Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

Do Germans have Asperger's Syndrome?

Page 1 of 7 [ 99 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 7  Next

Previous topic | Next topic

AnonymissMadchen
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: Fredericksburg

10 Nov 2010, 9:21 am

I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.


_________________
Aly


leejosepho
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 9,011
Location: 200 miles south of Little Rock

10 Nov 2010, 9:24 am

I have some German ancestry, and I am definitely a "tinker" with a fixation for machines and how (to make) things work.


_________________
I began looking for someone like me when I was five ...
My search ended at 59 ... right here on WrongPlanet.
==================================


Last edited by leejosepho on 10 Nov 2010, 9:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

Chronos
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Apr 2010
Age: 45
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,698

10 Nov 2010, 9:25 am

AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.


It's curious how amongst such a relatively small population such a significant enough portion of children would be noticed as being a bit "off" by Hans Asperger in such a similar way.

However I maintain most "off" Germans just suffer from some inherited form of PTSD from WWII.



Last edited by Chronos on 10 Nov 2010, 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Nov 2010, 9:44 am

AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein was jewish, not german. I am sure there are some folks in Germany with autism, but just because someone is interested in machines and the culture frowns on showing emotion (so the kids are raised to be calm and practical, rather than emotional) doesn't mean they are autistic. It's the other components of autism that make one autistic - like the trouble we have with personal relationships, networking, making friends, difficulty coming up with the banter and "small talk" crucial for putting other people at ease and flirting.
It is not clear if germans as a people have trouble doing this.



DemonAbyss10
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Aug 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,492
Location: The Poconos, Pennsylvania

10 Nov 2010, 9:56 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein was jewish, not german. I am sure there are some folks in Germany with autism, but just because someone is interested in machines and the culture frowns on showing emotion (so the kids are raised to be calm and practical, rather than emotional) doesn't mean they are autistic. It's the other components of autism that make one autistic - like the trouble we have with personal relationships, networking, making friends, difficulty coming up with the banter and "small talk" crucial for putting other people at ease and flirting.
It is not clear if germans as a people have trouble doing this.


yeah, if the myers briggs is anything to go by, the cultural personality would be either ISTP or INTJ

I know one stereotype relating to this, that germans are a bunch of cranky asses. It is completely false.


of course I do have a bias on my side, since I am mostly german, have lived in northern germany, and pennsylvania has a very much german Identity, with a bunch of irish, italian, and eastern europe thrown into the mix.


_________________
Myers Brigg - ISTP
Socionics - ISTx
Enneagram - 6w5

Yes, I do have a DeviantArt, it is at.... http://demonabyss10.deviantart.com/


AnonymissMadchen
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 51
Location: Fredericksburg

10 Nov 2010, 10:01 am

Quote:
Einstein was jewish, not german.


Are you trying to say that Jews can't be German?


_________________
Aly


ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Nov 2010, 10:05 am

Jews didn't want to be Germans. They wanted to keep their identity as Jews.



dreamwalker
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 83
Location: Germany

10 Nov 2010, 10:05 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein was jewish, not german. I am sure there are some folks in Germany with autism, but just because someone is interested in machines and the culture frowns on showing emotion (so the kids are raised to be calm and practical, rather than emotional) doesn't mean they are autistic. It's the other components of autism that make one autistic - like the trouble we have with personal relationships, networking, making friends, difficulty coming up with the banter and "small talk" crucial for putting other people at ease and flirting.
It is not clear if germans as a people have trouble doing this.


I don't think that the way Germans raise their children differs that considerably from other similar countries. And to think they're not that "emotional"... most of the people I know are. And I am German.

@AnonymissMadchen (is "Madchen" supposed to be German...?)
There are ca. 82mio people living in Germany. You seriously want to suggest that all of them have Aspergers...? Or at least that they're all that similar to each other?
And you make that assumption because of the stereotypes you've heard?
:roll: :roll: :roll:
That's like saying "all americans are shopaholics". Well, I've heard they spend a lot of money, so they must be like that, right?

...

Anyway, the German industry has a little trouble right now... Not enough young people that want to become ingenieurs. Looks like many Germans don't like that fiddeling with machines that much after all...

Edit:
ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
Jews didn't want to be Germans. They wanted to keep their identity as Jews.


