What would your life be like if you were never autistic?

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Most likely stupid and weak in a metaphysical sense.

I most likely wouldn't be depressed because "ignorance is bliss" (not).

I wouldn't have things any other way. Being autistic is who I am and it's awesome.

No clue. Hard to imagine. I might still be introverted and into some of my special interests just to a lesser degree? Guaranteed I would not be here. I would probably think of Autistics if I thought of them at all as excuse makers, over diagnosed like so many others.

I have been thinking about this yesterday.. its weird to encounter a topic like this, lol.

here is my list :

Pros
1. I would not be here writing this. Well not really a pro, i love you guys really.. but feeling like an outcast for the rest of your life is terrible.

2. I would most likely be like any other NT.
3. This includes doing drugs, having sex with loads of woman in my youth since not having any morale these days is pretty hot.


Cons :
1. I would never went into photography and met my best female friend.
2. I would most likely be as emotional numb as any other and not help anyone. Thus, i would never helped my dear colleague get through a difficult time with possible disastrious results. He would never become my best friend.
3. I most likely would not be so generous and caring and emotinally soft.
4. My skills with understanding the law (im not even a lawyer ) would probaly vanish instantly.

I feel like this is an entirely sophistic question, if only because we're so far removed from the minds and lives of NT people that the majority of us probably couldn't even imagine what the experience would be like (aside from the standard "would be more sociable, have more friends/acquaintances, etc. etc."). Would I like to know more people? Of course. Would I like to feel less of an intruder in social interactions? Absolutely. Would I like to have fewer mood swings? Well, you get the point. That having been said, I still wouldn't want to trade brains with anyone else - because then it wouldn't be as interesting to live in, dark corners and all.

Well, let's see:

I would have graduated from school and gone on to collage.
I would have friends in school and participated in sports and not have my self esteem distorted by bullies.
I would be married and have kids by now.
I would have a normal 9-5 job and making a living.
I would have friend and go party at the bar, get drunk and enjoy the ballgame on TV.

I can tell you one thing is for sure. I wouldn't be on the outside looking in. That's for sure.

And yet, When I think about it. The fact that I can think outside the box, and can come up with solutions to problems that NT's could never do, and having a while and vivid imagination. I have to ask myself. Do i really want to give up who I really am? If you think about it. The only real problem I have with being autistic, is that I live in a world that culturally does not accept me for who I am. for example. I would like to be allowed to stim in public and have someone who saw me stimming come up to me and ask "I saw you stimming over there, what are you thinking about? what's on your mind? Are you stimulating your imagination?", instead of being look at funny and being ridiculed for it. just something to think about.

It could be better because that way, sure I won't be bullied. Sure, I won't be patronized. People would know what my problem is. I'll probably have a job and actively involved at many things already. I might be sent to abroad for work but who knows?

It could be worse because that way, as I'm actively involved at things, that also means many problems related to that participation. I might get involved in a relationship, but who knows if I were just to fool myself to someone or fooling others? But in truth, if I were an NT, I'll be more desperate and more worried regarding to my future than as an aspie.


I've met NTs as same age as I'm, and same economical status; that have more problems than I, and are more unsuccessful in life. It couldn't be any 'better' nor 'worse'. But from where I live, whether I were NT or not, I'll be still just above the poverty line, and life is probably duller.

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Who knows? Some things might have been better or could have been worse. I would be a completely different person and would have made different decisions from the start. So, I would not have been 'me' anyway. Judging by my relatives I would probably have worked in a university somewhere or for some gov't/military entity. I would have raised a family, retired and finished out my life being bored and wondering what the hell that was all about.
Nope, as difficult as my life has been I would not have wanted to live it different than how I am, with one exception; I would have liked to have been able to drive a car.

No way to really know for sure.. it'd be different, but whether I'd like it better or not is impossible to know.

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Autism has really impacted me a lot for the better and for the worse. There's days I wish I was normal. In fact iv'e been starting to wonder a lot what my life would have been like if I was never autistic. It would probably be overall better but it's hard to say as we often take for granted the things we have until they're gone.


If I were a neurotypical, I'd probably be a pretty cool extroverted guy because I am definitely extroverted and sporty now but because of my social skills and executive functioning difficulties, it's really hard for me to make friends and actually have good meaningful social conversations. I'd probably have at least 1 or 2 girlfriends by now and have no problem finding a girlfriend. I would understand all of the unwritten social rules on how to make friends and be in a relationship.

I'd probably be off at college doing who knows what. Because I am terrible at self-initiation and getting things done, i'm not capable of going to college and doing my homework or living on my own quite yet. If I were a neurotypical, I probably woudn't be having these problems.


Of course i'd probably be more likely to get involved with the party scene. Underage drinking, smoking, and being a rebellious teenager. I guess that would be a con of being born neurotypical.

Less spergy.

I have not been diagnosed with ASD (though I'm diagnosed with ADD, OCD, depression, and social anxiety disorder), so I really can't say.

BUT...if ASD is really to blame for not just all my physical sensitivities (which have tormented me, and have been brushed off by others, my entire life), but my excessive emotional sensitivity as well (which I'm starting to wonder if it is, since NOBODY else in my family is like me, and nobody in my family even remotely understands me or cares to try)...my life would probably be much, MUCH better.

I would have been able to relate to others better, over more mundane things rather than only my own stupid arcane interests which nobody shares...I would not have taken every slight and insult and rejection so very personally...I would have been resilient and learned to rely on myself while also not completely shutting myself away from the world...I would have found the wonderful middle ground of not being too trusting or too distrusting, and would have kept my heart open to life's possibilities rather than letting them scare me away...I would have learned how to keep the good friends and let go of the bad (and not let the memory of the bad taint the memory of the good)...I would not have been slowly but surely worn down into nothing by all the difficulties of life, difficulties which most "normal" people can brush off and move on from, but which, well, wore me down into nothing. I would have made something of the interests/talents I do have, rather than abandon them in shame because nobody else shares them. Maybe I would've even loved someone or had someone love me.

In short, I would have HAD a life.

But that is only my guess, because I'll never know for sure. That was not the life I had.

I think it would be better because I'd probably be in college and have/have had a "significant other."

The attributes and abilities that my employers have always valued have stemmed from my Autism - 'out of the box' thinking, creativity, honesty and individualism.

These same attributes have also been the reason for me being unable to hold on to those jobs.

My current role is different, but as I work for a charity that specialises in autism, I would hope that would be the case!

I wouldn't have been able to do some of the positives things I have and, (very occasionally), take great pride from had I not been the autistic person I am; therefore, to my thinking I would be a lesser person (or a beige person) without it.

I'm not sure much is gained by giving it too much more thought than this casual and whimsical enquiry; lets face it, my autism isn't going to go away any time soon.

For me my autism has always been an impairment. Would love to just be an ordinary kid.

The thing is even though I do have autism, i'm not going to let that stop me from achieving what I want. I'm not going to just sit around and say I can't get a girlfriend because i'm autistic or say I can't get a job and live independently because i'm autistic. I'm tired of people assuming things about me just because i'm on the spectrum. You can't do this, you can't do that. That's a load of BS. All the lies do is bring you down and make you believe that you can't do it.

There are three words I try to live by. Be ambitious, be resilient, and have courage. I believe anyone can succeed if they practice these three things. (Maybe except for being a center in the NBA)