Abstract thinking

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Is abstract thinking problem in the AS?

yes, i think concrete thinking is more typical with As.

"...while individuals with Asperger's are often said to have difficulty in abstract things (see Perner, 2001 for a discussion), we are said to intellectualize our feelings excessively. What is a greater manifestation of abstraction? (And how else could one hope to understand such things anyway!?)"
-IF I’D THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW: WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE WITH ASPERGER’S SYNDROME-- AND WHAT STILL ELUDES ME
Presented at the annual meeting of the Autism Society of America
Indianapolis, Indiana, July 17-21, 2002
Lars Perner, Ph.D.
http://www.aspergerssyndrome.org/index.html

Err, the question's too abstract for me to handle?

Could I please have a concrete example of an abstract thing? Or thinking?

There's always Platonic idealism, but that's being abstract may depend on a philosophical decision on whether these ideals have existence beyond the concept.

Is fashion an abstract concept? I can handle it in the abstract, noting it's emergence and continued influence in the rituals of tribalism, and in courting and competitive display.

In the concrete it's a pain that I can barely be bothered with.

I don't see why.
I've never had any problems with it.
I have had trouble understaning idioms the first time I hear them, but that's not really the same thing as being unable to reduce the information content of a concept.
Often I interpret things literally just to amuse my friends, who generally don't think that way, and in order to make them see how ridiculous their thought patterns can sometimes be.

Can someone please elaborate the meanings of concrete and abstract thinking and the differences between each other?

Concrete thinking would be thinking that “concrete thinking” was thinking about the relative merits of different uses for concrete. Abstract thinking would be thinking that “concrete thinking” was a metaphor for thinking that was literal.

concrete thinking
n.
Thinking characterized by a predominance of actual objects and events and the absence of concepts and generalizations.

abstract thinking
n.
Thinking characterized by the ability to use concepts and to make and understand generalizations, such as of the properties or pattern shared by a variety of specific items or events.

I am a concrete thinker but I am very good at it. I seldom generalize.

In philosophical terminology, abstraction is the thought process wherein ideas are distanced from objects.


So when the iraq war was on, and they spoke about "collateral damage" (people being murdered), many aspies would have problems forgetting what "collateral damage" really was. Nts can distance themselves and actually forget what the concept means. Pretty sad way of living if you ask me.



I'd much rather keep all my definitions down to basics, I don't like to generalise. It's our strength anyway, we understand concepts from the root up, it's what makes logic so easy for us imo.

I am highly abstract and can mix and merge things on planes that other people just cant think.

I have had to explain a concept to someone over 10 times, each time having to dumb down the sheer hard thought needed to understand.

My aspie ex was really good at abstract thinking. He scored in the top 2% of the population for abstract thinking on an IQ test. He could organize concepts in his head and come out with amazingly insightful explanations for human behavior and social or political events. And he could do it so fast it was like watching a lightening bolt. And then he would laugh and his eyes would light up. This would drive alot of people, particularly our relatives, insane. The maddening part was that he could hear and repeat and rearrange the concepts but did not understand the emotive content of the concepts. He couldn't show any real compassion so it was all pointless.

I can imagine that if my ex was able to feel or show emotions in the way that normals or even less detached aspies have emotions about concepts he wouldn't be able to make these very quick and brilliant analysis' because his "calculations" would be slowed down by the work that needed to be done in order deal with his own or other people's feelings.

Last edited by anandamide on 02 Sep 2006, 10:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

Uh, I think I think both ways. No idea. I know that the fact that I knew the word "abstract" freaked out my kindergarten teacher.

I have more difficulty grasping other's abstractions and symbolic use than my own at first. I have no problems with stretching my mind. It's just that I tend to more often interpret words or sayings more concretely initially-- unless of course I am familiar with the turn of phrase. So I am more prone to first turn to the concrete before the symbolic.

But as far as understanding the leaps of symbolism, no, no problems here.

I use money as an example. I cannot avoid thinking of money in concrete terms like hard cash, food on the table, land and material possessions. But economists are for more abstract. They think of it in terms of GDP interest rates and dividends, negative gearing, options and swaptions etc; often use jargon that goes way above my head.

Paul

My thinking is Simpley Red.

I tend to over abstractize.