Tangentiel/non-linear conversation

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When I was younger (and yes, I still do it today) in conversation, I would sometimes latch onto a seconbdary subject of the main conversation, or "go off at a tangent" as my mother put it-much to her frustration. Something else I used to do (and still do, but far less freqyuently) is to suddenly return to a topic that was being talked about minutes, hours, or even days ago.
A further thing that I can do is get so excited about a subject (usually one of my obsessions/specialist subjects) and get so excited that I try to say all the words at once, the net result being ten seconds of technogobbeldegook, followed by silence. It's almist like all the words have got stuck in my throat all tangled up together.

Does anyone else here do any of these things? Could it be an aspie thing?

JulieArticuno

Linear time is LIE. Cubic time is TRUTH, you are EDUCATED STUPID, SEE BEYOND. I HAVE IRREFUTABLE PROOF. FOUR SIMULTANOUS DAYS IN ONE ROTATION OF EARTH, EACH QUADRANT OF EARTH. Man is personified pyramid, 1 corner of time cube, 1 24 hr day. 1/4th of a person. pyramid * 6 equals star of david = the BALANCE = 11:11 = equilibrium in timeSpace. Four 24 hr days, simultaneously, equals 11:11 - 11:11 = natural balance. 6/11 = 11\9

_ _ _
_| |__| |__| |__...LIE!

THE TRUTH IS CUBIC TIME:
_____
sunup | | midday
| |
midnight |_____| sundown

Picked last options. Go on endless crazy tangents and usually get back on track much later. Its usually on a technical natural. My sister has a master degree in math with and emphsis on computer science. My Brother-in-law has a BS in computer science and a BS forenics science (basically a degree in chemistry). I have 3 years of college
were I took 90% math & science(one reason i never finished college is i was able to
con my addviser in to not making me take many non math or science classes). So basically you can image the kind of converstaion that might tkae place. If any NT listen in the would think NERDS! NERDS! NERDS!

These should be a third option on there- "I do all three." for some reason it did not show up. If you do all three, please say so.

JulieArticuno

YEP, this IS an aspie thing, and ANOTHER wierd thing I do!

I will OFTEN go off on tangental conversation. It seems to be rarely appreciated so I now tone it down somewhat.

Besides, I am a programmer/consultant. I can't very well tell them everything, now can I. 8-/

I would go back to old conversations even years later because I wasn't allowed to finish, or thought of something. Even up to HIGHSCHOOL I did it all the time. People think it is wierd though, so I try to avoid it after an hour or so(it depends on things). Even NOW though, I may go back to it at the first opportunity!

I don't really know why it is considered odd. A person may ask a question, and I will give them some history, etc... I might start to talk about related things. That MIGHT start to get a little involved. Then they might say "STEVE, I just want a yes/no answer!"! Hey, maybe there ISN'T one! They may say something that sounds innocent, and the next morning I review things(I guess that is ANOTHER aspie trait), and realize that they misunderstood something earlier, and they have no understanding of what was said. EARLIER, I would correct it that morning. NOW, I often wait for the mistake, and tell them where they messed up, or I do it myself if possible.

Steve

Well, I'm here to tell ya it doesn't get any better as you age. I'll listen to people, and my mind is racing ahead of what they're saying, usually to a funny come-back. I find most conversation boring, and if it's interesting, I get sparked with similarities to something else, and end up explaining my metaphors.

I do the first two. I'm never struck dumb by excitement, that keeps me on the conversational track, so to speak. Boredom sometimes sends me off at a tangent but I try to hide it now otherwise I come across as rude, hijacking the conversation.
Sometimes I 'kill' a conversation by saying something that seems relevant to me, but no-one else can see the relevance. I hate it when that happens. It's embarrassing. The silence is deafening!

I spot things in conversation that could easily become tangents, but I can usally stay on what is the main line of the converation from the other person's point of view. Introducing the odd tangential connection can be useful or fun, though.

It can stun people when you are thinking at a different depth, or in very different direction from a conventional flow.

I chose the 'I do two of these' option, because I go off on verbal tangents, but then also discuss things from hours/days ago too. I do the second one more often than the first one.

I probably dabble on all 3.. I sometimes bring old stuff back up because I've had time to process it and form an answer

I am the Queen of Tangent, some people call me random house.

I do the first 2 quite a lot

Here's a little about me:

I do indeed go off on a tangent in conversations. Both my sister and partner have noticed this. When challenged, I usually end up explaining this with some convoluted relation. You know "I was talking about tomatos which are red, and I remembered this time that I cut my finger..." that kind of thing.

Sometimes I also go back to subjects discussed previously, butI make it clear to the other party how it is related to the current conversation - I guess this is some form of conditioning, because when I was yonger, I must have been told by people that I was confusing them. So what I'm saying is, I can usually bring up past conversations smoothly (mostly).

I'm not sure what you mean by dumb. Do you mean cannot talk? or at a loss for words (like loss of mental function?) I work in computer software, and when I find a major defect / design flaw / bug, some times I get so giddy that I just cannot talk for upto 5 mins sometimes. I'm just glad that I work with very nice people and a few other probable aspies, so I'm pretty much accepted - when I'm sitting there giggling to myself as I do things that the programmers never intended to be possible.