Do you like being labeled an aspie?

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I'm confused by the OP's intent for the poll. Does OP want us to answer with OP's provided definition, or our own?

Also, is "label" a term that we personally use, or some sort of term imposed (presumably by medical/social authorities) on us if we've been formally DXed?

It does make a difference to how one answers the question.

Yes I do. I find the word cute. Autistic, no just no.

I wouldn´t mind. I´ve been labelled with so many odd things anyway.

I was not comfortable with the label of autistic but I am coming to terms with it because there are so many awesome people on the spectrum.
If someone asks or I initiate a conversation about aspergers or autism I will proudly explain that I am aspergers and what it means to me. I won't say I'm autistic unless they ask if it is the same thing and then I need to explain what the Autism Spectrum is.

Excellent post!

Very few people know about my Asperger's. My kids, my ex-husband, my parents. I told one friend about it, a few years back, and got it thrown back in my face. So I don't do that anymore. It's no one else's business, anyway.

This makes sense to me.

So far I have only told a few friends and close family and they have generally known nothing about Aspergers or autism--the dialog tends to be like this:

"... and then I read the books and the description seemed like my life story, so I went to get checked out and was diagnosed with Aspergers."
"Aspergers? What's that? What does that mean about you?"
"Well, it's a kind of high functioning autism. Autism is a spectrum and this is one part of it"
"It means I have some trouble understanding social communication--that's why I often duck out of parties---and I tend to get really passionately and deeply involved in a few subjects to the exclusion of most other things and it also is related to why I have trouble with time management and organization and cleaning out the garage."

So in those conversations, "aspergers" and "autism" always come together. I am fine with aspie.

I quite happily call myself autistic, even though its technically Aspergers that I have. My 6 year old Son has proper autism, so I tend to use the term autistic for myself as a way of saying I'm proud of him, and proud to be like him!

I'm fine with the use of Aspie as a term if that is what people want, though its not a word I would ever actually use - in real life or on forums. It's a bit of a daft sounding word to me, so I would feel silly using it.

Btw I didn't vote in the poll because it was too limiting in the range of available responses - I don't think in just black and white terms!

I don't mind that much. There are problems with the term, but there are problems with pretty much everything.

I wonder if this answer differs based on when in life the person learns.

I'm self-diagnosed and careful about who I tell the term to, since I'm just across the border on the spectrum and not all the traits show up. It's *lot* better than autistic, though.

Personally, when I figured out the diagnosis, it was very rewarding. It's like a whole bunch of questions were answered in my mind about my life growing up. I think that's why I'm more comfortable, although even then, I'm more comfortable with telling people specific traits (difficulty understanding social cues, very literal at times) because then they don't automatically think I have all the traits. If I'm in a situation where I'm not quite sure if something is literal or not, how I perceive social cues really isn't important. (Though I suppose it's all interconnected.)

But, if people put the pieces together after I tell them one thing that is relevant tot he situation at hand, I don't really mind.

I hate labels. For example, when one is labelled an aspie every minutiae is seen as aspie related. I have learned that when one boldly takes up the label proudly,you gain respect.
In Detroit (the 1960s) people used the term "pig" for police. The cops formed a band called "the blue pigs".
Another example? In high school I told everyone"I'm a nerd! Wanna fight about it?" Amazingly I was popular. Say it LOUD I'm aspie and proud!

I agree with preferring to avoid being labeled. Unfortunately that's the only way some NTs know how to relate to new people.

At work I use the term "nerd" as a euphemism for "Aspie", not that I'm the least bit ashamed of my AS, but it's the easiest frame of reference for people who are unfamiliar with AS in general or Aspies in particular.