Recognizing others by obsession

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It's kind of you to make this suggestion. I do think that my personality plasticity is atypical. I didn't used to be like this before my encounter with the first sociopath, so it may be a kind of residual short-term, adult-onset borderline personality disorder of the kind described in the bullyonline.org website. But that is also about the time I started getting advanced in my studies. I have noticed something of this sort in some academic types -- they can quite easily project themselves into very different affectations depending on context and audience. I.e. they become great at being very convincing in their various affectations. I think of what may be happening to me is the incipient formation of an immature ego along those lines (very immature). And that because I am incapable of compartmentalization or lying, I am just moving through different ego experiences of Self as I engage with different subjects. Actually, I know that is what I'm doing, I'm just not exactly sure how the process got started.

Might just be pathologies induced by my experiments with neuroplasticity on myself. When I went to see a therapist a couple of weeks ago about possibly starting treatment with her, she said that this aspect sounds more cognitive than organic. She also said I could probably get funding to support research into some of the ideas I was developing.

I don't want to start a thread on this. This is atypical of Asperger syndrome. I want to try to focus, at WP, at being more constructive and relevant re: others.

Why not start a thread about this? I think it sounds fascinating, and it may be more typical than you think! Remember, the study of AS is still very new, and there is so much more to know! Why don´t you start a thread, and see how many people experience something similar? I would be curious, too...

just to add my 2 cents, I do notice that when my "special interest" is a person- this has happened, on occasion- I can get so wrapped up in the person, that I feel like the essence of that person can become a part of me, and seep through me, if that makes sense. I mentioned in another thread how, when I was a teenager, Elton John was my special interest. I liked his music, as well as the idea that he was very open about the fact that he was a "loner" when he was a child. As a teenager, I showed up to Junior High every day dressed like Elton (sunglasses, platform shoes and all); everybody had to call me "Elton", etc. I think this may have been a form of social echolalia, trying out identities, etc. From what I´ve read, this type of thing seems to be more common in people with AS, and may be a coping or leaning mechanism. I also went through a "Vincent Van Gogh" phase; what attracted me about him was the fact that we had many personality traits- as well as social problems- in common. (It is likely that Van Gogh also had AS). I was older at that time, so I didn´t "act out" any Vincent thing, but I was obsessed with him, and felt almost like our identities merged. This may have been a subconscious way for my psyche to accept those AS traits that I had tried so hard to subdue. Even when my special interest has been a culture: ancient Egypt, Sioux Indians- I felt ingrained in this culture, like I was really living THERE instead of HERE....again, it may have been my way of trying to cope with feeling "different" in my own culture. Although, whenever I did these things, I still felt like myself, I just tried on different aspects of myself.

Maybe we have to do so much pretending and denying in life, that this is our psyche´s way of handling it? Anyway, yeah...I would start a thread. Who knows, could be interesting...

I think I did try a thread once, a while back. I posted a thread on how I think I picked up sociopathic, antisocial behaviors from this one person I last encountered. I could try again, phrasing it a little differently. Maybe the board would be motivated to contribute suggestions if their help could assist me in being less annoying?

Wow, you have some really creative and interesting people-special interests, like your cultural interests, too. Maybe that is why you are more graceful and interesting in your ideas and posts. Because your special interests are culturally rich. If they affect you, they do so by making you more intriguing and compelling.

I've had special interests in famous people before. About 5 years ago when I was in eighth grade I was obsessed with Ozzy Osbourne. I still listen to his songs from Black Sabbath a lot. I never tried to act like a famous person before. I'd say that's a good thing considering my current obsession is Jeffrey Dahmer. If you've ever read about him, you'd know that he was a scary guy.

I wonder who recognizes me as the "Simpsons/South Park Guy".

Me, of course.

Are you referring to yourself? I recognize you because of your unique posting style, as well as the fact that your avatar looks like my cat.

Does anybody recognize my obsession(s)?

Yeah! When I tell my family members about neat posts I've read on WP, I always refer to you as "The Flushed Away/Routemasters Lady".

Obsessions? hmm I do not have any do I?

Wow- thanks so much for the compliment! That was really nice...I think I needed to hear something like that. Just last week, someone who I was talking to told me she thought I was "superficial"....she told me I should "try to meditate", or something. I was quite depressed by this, because I don´t think I´m superficial at all, and I am quite spiritual (although I don´t meditate); but I was upset that I came across to someone as being quite different to how I think I really am. (I guess at the time I was thinking out loud, in circles, about a problem I was having...maybe that was the problem...) Oh well...I just had a bad feeling after that whole thing.

But, thanks again. That made my day!

I also find your posts really interesting and thought provoking!

Oh, me! Well, I noticed mostly the South Park thing, because I like to watch it too.

I also associate you with the word "bunnies". I think of you as "that bunnies guy" who likes South Park. What does that quote mean, by the way??

I think everyone does this to some extent.

Since most Aspies seem to have obsessions, that is for us a recognition criterion.

When I was arranging with a piano mover to have a B3 organ moved several years ago, I gave him the name/address of the seller. After thinking for a second, he asked, "Is that the guy with the Bosendorfer baby grand in his dining room?" and I replied in the affirmative.

He then said, "Ah, okay. We tend to remember people more by their pianos than by their names."

Hi Morgana! ... Just a thought. I've had people treat me like I was superficial before, when I'm really not in any way, shape or form (I'm a dense intellectual, a hard-ass athletically, and on and on). I think that what they see, is a lightweight because my social skills and affect are shallow. And then their prejudices and assumptions about silly women does the rest.

One thing I've noticed about Asperger syndrome is that sometimes because people don't "get" me, they project their own insecurities or biases onto me. So a manipulative person thinks my inconsistency and apparent evasiveness is due to my being dishonest or manipulative. A nice, honorable person will see me as being transparent and honest. And so on. One thing that is consistent is that I'm constantly being told that I'm things that I am not!

Yes, I think it´s just like that for me too! Thanks for explaining it that way.

It´s still frustrating, though, that people don´t really see the real me. Of course, maybe all people have this problem to some extent??? Or maybe we all just have it worse?

I'm actually wondering now, who actually remembers me as the SpongeBob fanatic?