Malisha wrote:
Actually, although I don't think dark lord there was trying to spur any sort of intelligent discussion, i will bite because I have strangely ambivalent feelings about this issue.
I have had a friend who is also an Aspie, and he does indeed use Asperger's as an excuse to avoid changing certain negative behaviors he has, including impulsive spending and feelings of persecution. I dislike the trend of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors on the part of various autistic people I come in contact with, both in person and online. He is certainly intelligent enough to reason out compensatory behaviors, but instead chooses to use asperger's as a reason to throw up his hands and say, "well, I'm just this way and nothing can change that!"
In daily life, MOST people don't know anything about autism, and more importantly, they don't give a crap. I accept this. I accept it in the same way I accept that life isn't fair, there are long lines at the DMV, and that nearly everything is noisy, inconvenient, and inefficient. Even most NTs can't get past the "life isn't fair" part, and just end up stuck in a loop of how things "should" be, instead of how they ARE.
I can't change other people's perceptions or their behavior, I can't force them to understand how my mind works, my gifts or my limitations. I CAN control how I conduct myself, and my own attitudes and behaviors, so I stick with that. I refuse to lose myself in bitterness, entitlement, or railing against other people's unwillingness to accept me, or accommodate me.I refuse to adopt an "us versus them" stance on dealing with an NT world.
I live the life I have, and do everything in my power to make it the same as the one i feel I should have. Despite the sometimes herculean effort it takes, I feel like I'm making pretty good progress. I accept that there are some things that NTs take for granted that I find difficult or impossible, but I can do things that most of them cannot.
Well said!
_________________
When God made me He didn't use a mold. I'm FREEHAND baby!
The road to my hell is paved with your good intentions.