

It's like that in all classes, even gym (and I maintain that Sports, evolutionarily speaking, are just ways for a pack to practice hunting). It was especially bad in Volleyball the other day, when I tried (and failed) to hit the ball over the net. And my Team Captain yells:

Captain: But hes not even on our team!

Teacher: Uh, yeah he is.

Captain: Since When?!

Teacher: For the past five days

The entire "group" construct just seems unnatural to me. Even when they say "Join a group" and get frustrated when I cant join a group. My teacher always has to assign me to one. They say "Just go up and join the group", but I physically cannot. When I try my mind hurts.

I respect that!



I agree.



Their goals are diverse, true. Some want to be lawyers, some want to be police officers. Some desire thin women, some desire afro american women. But viewed in the big picture are all these goals not all aimed at being accepted by the group (i.e. surviving in the group, where the amount of success is determined by to what extent they are accepted by the group)?




Agreed. But to a much larger extent as an individual in a group, not an individual seperate from the group.

who the F came up with this concept of authority anyways?


Authority figures.

I like the definition of a natrum in homeopathy. It consists of about 78% of the population. It reminds me of your basic NT. these people just basically play along to the point where they basically don't even really know themselves. That is why they are soo difficult for you and I to understand. Something about us keeps us from being that way. We have to act. It is alot like brainwashing in the sence that once we get away from them, we no longer think like they do. Mind control is a different story. If a mind control tactic works properly, you could be that way forever. Kind of like hypnosis, which does not work on me either. When someone tries it on me, my mind is someplace else.

Autism triad of impairments are the social that has been discussed. Hyper or Hypo sensitivities to things like sound, sight, touch etc. Executive Functioning deficits in planing multitasking, organization etc. If you are hyper sensitive groups means having more sights, and sounds to overwhelm you than if you are dealing with just yourself. Interacting with groups means more tasks than being by yourself so poor multitakskers are not going to prefer groups. That is why Autism is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Condition. All three types of impairments hurt Autistics in interacting with groups. Autistics vary. I am very introverted and have bad executive dysfunction but mild sensitivity issues. Other Autistics are very sensitive and extroverted

Precisely. It is first and foremost a SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER, as current clinical research shows, due to an overabundance of neural sensory connections in the autistic brain.

All this psuedo-intellectual "hunter" nonsense is working backwards, based on EFFECT, rather than CAUSE. The social issues are an EFFECT of the sensory hypersensitivities.

The Autistic brain is constantly trying to process a higher volume of incoming sensory data than the Neurotypical brain.

The NT brain sees the surrounding world as one, cohesive, stable Big Picture, because it filters sensory stimuli and collates it automatically.

The Autistic brain cannot filter and collate as effectively, due to the overload, and constantly juggles thousands of DETAILS in a frenzied attempt to analyze and assess the value of each piece of incoming data (thus the tendency toward pattern-seeking). In that cacophony of sensory noise, evaluating sounds, light, touch, tastes, voices, language, and trying to navigate through it, subtleties like social cues and the sensory intensity of eye contact are lost or even avoided.

None of that has anything to do with "hunting" and it doesn't stem from socialization. It CAUSES poor social skills.

Last edited by Willard on 02 Apr 2014, 3:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

You've hit on something pretty good here, I can't express myself for anything today so I'll leave it at this: I've noticed this, the built up energy from constantly suppressing this "solo-nature".

On this, I think people with ASD's have a harder time switching between solo and group, at least for me I have the hardest time knowing when I should pitch in or when I should just sit back. (I work cooking at a restaurant with 2-3 others, so this is probably one of the biggest challenges I face).

So the task-switching, or mindset-change, a hallmark difficulty for ASDs, is potentially behind this? As in intellectually we can make the distinction, but putting it into practice is much more difficult.