AS & Right Brain & Metaphor

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Many people with AS I've spoken to have a good to exceptional grasp of language skills.

I guess the theory that one with AS can't use metaphors is a mere stereotype... some can't - I guess it depends on the individual and what parts of the brain are opened up or shut off or whatnot... and their skills may lie elsewhere.

Some of the great creative writers out there have AS though.

Analogies are the way I think always.

Sora you have just described EXACTLY how I think!! For sure I figured no one in the world [but me] could do this. Thanks so much for posting. I can't stop thinking like this, it's basically who i am...and makes it impossible to stay on topic unless this just happens to be the topic which it is now...

I'm always saying to myself ....this person is arriving at some conclusion based on this kind of leap in his/her thinking....now if they are doing that here and thusly...why can't they understand there is the exact same TYPE of connection going on over there ...but they don't seem to get it. I think this may somehow be a savant ability...people like you and i who can do this ...it may come naturally to us to compute a kind of 'mathematical' or 'quantitative' relationship between concept correlations and we can assess this in a nanosecond ...i'm sure it's the same with you...it happens faster than the speed of light [how can you stop that?]....because in no way can i stop doing this it puts a damper on my ability to focus as others do and is an obstacle to effective communication.


Just one more thing. There is something called Metaphor Therapy. Anyone heard of this? The people having written most about it are so left brain oriented and explain things in a way that is so totally alienating and difficult to understand...but one of these days maybe ...I hope to read the textbook on it - Metaphors in Mind by James Lawley and Penny Tompkins - and simplify what they're saying, in less scientific parlance that more people would understand.

Will try make another post later when not so busy. Thanks to OP and Sedaka also. For me this is most important thread ever, can you guys keep it alive..?

I am really delighted I started this thread and that some are finding it of value. Reading all the contributions just goes to show that there are so many creative and beautiful people in the autistic spectrum.

Chris.

Jumping to conclusions topic

I bolded part of your interpretation to highlight that my interpretation of the Swallow metaphor is correct. The man jumped to conclusions regarding the onset of summer and so he sold his coat. My thinking logically about this saying was not in error.

Alternatively, the onset of Autumn cannot be concluded just because one sees one goose heading south. Usually many flocks are in the sky (in a V formation)! Conversely, in the Spring they head back from the south, and so one goose would not make it Spring, either!

Bold the paragraph after that. I wasn't saying your interpretation is incorrect. It's absolutely correct.

What I was saying is that whoever explained it to you wasted your time by not telling you the story immediately. Or at all, from your account. They told you what a swallow is, told you that just one is insufficient evidence of summer, told you that the "one swallow does not make a summer" saying means not to jump to conclusions, and yet never gave you the narrative with the relevant image, which is all the information you needed.

1. I am extremely intuitive. Interest in spirituality, compassion and natural healing is high priority. Also interest in math, physics, and other science but less so. I can usually balance left and right brain. When either emotions or logic dominate, I try to be aware that I'm out of balance. I'm definitely not the more common left brained aspie. I try to stay in the depths of my heart at all times yet feel I'm only very slightly right brain dominated if at all.

2. I have a lot of empathy for animals and all of nature. I have absolutely zero empathy for herd mentality and comformity behavior just to conform. I also have zero tolerance for people who refuse to think for themselves and are just regurgitating what they've been conditioned to do or believe. Every waking moment I'm trying to be true to myself and to do the "right" thing according to my own standards. If I get in touch with someone who has more integrity than I have, I do my best to stretch up to their level.