"Aspies do not have a sense of humor"

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Case against autism

Oliver Sacks says that claims that Einstein or Newton had autism "seem very thin at best".[9] Glen Elliott, a psychiatrist at the University of California at San Francisco, is unconvinced that either scientist had Asperger syndrome. "One can imagine geniuses who are socially inept and yet not remotely autistic. Impatience with the intellectual slowness of others, narcissism and passion for one's mission in life might combine to make such an individuals isolative and difficult." Elliott added that Einstein had a good sense of humor, a trait that is believed uncommon in people with severe Asperger syndrome.[41]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein,_ ... and_Autism

I have a great sense of humor.

Not much of a case against autism, none really to my mind; at best, an argument that two individuals of whom it is -speculated- that they may have been on the spectrum may not have been.

Being socially inept and not understanding interpersonal strata does not correlate to a lacking sense of humor.


M.

I have a great sense of humor as well. But I am slightly blind to some comedy. I take things extremely literally and sometimes I'll have to have someone explain a joke to me or look at it again to catch it. But once it's explained, I'll laugh. It's just a very narrow window that I miss, like being colorblind to a single color.

For example, I recently read an article about aspergers where they were discussing the difference between aspergers and high functioning autism. It went on to quote some doctor as saying, "there is one important difference, the spelling". So I thought, "aspergers are better at spelling than high functioning autistics? Well that makes sense, Im good at spelling, hmm". I had a sense I misread it so I looked at it again and started laughing.

"no sense of humour" is just as much a myth as "super savant skills" when it comes to AS, I think it's pretty evident on this forum and IIRC Tony Atwood agrees with this.

Pfft. What do psychiatrists know about humour? The second they enter that profession* all humour departs from their being like a swarm of rats scurrying out of a building that's in a state of mid-collapse. There are only two natural phenomena powerful enough to annihilate all laughter as we know it: one is the swirling vortex of a black hole, the other is the smoking crater of a psychiatrists psyche. That desolate void holds more destructive power than any mortal man could ever comprehend and it's been entrusted to psychiatrists of all people, like some sort of sick joke.

I'm outraged.

Now you listen here Glen, you're nothing but a charlatan and if I weren't such a forgiving, noble, good looking and not to mention modest specimen of a man I'd seek you out and slap you 'round the chops with my rama-lama-ding-dong faster than you could shout Sigmund Freud. Now be gone, you dreadful, dreadful man.

* I use the term 'profession' VERY loosely here. Very loosely indeed...

Haha yep, we don't have any sense of humor, whatsoever.
As soon as I get home, I get out a piece of paper, a pencil and start writing math equations, until I feel tired. I then wake up in the morning, go to school, get home and repeat the cycle.

No humor here.

My mum thinks i'm funny

well my sense of humor might be *unconventional* to some (meme-spewing contests [inb4 cancer/new[]] and laughing at some obscure *chan joke may not be too good with normal[], but i do have one)

As most here will agree---the notion that Aspies have no sense of humor is a myth. I am a diagnosed Aspie and even though I have trouble understanding jokes and irony, I can dish it out---some claim it's dry humor, but...it's pretty good.

I love Monty Python, Bean, Keeping up Appearances, Are You Being Served, Benny Hill, The Three Stooges, W.C. Fields, etc. I also love the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest/Eugene Levy like A Mighty Wind. I also loved The Long Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi, and What about Bob with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus.

Yes...we with Asperger's can have a sense of humor...saying we don't is pure myth. Gee...I know some NTs that have no sense of humor---and they're still NTs.

Here is a link for you:

http://www.trusera.com/health/stories/w ... -and-humor

Maybe people think we don't have a sense of humor because, and I'm just speaking for me here, I know I personally don't laugh at inane BS like jokes at others' expense. I have a really good, biting, sarcastic sense of humor and have been called very witty and clever.

Myth.

I have a sense of humor. It's somewhat dark and macabre, but it's there.

Yes!! !
I don't get it when people laugh at people falling off of skateboards and smashing there face. I just say "Why the hell do you find this funny?".
and another thing, in all my classes, whenever a kid makes a fart noise(And I am in Gr 9), people burst out laughing. Its really stupid.

I am near the severe end of the autism spectrum, and most places where I give my presentations like my jokes. I understand most jokes very well, but I don't laugh at the stupid stuff.

I think that just the way Aspies are wired lends itself nicely to a unique sense of humor that is both sharp and honest.

Pfft - Einstein's sense of humour probably grew from his AS view on life...

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
"In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."
"A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

Albert Einstein