neurotypicals appreciate simple pleasures in life better?

Post Reply New Topic

neurotypicals appreciate simple pleasures in life better than us aspies ?

How would I know? I'm not them.

Normal people have one guiding principle in life: What will others think? It is normal to do that which society celebrates and to avoid that which society shuns. The aspie, on the other hand, has the ability to ask whether something is good or bad, right or wrong, if we allow ourselves to.

Doesn't it depend on what age, culture, upbringing, background, gender, etc etc?

I like both the .gif and the "I'm not them" answer. I can't say whether NT people can enjoy simple pleasures better becasue I don't know everyone and I can't really define a pleasure for everyone, NT or not.

I can tell you, that I can enjoy very simple things that are pleasureful for me...like sucking on a piece of dark chocolate or looking at the stars at night...for me, most of those pleasures are sensory related.

simple things appeal to simple minds

I thought it was me who was the one who enjoyed simple pleasure. I enjoy getting on the bus, I look forward to the journey and just listening to my music. Most NTs I know look forward to things like going out socialising, spending time with mates, going on holidays, etc. Actually, I do look forward to going on holiday - I love going on holiday. But I'm sure all normal people looking forward to/enjoy going on holiday - don't say NTs don't, because every NT I know does.

Not sure what to make of this.....I enjoy simple things in life a lot more as I get older. To me I enjoy going on saturdays and sundays to get coffee and a bagel...simple things like that make me happy in life...what can I say?

unanswerable question because:

1)Different people have different levels of enjoyment of various things regardless of neurology excepting those with anhedonia. Anhedonia is found both on and off the autism spectrum. Autism or the lack of it is not relevent to enjoyment. Anhedonia is.

2)The same person can have different levels of enjoyment at different times in their life.

3)"The simple pleasures" is a vague category and too large to be meaningful. Lots of people will enjoy something that they personally lable "a simple pleasure" but that other people think does not belong in that category. Lots of people enjoy some of the things from this overly large category but not others, landing them both inside and outside of "enjoying simple pleasures".

From observation, the stereotypical NT tends to enjoy expensive stuff

the more expensive the hobby object or occupation, the better....

Admitting you want to spend time studying or working or doing without any monetary reward, or obvious gain can seem as bizarre to an NT - from my experience, you have to explain why...

I think everyone can appreciate simple pleasures in life, my feeling is that NTs are barred often from doing just this, whatever these things can be, due to following pressures from others to behave "normally"....

So I would say no, NTs don't appreciate simple pleasures any more than aspies can..

I don't know, though I would believe that people's abilities to enjoy the little things has a lot to do with what kinds of stresses their under. Clearly if the weight of inadequacy or constant criticism of their fundamental value is crushing down on them it would be difficult to relax to that degree - and there are both plenty of AS and myriad NT reasons to be in a hard situation like that.

I had an online argument with a load of NTs, simply because my family and I enjoy the simple things rather than the expensive. The thread was about children's parties. My take on them is that they are getting out of hand and there are just too many. There are 31 kids in my daughter's class and invitations tend to go to the whole class. She doesn't go to them all. We'd much rather spend Saturday afternoons in a country park or at a museum with kids' activities (free and fun and for the whole family to enjoy). I was informed that I was selfish for wanting to deny my daughter an experience she would remember forever . I've never heard her speak about any party she has been too - I'm sure none have made any impression on her. But, she often speaks about the day she went on the huge slide or when we went to the science festival at the uni or any number of things that we've done together.

I enjoy simple pleasures more than the NTs in my family.

I enjoy simple pleasures. Cat-petting is one of the best.