Defeatism, or "Learned Helplessness".

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I think my EF is affected a lot by different factors. Fatigue, loss of energy, anxiety, and neurological assault all play a roll for me.

There are some autistic people who don't have difficulty in "executive function" at all.

Autism is a complex neurobehavioral condition that includes impairments in social interaction and developmental language and communication skills combined with rigid, repetitive behaviors. Because of the range of symptoms, this condition is now called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It covers a large spectrum of symptoms, skills, and levels of impairment. ASD ranges in severity from a handicap that somewhat limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability that may require institutional care.

From: Autism WebMD Medical Reference


This definition, with slight variations, is contained within the abstract of most, if not all, of studies pertaining to autism.

My guess is that the kind of Autistics that do not have EF issues are the kind of Autistics who are able to successfully keep jobs.

I have "executive functioning difficulties," yet I still keep a job.

Though I have never been promoted, despite having great knowledge of my job.

It is thought that I don't have "leadership ability."

The ability to be a "leader" is a hallmark of somebody with excellent "executive function."

Executive disfunction is something completely different from learned helplessness.
Executive disfunction is an inability to... do things the right way. When I put crayons into a dishwasher and flour to a fridge, when I don't notice green light and a train leaves before I realize I should have boarded it - that I interpret as executive disfunction. It gets much worse with sleep deprivation.
Learned helplessness is being very unhappy with one's situation not even trying to change it.

Completely different phenomenons.

Absolutely true. They are not related directly.

Though, indirectly, "executive dysfunction" could lead to a sense of "defeatism."

Then again, many things could lead to a sense of "defeatism."

I suppose any disability can.
Denying disability won't help improve attitude.

You can be "able" in many things--even while you are "disabled."

Being "disabled" is not a death sentence.

Executive functioning is the process of making decisions and prioritizing.

Yep.

I suck in both sometimes.

It has led to some pretty bad outcomes in my life.

Wikipedia claims it's selecting and successfully monitoring behaviors that facilitate the attainment of chosen goals.
It may involve decision making but it's not the same - decisions may be quite abstract, EF is about behaviors successfully leading to some goal.

EF probably involves more the "concrete" realm than the "abstract" realm

Though, good EF could be essential in being a proper theory-creator, too. You have to have all you senses in order to formulate logical theories.

Executive function is impaired in addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and a number of other central nervous system disorders -- it is not specifically related to only autism spectrum disorders.

That's true. It's not only autism.

Executive dysfunction is a symptom (e.g., not a diagnosis) that may signal a host of mental health or neurological conditions.  Some common causes of executive dysfunction include:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) and other developmental disabilities
• Dementia (i.e., Alzheimer’s, fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia, et cetera)
• Depression
• Drug addiction
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Schizophrenia
• Traumatic brain injuries, tumors, and other forms of brain damage. Imaging scans suggest damage to the basal ganglia and/or frontal cortex often affects executive functioning

Executive dysfunctioning can also be context dependent -- distraction, exhaustion, boredom, and stress can all undermine executive functioning.  Thus, executive dysfunction does not necessarily arise from neurological damage or alterations to the brain's 'wiring'.