The fundamental difference between NTs and people with AS

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NTs in general are not stupid or uninteresting.

I wish Aspies would stop thinking we're superior to the general population.

How exactly can you be on a "quest to become neurotypical"?

That's akin to an apple yearning to be a turnip.

I can recognise and pick up on non-verbal social things from instinct. I've never had much trouble with that. I can often just feel the other person's emotions or thoughts.

My social issues seem to be caused by typical social phobia and attention problems. Sometimes I wonder if I even have ASD or not. Often I just feel like an eccentric person with social anxiety, ADD and even Bipolar. I can't always relate to how Aspies typically view the world. I understand NT behaviour more than a lot of Aspies do.
But ADD seems to be my main issue. My mind just wonders all the time. Today at work I had to do some paperwork, but it took me longer than expected for me to complete it because I kept getting intrigued in the jokes and gossip that my co-workers (who were on their break at the time) were saying. I have social anxiety but that doesn't mean I don't like people. I am very interested in social chitchat with my colleagues. I thrive on it. I love it.

Me too. There are good and bad NTs just like there are good and bad Aspies. I sympathise with Aspies who have suffered at the hands of some particular NTs, but when prejudices of the "they're all [insert pejorative]" type are vented here, it just makes us look like "AS Partners" at their worst.

Back to the original purpose of the thread, I agree that sensory issues are a major part of the difference between us and NTs, but I don't think it's THE fundamental difference. There's also executive disfunction, mind-reading impairments, and a few other things that are also pretty important.

Somebody suggested that sensory issues can be overcome by relaxing. I agree that tension is likely to make matters worse, but in my experience relaxing doesn't abolish my sensory issues - at best, it alleviates them a little. I think direct physical intervention can be quite useful. For example, I choose my clothes for comfort so that I'm not forever feeling the distracting effect of harsh fabrics etc.