being realistic about life

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I am looking for work, and my mom and I were just discussing jobs. I was in school to get MA in teaching ESL, but I could no longer stand the program. In fact, I am so tired I don't want to do any teaching (even if it's private) for a while. I'd like an office job. My mom started saying that I haven't been in an office environment for a long time and may not be able to manage it. I know I often picture things in ways that are totally unrealistic. In other words, I don't know what certain things/situations in life are really like and picture them completely differently from what they wind up being like. Is this something related to Aspergers?

Yeah, it's part of the whole 'Theory of Mind' thing, I think. We're just not good at picturing how other people see a situation, or predicting how they will behave.

OTOH, I don't think you can know whether an office environment will work for you until you try it. It probably depends on the office.

If it's a small, intimate place and the other staff accept you, you could do fine, NP.

If it's a larger, corporate hive, there will be a lot of interpersonal politics and without sophisticated social skills, you might have a target on your back from day 1.

It's nothing to do with Aspergers, everyone envisions situations one way when they could be another. Starting a brand new job is scary, you hope and prey you enjoy it and get on well with the people you work with.
Aspergers kicks in when you are having trouble doing simple tasks that are second nature to other people.

With an office job you would be working in a team and there would always be deadlines to meet. Ask yourself if you are good at managing under pressure?

The hard part will be getting the job first. I am unemployed as well; from redundancy. Been looking for 18 months.

As with most any "disability", most normal people have the "symptoms" to a degree that is nearly noticeable. The reason why something rises to the level of a "disability" is when the "normal symptoms" have become so pronounced that they adversely affect a person's life.
A ship may often and normally bump a dock but hitting the dock at full speed is not normal, nor are the consequences.

Sorry, Phoenix, I didn't understand your point.

Someone, a few weeks ago, mentioned a theory called "encapsulation." The idea said a child unable to communicate properly and unable to learn social mores and skills will create an interior world and invent reasons for things happening the way they do. This, we were told, was especially true of aspies. This is certainly true for me and many others.

Is the above applicable to the average NT? No. Although every NT (and everyone else also) sees the world through slightly differently colored glasses (interpretations) the NT is constantly in touch with the NT World which then reinforces their NT-ness and keeps them "members-in-good-standing" with the rest of NT society. The aspie can not do this, hence accentuating our differences.

Hope you find that job soon.

denny