How has "thinking differently" affected you?

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I've heard comments here we are wired differently and hear of plenty of traits and such but though we could list how we "think differently" Sure on the social parties and such but I was talking more specific I guess. For example while in the mall Isaw a calendar with a guy (orange/blue face) football fan and such. I told my sister that's stupid she said why. Well he should be focused on studies (doctor,lawyer etc.) she said well most people don't think like you I said oh ok. and if I had to narrow down ANY issue I have AS or not or whatever naming my #1 FAULT it's I think differently than others. So what are your experiences with thinking differently?

My thoughts center around of how things work and 'really'hows does everything work in a physical way.

When flying in a plane I think of the avionics , the weight of the aircraft , the pounds of static thrust the turbofans produce. How the noise changes when the wing slats are engaged due to drag or when the gear drops the movement forward in my seat due to drag ;when on a 737 how the the control surfaces move in rapidly in an air pocket to stabilize the plane-while others are thinking of what will we do when we get there; or worried about the movie or the drinks or small talk and so on.
When as a early teenager I would watch the back of tv set quite often as I pondered how vacuum tubes work.
I was delighted when my grandfather gave me engineering manuals on vacuum tube electronics and when my dad bought me a an analog -volt- ohm meter for my 15th birthday.
Little by little I taught myself how to fix anything electronic on cars .
I've rebuilt two automobile engines myself from top to bottom and learned all there is to know from top to bottom even down to the technical concepts of internal combustion.
I taught myself refrigeration/ airconditioning work on home central air units and auto's. and am certified HVAC and MVAC in airconditioning and bought all the equipment and done side work too.

Whatever in this way captures my fancy and I want to learn it .
This bugs people and they say "oh thats impractical why waste your time that way".

My husband says I'm logical and I don't go for feelings. I am too logical. I have no idea when I am being logical.
But one example for that was:

We got something in the mail, it was asking for us to donate some money to the children's hospital and they even gave us return addresses and Christmas tag stickers for presents. They even had the baby picture and my husband asked me to write a $10 check. I said no because we have spent enough money this month (November) on bills. He showed me the baby who was bald and said "Look at this poor baby, they will die if we don't send them money." I said "Ten dollars isn't going to save them all" and he said "but it helps" and I said "other people do it" and he told me "this could be Jennifer, it could be our child" and I said "she's a doll" and he told me I was being too logical and I needed to have sympathy. I also told him they are showing that baby picture just to make us feel sorry and guilty so we send them money and that doesn't work with me. He told us they even sent us gift tags and return addresses as a thank you. I said that was a bribe. I still haven't written the check. He can if he wants to send them the money. We got paid today so I might write that check but why does he want me to do it? He can write checks.



I've also noticed with video games how lot of people go for graphics, the quality the gaming system has and how many games will be released for it. But with me, I only go for the games I like. If I like the game, I want the system. I don't care for quality or graphics or gaming selection. This is based on what I've read in magazines about video games and by talking to people. I'm not sure what kind of thinking I am doing, narrow perhaps while the rest are looking at the overall picture. I only focus on what games I like.

I would donate if I had the money. I try not to be obsessed with money but I am. At least it keeps me from spending spending spending. It makes me frugal. When my husband and I argue, it's usally over money.

I've donated a few cents before and a dollar and done toys for tots at The Dollar Tree. I've donated a dollar to Katrina back when it happened.

made my life better

I guess it is a major reason I am an Atheist. The notion of "God" is just an injection of human social reality (the thing we autistics have a problem with), onto physical reality, personifying it. It is nothing different than how people cuss at a malfunctioning device and accuse it of evil intentions (something that I always thought was ridiculous). IMO it gets in the way of real spirituality, real wonder and awe about reality and existence.

doh, as for the original post, lol... I do think differently, but only to some extent. I mean, I guess I figure everyone thinks differently about one thing or another, not everyone can possibly think ONE way about the exact same thing. It's just not possible with how many are out there.

I do find as far as social norms, what people expect of me and all, it does become a hindrance at times, because people get frustrated with me easily... and some really don't want to hear my opinion, lol. But for those who matter, when I share how I think about things, it usually turns into interesting discussion even if it just stems from a small comment and turns into something completely different.

It's hard for me to know how I think differently. For one thing, with six billion people in the world, and me having access to none of their thoughts, how would I know?

I do have the feeling that I "think differently" than others, but I don't know how to put that into words or really give it any meaning. During the phases of life when I was often required to spend time with people who I completely don't relate to (school, Air Force dorms, jobs, etc.), I suppose the effect was that it gave me a sense of isolation, and a sense of often being misunderstood.

I think the trick is to avoid allowing doofuses into your life. If you have an interesting thought, and verbalize it, and then the people around you go, "Dude/dudette, I want some of whatever you're smoking" or something like that, then it means they have no brain and should be avoided.