Why "little professor"?

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When I graduated from the 8th year of school (because of the war I was in school only 5 of these years) I received with my grades a general judgment saying “some intelligence and a little conceit. Though not particularly gifted he might pursue classical studies”. I resented much this judgment and I kept the clip for many years. But for what I know now, I really had some traits of the “little professor” and I think that I still have some of these traits. By some self examination, I may say that it is for one reason: I would like to receive affection, rather than recognition of my intellectual superiority. In an odd way (I am mostly self taught) and in some field and having studied and read all my life I know and understand some things, but I would prefer a warm hug to intellectual recognition. But to do a traffic policeman (in cultural matters) is something within my reach, while affection is elusive for me.

Affection for good grades or other intellectual acts would be a very cool thing to happen. But reality...

Really?
I thought it was because of our obsessions?

The 'little professor' epithet, I've never really understood. Is it because aspies can have a narrow, intense focus on certain subjects? Or that they use 'mirroring' to interact with NT world, and I suppose children mirror adults/teachers? It's not something I was ever accused of at school. But I think teachers should take care in how they 'sum up' a character...like it's a final thing, and a person is 'fixed' and can't change and develop over time. That's the kind of thing that sticks in your mind long after it was written (and might not even be true. It's only one person's opinion)

I remember one of my teachers summed me up as 'tries hard but seems worried'. That was the only one that was accurate really.

"little professor" I can't remember - is that a quote from Hans Asperger or Tony Attwood??

“One of the standard quirks exhibited by Aspies is the ability to clear a room with lectures on their favorite subjects. If someone mentions, in a casual manner, a word or a concept that vaguely touches on the Aspie's specialization, then they and anyone near are likely to be inundated with a complete download of the Aspies' mental file on the subject. Many adult Aspies have learned in some measure to withhold these data or at least to attempt to gauge the actual interest of the listener before opening the floodgates. A Little Professor, on the other hand, lacking the necessary experience or ablility to care, will keep talking after the victim has left the room or latch onto the nearest warm body in order to continue the education. This means that a pet is often subject to the rest of the lecture.
Now, Little Professors are not always good at what they know, nor are they always knowledgeable about what they have memorized. Some of them are tinkerers and actually have hands-on experience with their favorite topic, while others merely repeat what they have heard or read. Not every Little Professor engages in research. Some extrapolate or fantasize from disparate elements to form the body of their exposition. The result, though, is not standard childish babble. There is a logic, form and thought process involved, to the point where a child can actually draw a flow chart that not only makes sense but could even half-convince a knowledgeable adult that they have been missing something.”

From some service of the BBC

To capture the other, to hold them. Power is a form of relationship. Intellectual power is probably the only way some Aspies have to get hold of the other. If the other asked an Aspie to get some white round little stones, the Aspie might disappear to find as many stones as he can. The Aspie is anxious to obtain approval and attention of the other.
This is also my experience. I often dream to keep a lecture about something, suppose “modularity”, one of my favorite subjects. For some time after I wake up I can remember long sentences I elaborated in dream to convince someone about the importance of modularity.

Hans Asperger

as opposed to the fenotype of the 'little professor',
the term 'little philosopher' would apply rather to aspie-girls

My nephew reminds me of a little professor. I think its adorable when goes on and on about his trains

'lectures' in both meanings:
- with 'teaching' intent (monologues)
- with 'corrective' intent (pedantically correcting others, including teachers)

Yep, last time i've been called that to my face was when i was 21 or something. I've toned down on throwing trivia into conversations, except where the trivia really matches the topic we're talking about (or someone mutters that they don't understand the why behind something; i kinda jump on those moments )

Right now the common response is "How do you know all that stuff" or even "How Can you know all that stuff". And i just shrug and say "I dunno, it just happened".

To the explanation of the “little professor” attitide of the Asperger people I tried to give, one other, which may be separate or combined to my theory of the control drive I exposed (!) might be added or substituted. When children start to talk they imitate strongly the way of talking of adults, they are learners, like pupils in school and they repeat non only the words but also the tones. So they want to please adults talking like them, haven’t yet appropriated a personal style, perhaps given also the felt weakness of their self. Being the self weaker in ASD people this might explain the fact that they maintain the professoral attitude of their teachers (parents or adults).

My kindergarten teacher referred to me as a "little professor" when she spoke with my parents. I was 4 and 5 years old at the time. Of course, that was during the 1968-69 school year and still too early to be identified as any sort of syndrome in the English-speaking world.

Probobly because the kid is really smart and goes around blurting out little facts, i sure did that when i was little.

heh, this is familiar. When I was a young kid... I was treated as a "gifted" student to take advanced courses, but as I got older, that panned out. My parents multiple times, suspected OCD or depression (although I don't ever remember feeling depressed, at least nothing beyond having the "blues"). They never really explored those options, because I don't think they felt I truly had any disorders, just occasionally, they would see me do something that may have seen "off" to them.

That's me. I was verbally precocious and didactic from an early age. My pop told me I was inoculated with a phonograph needle. I used to chew the ear off of other people. It took me a long time to realized that I was inflicting pain and bother on others and I learned to control it.

I still slip now and again and my Good Wife says to me -- Enough Data! Data was an Aspie. So was Spock. Also Andrew the positronic robot in -Bicentennial Man-.

ruveyn

Last edited by ruveyn on 04 Jan 2009, 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.