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Does this sound autistic?

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Does this sound autistic?
Yes I think so 38%  38%  [ 8 ]
No, I don't think so. There are NTs who could debate same topic for days 62%  62%  [ 13 ]
Total votes : 21

ensabah6
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07 May 2009, 1:42 am

Background, below is a quote of an individual describing his observations of another person.
I removed the names, though depending on the discussion I may identify the individuals.

"In the various disputes I had with.....what impressed me most was the incredible tenacity with which he would defend his point of view. There was almost invariably a tussle of several hours duration before his visitor either attained his object or retire empty handed....I have known no other man who has shown a staying power in discussion of this kind. And while the maximum amount of time involved in any dispute....would at worst be several hours....[one individual] often had to battle for days on end .... When ever these contests were in progress we would always ask..what 'round' they had reached."

"In addition [he] possessed an astonishingly retentive [photographic] memory. " His memory abilities astounded everyone.
He could look at a map or building once, and draw it out in the most exact detail, and quote from books and conversations he has had years prior. He loved to read and claimed to have read over 500 books in one period of his life. Ironically, he was a poor student.

"If he had to make a decision he did not like, he would procrastinate"

"If he was not making headway in his debate, he would change topics and cite from his retentive memory ...figures and amounts."



Last edited by ensabah6 on 07 May 2009, 11:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

sgrannel
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07 May 2009, 3:07 am

Extremes in tenacity and focus could be autistic-like. What was the topic?


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whipstitches
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07 May 2009, 9:07 am

I selected no mostly because I have encountered some NT folks that could argue and debate for EVER over stupid stuff like football or musical groups (just examples....). I am certain that arguing is not exclusive to being autistic. However, the bit about the photographic memory seems a bit odd in the sense that being both and arguer with intense focus on the debate as well as having a photographic memory sounds somewhat like an autistic "trait". I just don't think you can diagnose or draw a conclusion from a single example. Ya know?

Any other things this "person" has said that might add to the discussion?



ensabah6
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07 May 2009, 9:08 am

sgrannel wrote:
Extremes in tenacity and focus could be autistic-like. What was the topic?
\

Does the topic help decide between NT and autism?

For those who said no, how many NTs can debate the same topic for days on end?



ensabah6
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07 May 2009, 9:13 am

whipstitches wrote:
I selected no mostly because I have encountered some NT folks that could argue and debate for EVER over stupid stuff like football or musical groups (just examples....). I am certain that arguing is not exclusive to being autistic. However, the bit about the photographic memory seems a bit odd in the sense that being both and arguer with intense focus on the debate as well as having a photographic memory sounds somewhat like an autistic "trait". I just don't think you can diagnose or draw a conclusion from a single example. Ya know?

Any other things this "person" has said that might add to the discussion?


"If he had to make a decision he did not like, he would procrastinate"

"If he was not making headway in his debate, he would change topics and cite from his retentive memory ...figures and amounts."



Danielismyname
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07 May 2009, 9:31 am

Autistic would be someone who can't actually have a proper conversation with someone in the best of cases.



TPE2
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07 May 2009, 9:31 am

ensabah6 wrote:
For those who said no, how many NTs can debate the same topic for days on end?


In issues like politics, economics and philosophy, everybody (AS or NT) interested in these issues can debate a topic for YEARS.



whipstitches
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07 May 2009, 9:43 am

ensabah6 wrote:
whipstitches wrote:
I selected no mostly because I have encountered some NT folks that could argue and debate for EVER over stupid stuff like football or musical groups (just examples....). I am certain that arguing is not exclusive to being autistic. However, the bit about the photographic memory seems a bit odd in the sense that being both and arguer with intense focus on the debate as well as having a photographic memory sounds somewhat like an autistic "trait". I just don't think you can diagnose or draw a conclusion from a single example. Ya know?

Any other things this "person" has said that might add to the discussion?


"If he had to make a decision he did not like, he would procrastinate"

"If he was not making headway in his debate, he would change topics and cite from his retentive memory ...figures and amounts."


Oh yeah... That seems a little "different". Especially the part about citing from his memory to make headway in a debate that was maybe going "south".



ensabah6
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07 May 2009, 11:44 am

whipstitches wrote:


Oh yeah... That seems a little "different". Especially the part about citing from his memory to make headway in a debate that was maybe going "south".


There were a lot of things "different" about this guy.



whipstitches
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07 May 2009, 1:43 pm

How'd you meet this person? Are they a friend? Do they think they might be autistic?

Sorry to ask so many questions. I am just curious where you are going with this. Trying to help a friend? Stuff like that..... :)



ensabah6
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08 May 2009, 10:43 am

whipstitches wrote:
How'd you meet this person? Are they a friend? Do they think they might be autistic?

Sorry to ask so many questions. I am just curious where you are going with this. Trying to help a friend? Stuff like that..... :)


The author is Field Marshal Erich von Manstein. His book is Lost Victories. He spends an entire chapter and several instances of describing his boss quirks.

His boss -- Adolf Hitler. The passage I quoted comes from his book and describes his observations of Hitler.