Autistics have enlightened perception

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I think it's not really a question of enlightenment, more of perception and the differences in how autistic minds and neurotypical minds perceive the world around them. I also think it's not really a question of how autistic and neurotypical minds differ on a genetic or developmental level, but on what experiences we've had.

I find that a lot of people on the autistic spectrum tend to be more open-minded and accepting of the failings of others than their neurotypical peers. Now when I say a lot of people, I mean a demographic majority; there are just as many Aspies out there that can be as cruel and vindictive as NT's, just as there are many NT's out there that can be as compassionate and accepting as Aspies. I tend to draw a correlation based on my personal experiences growing up, as well as those of my friends. For me, having friends my age that actually accepted me for who I was was NOT a given, as anyone with Asperger's or autism will probably agree with. I was shunned, scorned, and bullied most of my childhood. There were two ideals that I derived from that. The first, earlier in my life, was that most people were not your friend, and that you shouldn't trust anyone unless they gave you a reason to trust them. Thankfully, time and maturity have pretty much changed that to it's logical converse: instead of "DO NOT trust someone unless they give you a reason TO trust them", it's now "DO trust someone unless they give you a reason NOT TO trust them."

My second ideal was that a friend is a friend, regardless of who they are. This has been the ideal that I have kept throughout high school into college, and it is an ideal I embrace today. If someone is willing to be your friend, then you should accept them, regardless of their race, nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. This has also given way to my views on tolerance. I have friends who are Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim. I treat my male and female friends the same way (with the exception of my girlfriend, I treat her slightly better than the rest of my friend because we have a romantic relationship, whereas all of my other male and female friends are platonic friends. However, that doesn't mean I don't treat my friends with respect; I just treat my GF with a bit more than usual because I love her in a romantic sense and I want her to feel special to me, since she makes me feel special to her). I have a friend who is bi-sexual and a friend who is a lesbian, the two are currently in a relationship and it's not uncommon for me to witness public displays of affection between the two when I'm over at their house for RPG night. I pay it no mind because to me it's no different than if a guy and a girl were hugging or kissing in public. I have friends from all over the US and abroad, and I have some friends that grew up in the city (like the bi girl I mentioned above, she hails from Las Vegas, or like my cousin who is very much at home either in Denver or super-metropolitan Tokyo) as well as some that grew up in rural areas (like my girlfriend, who grew up on a ranch in the outskirts of Casper, WY, with almost no human contact outside of school; she's attending college here and can get slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people at the university). While I have my own beliefs and standards (I'm male, white, agnostic, straight, and a bit of a city slicker), I don't judge people by them. Instead, I judge them by how they have treated me and why, and what I know about their personality and how they treat others, and even then it's not damnation if they treat me wrong, provided they realize that they did and are willing to come forth and make amends. Hell, even my ex-girlfriend turned mortal enemy isn't undeserving of this. I'd be totally cool with a platonic relationship with her if she were to want to make amends after breaking my heart into a million pieces and incinerating it, but she has yet to express any remorse for that or any care or compassion towards me. So for now she's an enemy, but not forever.

I think the reason I am so tolerant and compassionate today is because I know how it feels to not be tolerated or appreciated by others, and I don't want anyone else to feel that way due to my actions. And while I admit I'm not perfect at it, I at least make a conscious effort to see people as they are and not as the rest of society wants me to see them. I think a lot of people on the autistic spectrum share this trait because they were and still are the outcasts and the underdogs. Most NT's have no problem making friends, but they don't value the bond that comes with true friendship. If you have a lot of something you tend to take it for granted; it's only when you lose it or never had it at all that you begin to appreciate its value.

I agree to some extent.

I will say I do perceive things without a filter and don't play NT games (if that's what we're calling them, yes I'm NT) but at the same time I have developed a lens that I look through due to interacting with the rest of the world.

So it's irony in it's most basic form, I am so accustomed to the way most people perceive things and how it's different than my way that I have a narrow focus and automatically discredit their thoughts and opinions sometimes.

Still, I think most on the spectrum and myself are more aware of what's going on in our minds and are still more likely to notice things NTs can't or just refuse to. I can take my blinders off pretty easily too and many people don't want to.

Yeah, I guess honesty is the important factor here, not so much seeing things as they are. It's more saying things that are obvious and true.