Aspie culture is needed why can't people see that.

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In my opinion you are suggesting we become more like NTs - that's fine if you and others want to do it but some of us wouldn't want to

I resent anyone telling me how I 'should' be and what I should want

Not meaning to be derogatory, but I believe that already exists within the "nerd culture" and can be found at "nerd conventions".

Yes, that's the kind of thing I meant when I said people who like Star Trek and gaming. I just don't use these names like 'geek' and 'nerd' as I don't go in for stereotyping people with derogatory names.

NTs try and emulate 'geek' culture by wearing stupid glasses and looking witless - Katy Perry's done it - so it's already in existence

(It's not being done in a respectful way btw but I'll let you work out why that is for yourselves - I'd hate to be accused of stereotyping )

Go to one of these conventions where you get to meet all the stars off sci-fi programmes and films and have your photo taken with them

I'd be interested to know your age Fnord. That outlook seems to me far more likely from someone in the first flush of youth, than an Aspie who has spent years trying that and failed miserably at the cost of their health.

Well, there are also deaf people in every culture, yet a deaf culture has developed based on the sole similarity of deafness as opposed to how one learns to live with a lack of hearing. It may not be a 100% accurate comparison, but I do see similarities if there were indeed an "Aspie culture" to be developed further (for those that chose to ascribe to it - not every person is a part of the culture they were brought up in or whatever culture is prevalent where they live.) It would just be a matter of how the group (Aspie individuals) grows and matures based on common wants and desires - though I think the development of culture is much more organic than "this is what we want, and that is how it's going to be."

If this made no sense, I apologize; insomnia has gotten the best of me once again.

Yes and some are more able to adapt than others and some don't want to adapt - and I'm not dead

I prefer being me, not a version of me others have dictated I must be


"To be nobody but myself in a world which is doing its best, night
and day to make me the same as everybody else means to fight the hardest
battle any human being can fight and never stop fighting."

e.e. cummings
(1894-1962, American Poet)

There is "Aspie" culture, and more importantly, autistic culture. More than one. I think a lot of this is invisible to this forum, however, and what does exist on this forum is not exactly acknowledged. I mentioned ANI twice before, and ASAN. These aren't the only options, although some of them are not really designed around highly verbal people either. It's not a question of asking why it doesn't exist or demanding that it does, but looking for what already exists and getting involved with it.

I personally can't complain about not having face to face interaction with other autistic people because there is a local support group that meets once a month, and at one point I was offered a ride. So, the fact that I don't go is more a reflection of the fact that I resist going to something new than any lack of availability to me.

I have tried all of my life to adapt.. Become more life the people out in the world.

The problem I run across is that it can make things worse .people tend to take even more not of the things you can't seem to change .

Rather that being the person that can't interact and has a real problem that they are struggling with , I became to the people who live around me "the lazy scruff" I have always had problems "looking after myself" I just don't see it as the hugely important thing that society makes it out to be . It just seems illogical to me. We are constantly told to save water and the environment, and yet we are told to take a shower and change are clothes everyday.

There are other reasons I don't like to be clean.
Germs . Because people are so clean they do not get a constant influx of germs .That is very bad for you'r health as when you do come across something it can kill you a lot easier .As a kid I was the one who never seemed to get ill even though I was the one who was always in a skip or dump .It was the clean spotless kids that were the ones always down with something.

The cleaner my skin is the more sensitive it is . This means that if my skin is clean I can't deal with my wife touching me at all ,even a breeze
can feel uncomfortable

The feel of water on my skin I hate it . Just plain water touches my eyes and it is like acid , My eyes swell up and go bright red.

Most people say the fell of fresh clothes on clean skin is a great feeling. I can not express how much I hate it and if I did no one would get it anyway. I would never take of the clothes I have on now if I could get away with it

Even so I tried . I got a job in a shop . Showered every morning clean clothes , anti-persperant (even though I don't see how preventing the bodied natural cooling process helps anything . especially with the problems I have always had with heat) Even after all this effort people started giving me deodorants and started taking me to the side and telling me I had a problem with smelling .
That's when I crumbled from it all and had a massive breakdown

Deaf culture grew due to the founding of colleges for the deaf, such as Gallaudet, not by "organic growth". While the colleges were a response by the hearing world to the need for education for the deaf, coming together and seeing their commonalities is what made the deaf community recognize itself and start to grow.

