People in my sociology class are a joke

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If the people in your class are a joke, you are obviously not laughing. Perhaps things are as you perceive them and perhaps not. I don't know, but please do a reality check to see if the problem is not that "everyone is marching out of step except you".

You sound like maybe there are deeper issues of unhappiness driving your anger.

None of us have seen or heard you in class. There are two things I can think of. The first is that the problem is them. The second is that it's how you're saying things rather than how much you're saying.

It's obviously not that you're talking too much. You've made it clear that other people talk more than you. You could still be wording things in ways that give them the impression that you think you're smarter than everybody else. It's complicated. The way things are phrased and the types of words used sends different messages in addition to what is actually being said. NTs have a nasty habit of reading between the lines.

I haven't heard your exact words and I'm an Aspie so even if I knew the things you say verbatim I might not be able to tell how you come across to NTs. You could be sending messages to them that they don't like without you realizing you're doing it.

Or they could just be ignorant jerks. How is anybody on this forum supposed to know for sure?

My area of special interest has always been in the social sciences. I can certainly recall being excited about the subject matter and wanting to engage the professor who was frequently happy to engage with me. - But by doing so I was annoying a certain number of the class - because they just wanted to be told what was on the test. Someone with Aspergian levels of interest in a giving subject may very well be appreciated by the instructor. But are frequently annoying to those who are just there to complete a requirement and could not possibly care less about the subject. I can still recall people turning around and sheeshing me for participating in the class - even though the professor clearly welcomed it. Someone told me that I should not feel so intellectually superior - But someone else told me, "How can you possibly help not feel intellectually superior when you have to put up with dumbshxxts like that?"

I am bothered by "ret*d." I don't think it is an actual condition, but rather a generally degrading term used for those lacking some aspect of neurotypicality. I wouldn't use it at all.

As others said, don't worry about your classmates, they are not your concern. If your sense is that people are not responding well to your input, maybe pull back a little and see what happens when you don't participate as much.

Is this first year university? I studied sociology in first year uni just after highschool, and had a similar attitude to most of the class as you describe them. I was there because I had to pick an elective, but I was studying IT and wasn't interested in this class. Fast forward 8 years and I'm back at uni studying psychology and having a completely different attitude, more akin to yours.

I'd put it down mostly to immaturity, not unchangeable personal flaw.

There is no "proper" use of the word "ret*d." It's merely an insult, akin to the "N" word for black people, "spic" for Hispanic people, "Chinese" for Chinese people, etc.

Just like "Mongolism" for Down Syndrome, "ret*d' should be placed in the trash heap.

I think, in this class, you should just listen, unless a discussion starts; don't start the discussion. Just sit there, listen, and take the tests. These kids are obviously just out of high school.

I should know, I experienced exactly the same thing when I went back to school as an older adult.

dear LSJ, let's face it, some of the comments in your original post leave alot to be desired:



I pray no such person becomes a social worker, psychologist or anything similar!



actually P, it's way more horrifying than 'funny', & dismissing unpleasant things in such a flippant way not only does nothing to counter 'societys' careless habits, but helps prevent constructive (/ly critical) dialogue ...i'm as surprized by your seeming indifference as i am by LSJ's "i'd love to tear this # apart". Regards the 'R' word:



there's nothing 'arbitary' about it; demonstrating such care / consideration is a necessary part of working with clients who are all too often confronted by hateful name-callers ~ anyone neither capable of recognizing the sense of such a stance, or (failing that) refusing to take such care after the reason for doing so has been explained to them is not socially aware enough to be of much help to the most vulnerable members of our 'society' / doesn't have what it takes to be a respectful social worker or psychiatrist.