No sense of belonging?

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I cannot feel a sense of belonging (to nation, family, friends, etc.). Maybe very little but I'm a hermit and I mostly want to be alone.

I heard that Einstein was like this too and that he might have been autistic. Is this an autistic thing?

Sounds like you're describing a trait of AvPD - Avoidant Personality Disorder.

Or schizoid personality, depending on whether or not the sense of belonging is desired.

From as far back as I can remember, I had always felt detached from everyone and everything and had become convinced (via my juvenile logic) I must have been adopted. During my 'teens, I occasionally saw a deceased hermit's cabin on a remote lake near the end of a forest road and believed living there would be idyllic...but again, that was just my juvenile logic seeking relief or "escape" from a world I did not understand. Even if I could have verbalized all of that to anyone back then (1950s and '60s), I doubt anyone would have understood or known what to do...and such has been my life as an Aspie who now understands himself and no longer feels compelled to be or to become anything other than whatever he actually is.

Frankly, I'm not even sure what exactly "a sense of belonging" even means, let alone what it feels like. Does belonging mean being in a group of like minded individuals? How like minded are we talking here? Does belonging mean having and fulfilling a specific role in a group? Does belonging mean feeling wanted and appreciated by those around you?

Personally, I've been in all of those situations multiple times, and still am, yet I don't really feel any different for it. Those around me certainly acted like I belonged, but that didn't really change how I felt about it. Therefore, I think that the question, "Do I belong?" might not be the right question to ask in the first place.

Iam fortunate that I belong to a Nation that no Longer exists, Prussia, so I do not have to face the reality that I would never have belonged anywhere and can pretend to myself that all the dead Prussians would have welcomed me as one of their own..

Though I did feel I belonged in the Children's Home I was in, which would be quite logical as it was a place for unwanted Children who didn't belong anywhere else.

I relate.

I definitely feel a sense of belonging with my family (and pets when I had them), and I definitely feel western, even if I'm at odds with it too. I feel I belong to the natural part of the world (wildlife, plants).
Beyond that I have no sense of belonging.

I only belong to my family (parents and siblings), who live overseas. Other than that, I'm totally alone. I'm an alien.

I can relate. I am a rock, I am an island. I am unattached. But I don't hate or fear people in general, I'm simply solitary by nature. A person who prefers his own company. I don't even desire a pet.

Its pretty understandable imo. when you consider just how different many of us are from normal people.

I mean when you dont even grasp the simple stuff like the simple communication. Its not hard hard to feel that way.

I mean i might as well live in the forrest besides goats or whatever. in fact i might enjoy animal company a lot more than humans, because what good is there being around people you have such a hard time understanding.

I can;t speak to whether this is or is not autism trait, i really don't know, but I can certainly relate to the feeling. There has always been this, sort of, distance, separation feeling between me and the world around me. It tends to link to my anxiety problems as well. When anxiety gets bad I start to derealize.

I don't feel like I truly belong anywhere, although I do try. I mainly try to join communities online, such as this one, but I never feel like I actually connect with people and end up leaving to stop myself from just annoying the community. Even in my friend group I feel like an extra and a burden. However this is probably my own fault as no-one has ever said this to me and people are generally accepting towards me. Also, I am not the easiest person to get along with, being very opinionated and I generally keep to myself and push others away.

A sense of belonging, as in feeling outcasted? Yes, I think this is a common this among aspies, as we are different to society and are often misunderstood. .

Love the humor in your signature line...

I tend to refer to the usual acts of grouping together as "tribal". People tend to form tribes. To an extent, WrongPlanet could be said to constitute a tribe as well. It is, however a "tribe" that one chooses rather than just blindly joins because it is a local "tribe" such as one organized around a school, a sports team, a favorite bar, ... .

I would say that Aspies and other Autistics are likely far less tribal than the general public. I really don't feel allegiance to groups unless I very consciously "joined" the "tribe".