Autistics don't yet have such physical locations to focus the growth of a viable culture--so far it's mostly virtual, with WP being the largest virtual autistic community. Only a small percentage of people here have an interest in real world autistic community, as the OP has observed; of the subset who have a "special interest" in utopianism, intentional communities, urban design, survivalism, community activism, etc., only a small number have the resources (both material and in terms of executive functioning) to be able to make their vision into a reality.

I agree with what you say here.



I partially agree. If I know where I screwed up then I will a. admit it b. apologize c. propose a solution to fix it if possible. If I can't perceive where I screwed up then it would be illogical and dishonest for me to take responsibility for something.



I agree, complaining on this gets me nowhere and does not impact my daily life. Why complain about something that does not affect my daily life one iota.



If it is culturally unacceptable to examine and try to understand life then I have to ask what is life's worth?



I don't see that here at all. I do not agree. I see a lot of people confused as to how the workplace works and what the structure is. I see people confused as to why certain things are done the way they are done. I see those in the know will not explain the workplace in any kind of depth. For instance, what is the hierarchal structure and where is the leaf node on this structure. I was literally told that I was not entitled to the knowledge of the rules of the workplace. This is from a person who works for the EEOC. How can one follow rules if one is not entitled to this knowledge?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HmJQyS8QVw



How do you derive this?



For me, I was trying to understand why something was. I understand now and I had a certain premise correct. I accept what you say on this now when it was further explained.



Who has made a personal attack on you? I don't. I just question and examine your beliefs. Do you have specifics?



I will have to admit that you're right on this one. I have stop this myself. Each of us is different and unique. For me, it was my need on Maslov's Hierarchy of needs to belong.

Intentional cultures always fail. Only those cultures that manage to "accidentally" appear regardless of intent survive. That's how the world works.

An "aspie culture" is as daft and daffy an idea as a "diabetic culture" or a "left-handed culture" or a "Hello Kitty culture". It's not enough basis upon which to form an entire culture. My culture is what I live in, not some elements of my neurology that I happen to randomly share with people who are most likely never to actually be part of my life outside of a message board.

That's not a culture, that's basement dwelling.

I don't "need" autistic "culture."

There is no "we" in my life, let alone an "us."

I would suggest that this topic really can't be answered. Not just because there are too many answers, but because we have no examples to use as reference points. Without some form of reference point, we're reduced to arguing over the meaning of words with posters from at least 4 different countries, all of whom have slightly different understandings of some words ("culture") and the associated ideas.

The best way to resolve this issue would be to find (or create) an Aspie culture and use that as a reference. And comparing Aspies to "Star Trek" fans is just absurd.

I don't think I am into this "aspie culture" you're talking about.

I've never been really interested in joining an autism/Asperger's group, because I don't feel the need to do so.
I don't feel the need to be part of a group, may the group be a group composed by non-neurotypical members or neurotypical members.

I don't think it's absurd at all

A lot of aspies are Star Trek fans, so it's perfectly logical to assert that liking Star Trek is a part of aspie culture

Please tell me what you see as forming aspie culture if not the activities and interests that the average aspie prefers

It's all very well to ridicule my opinion but I haven't seen any alternative suggestions

I get the impression it is you who doesn't seem to know the difference between the meanings of the words 'culture' and 'community'

You are referring to community in my opinion.

You want to form a community that meets up in the aspie restaurent or for barbecues and has endless jolly chats about how wonderful it is to be an aspie (because complaining about it is banned)

I'd advise you to set up an Asperger group in your home town that anyone from WP is welcome to visit if they are in the area
- then you'll see how hard it is!

Less talking, more doing!

It leaves the question. Are we looking for a culture or are we looking for social acceptance in the world in general?