Aspie culture is needed why can't people see that.

Post Reply New Topic

Obviously there is a strong desire by some to have a common identity simply because we don't fit into mainstream society. But my point of why an aspie culture is needed goes beyond that. So before I start I need to mention my definition of culture.

Culture= learned patterns of behavior that are shared so people can adapt to an environment.

This definition is important because it highlights the main reason aspies are in such need of a shared culture and that is patterns of behavior. You name the issue from sensory integration, social customs, educational needs, etc, our patterns of behavior are very different from that of nts.

Also the definition highlights an important point is that culture when "shared" is an open ended concept with no right or wrong way of doing something, simply a way more common.

In closing I have to ask why don't people see it that simply?

As far as I'm concerned there already is a shared culture of sorts

Most/many? aspies like Star Trek and are gamers

I don't and for this reason feel alienated from the culture and have my own

we are generally individuals though and hence won't relate to a shared culture

many of us are also contrary and wouldn't want to be a member of any club that would have us

Are you trying to suggest some thing like gay culture because if so, remember most gay people are NT
and therefore far more affiliative than us

surely WP is a culture we share

I'd agree with this last part, however this doesn't get us many of the things we simply need.

Simply working generally creates a need for specific place for aspies to get together.

I personally don't need to get together with any aspies, WP works fine for me

Current Aspie culture seems to involve:

• Blaming others for our screw-ups
• Making snarky comments about NTs
• Complaining about how this website is set up
• Moaning about how life isn't worth living
• Expecting to be hired without appropriate skills
• An over-reaching sense of entitlement
• Seemingly endless debates on Fact vs. Faith
• Personal attacks on any who disagree with our point-of-view
• Assuming that every other Aspie's experiences are as miserable as our own

Is this the kind of culture that you mean?

Meh the problems that bind us at the moment, but that's at the current point, complaining is part of the process we all do it at the start, however I believe many simply would move on once there is a valid alternative.

I will admit I have seen some people with a strong sense of entitlement (like Aspie guys thinking they deserve to be in relationships and blaming women for their lack of success), but I also see quite a few people who express that they have been treated unfairly. I have seen at least one poster claim that wanting accommodations in school or work was an over-reaching sense of entitlement, but I am fairly certain that guy is wrong.

I also don't recall seeing a lot of complaining about expecting to be hired without appropriate skills. Of course, many of us have a lot of difficulty getting hired for jobs that we do have appropriate skills for.

To be fair, I don't know the specifics you're referring to.

Most people don't come here because they're in a good place, though. Many are here dealing with lifelong difficulties, so I wouldn't expect people to show up with a sunny disposition and lots of smiles.

So what kind of culture do Aspies currently have, and what kind of culture should Aspies embrace?

If you think it's something I could type out in less than a few hundred pages I don't think you quite get the concept, there are a thousand and one issues.

The primary basis is simply a culture that is open to the use and sharing of diverse coping methods that allow one to be productive in their day to day life. But thats a vast generalization.

Stoek, culture grows organically from the people involved in it. There have been attempts in the past - for example, the autism hub. Or going back to the 90s you also have autreat and autism network international, both of which are still active. More recent groups include ASAN (Autism Self-Advocacy Network). It is out there.

If it can not be explained in simple terms, then how do you expect people to embrace it?


Sort of an MMO Support Group, eh?

I've tried to share mine, but people keep pushing back with excuses as to why my productive coping methods would never work for them.

Of course, the one that seems to work best for me is "Adapt or Die", but that seems a little too harsh for some folks to follow.

I don't know if Aspie culture is possible. Aspie identity = yes, I fully embrace that. Culture is tricky because it involves a set of common values and beliefs. One set of such values/beliefs might have to do with autism politics and the pro-cure vs. anti-cure divide. Speaking for myself, I know I wouldn't fit into that because I advocate both sides a little bit, depending on how "cure" is defined and what aspects of the person are in question. I don't fit into groups in terms of anything; I've always been an independent thinker and often voice my opinion, but I don't expect group following because my opinions/values/beliefs aren't even fixed to begin with. I've never ascribed myself to any particular culture, and probably never will.

I think we should have a collective and support each other, but also promote flexibility, acceptance, and adjust ourselves to each other situationally. There can be a set of rules governing such a collective, but the nature of these rules would depend on its size and makeup and would vary from collective to collective. To me, the core values would be 1) as true of a democracy as possible and 2) maximum respect for difference, since we are all so diverse.

Hmm, are you sure it's just excuses?

I've read some great ideas here that when I try to implement them leave me a bit of a wreck. Other ideas that have helped a lot.

It occurs to me that both Fnord and Verdani have valid points, but it appears that they are limiting their viewpoint to WP.

Fnord appears, to me, to be right on several (not all) of his points IF one views WP as the whole of Aspie culture.

Verdani appears, to me, to be right about how/why people find WP, and explains (at least in part) why WP culture is what it is.

And that is, I think, why a lot of members here don't post much after they've been here for a while. WP is a FANTASTIC resource, but it is - to me - a point of first contact. How many times can one read a "Do I have it" post from someone who's just learned that AS describes them well? How many "I just got a DX and now my life sucks" posts can one reply to before sounding like a broken record? The internet is awfully big, and there's a LOT of positivity going on out there. That's part - a big part - of whatever Aspie culture there is.

I agree Fnord had several valid points. I did question on specifics (but he did not answer).

I think your interpretation of both posts is fairly accurate.

I've been here for a bit over two years now (closer to 2.5) and I'm still learning new stuff. Not sure when I'll get tired of the place.

Not entirely - there could be some valid reasons, as well; but when people are absolutely certain that my methods would never work for them without even trying them our first, I have to wonder if their "reasons" really are just excuses.


Isn't that the way our "culture" works?