Most Jews thought that they were German, since they had lived quite long in that country. Actually, exactly this thought it the reason why so many Jews died. They didn't migrate to other countries because they couldn't understand why all of the sudden they weren't proper "Germans" anymore. So they stayed... and at one point it was too late.
Now, after WWII of course many Jews have trouble with Germany... which is understandable. But before it wasn't like that.



Last edited by dreamwalker on 10 Nov 2010, 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Nov 2010, 10:07 am

It could just be a stereotype, Dreamwalker. Culture does influence the way a group of people behave, though.



young_god
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 23 Jun 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 93

10 Nov 2010, 10:16 am

AnonymissMadchen wrote:
Quote:
Einstein was jewish, not german.


Are you trying to say that Jews can't be German?


Are you trying to say that Germans can't not be autistic?

;-)



dreamwalker
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 83
Location: Germany

10 Nov 2010, 10:21 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
It could just be a stereotype, Dreamwalker. Culture does influence the way a group of people behave, though.

Of course there are some cultural differences. But, firstly, they are not that strong - at least not in the western cultures - and secondly, to assume that a whole, rather big population has one certain disorder is... naive.

If you compare two groups of people that you selected according to one trait and compare them with each other, usually you have some slight differences that are mesurable.
But the differences of the individuals within these groups are much, much bigger than the differences between the groups.



sinsboldly
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 13,488
Location: Bandon-by-the-Sea, Oregon

10 Nov 2010, 10:33 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein was jewish, not german. .
c

So, Einstein can't be a German Jew? Does being Jewish somehow keep you from being an American, or a Australian or a German? Does being a Christian keep you from being French or Israeli?

Merle


_________________
Alis volat propriis
State Motto of Oregon


ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Nov 2010, 10:36 am

sinsboldly wrote:
ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.

Einstein was jewish, not german. .
c

So, Einstein can't be a German Jew? Does being Jewish somehow keep you from being an American, or a Australian or a German? Does being a Christian keep you from being French or Israeli?

Merle

Nowadays they can, but in Einstein's day, the world was different. There wasn't as much multiculturalism. People were more identity/nation oriented than they are today. A lot of times Jews were persecuted in European countries so they weren't interested in assuming their identities, but wanted to keep their own and have a country where they would have more representation.



dreamwalker
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 83
Location: Germany

10 Nov 2010, 10:39 am

ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
sinsboldly wrote:
So, Einstein can't be a German Jew? Does being Jewish somehow keep you from being an American, or a Australian or a German? Does being a Christian keep you from being French or Israeli?

Merle

Nowadays they can, but in Einstein's day, the world was different. There wasn't as much multiculturalism. People were more identity/nation oriented than they are today.


I'm pretty sure that Einstein thought he was German (heck, even his name is more than definitely German), until he was told that he wasn't.
Please see my post 5 posts above.



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,265

10 Nov 2010, 10:43 am

dreamwalker wrote:
ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo wrote:
sinsboldly wrote:
So, Einstein can't be a German Jew? Does being Jewish somehow keep you from being an American, or a Australian or a German? Does being a Christian keep you from being French or Israeli?

Merle

Nowadays they can, but in Einstein's day, the world was different. There wasn't as much multiculturalism. People were more identity/nation oriented than they are today.


I'm pretty sure that Einstein thought he was German (heck, even his name is more than definitely German), until he was told that he wasn't.
Please see my post 5 posts above.

His name was German because of an Austro-Hungarian law requiring everyone to have a surname. It doesn't have much to do with ethnic and cultural identity, just something else foisted upon them by the state. I bet if Einstein were around today, he would identify with Jews and not Germans.



Kaspie
Blue Jay
Blue Jay

User avatar

Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 76
Location: Colorado

10 Nov 2010, 10:48 am

AnonymissMadchen wrote:
I've been wondering if Germans have Asperger's Syndrome since they have always seemed to have a fixation for machines and how to make things work. I've also heard that they don't usually show emotion. There have also been a lot of scientists, such as Einstein, who were from Germany and also had Asperger's Syndrome.


That's an interesting question. My great-grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Germany, and I'm half German, half Swiss.

I wonder if there are some ancestries more likely to have AS?


_________________
"Never ask the moon to brighten your day." ~ Anna & Ellie Sherise

157/200 Aspie -- 41/200 NT