Caught stimming at work

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I recently started a job where Aspie tendencies are not looked upon favorably. Or more accurately, I'm working with a bunch of dick measuring Type A salesmen. So every morning, we have to yell a series of "Pillars Of Success" in order to get us motivated and I got called out today while we were in the middle of this. I got laughed at by the whole floor and I had no idea why until several hours later when I realized I was flicking my nails back and forth rapidly with both hands(something I do when I'm stressed) without thinking about it. They started calling me Rainman. How can I hide this? Or what can I do to make them understand what's going on?

Laugh with them, as if you see it as one of your charmingly unusual idiosyncrasies, and indeed with some dick-measuring pride thrown in, as your IQ probably really is higher than theirs.

Ditto.

Agree with the other posters--don't bother trying to hide your quirks--everyone has them.

Save your energy for what is really important.

1) Management wants their salesmen to sell--they will overlook all sorts of minor stuff if you can sell.

2) Your coworkers will love you if you can handle difficult customers, so they don't have to deal with them. You may have unique abilities to handle certain customers that your coworkers don't want to know about.

Last edited by BTDT on 20 Apr 2012, 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

And you still want to continue working there? there is no reason you should have to put up with that kind of treatment at your job......what are they even paying you?

ya might want to nip some of this in the bud, bud....
unless you want to be called Rainman for the duration of your employment....

I was an insurance saleman for three years and I didn't like it. I had knowledge so I stayed on for a while but I probably would have been happier elsewhere, but that's the economy. I had trouble with type A saleman too, I HATED sales confrences.

I'm an outgoing NT. I guess the question is, why are you at the position? The economy's bad so you took any job? You like cars? You're good at sales?

From this answer, you can determine what to do?

I don't know if I can help with this incident, but once I was 'written up" because I "paced" (maybe stimming and did not know it?) But here is my question:

Theft, lying about work, time card fraud, grabbing women, vandalism, saying bad thing about other employees, being rude, not showing up, coming in drunk, picking fights - All of these behaviors I have seen in places where I worked. Yet, management seems to tolerate it but if I pace I get written up!. Why does this happen? Really, compared to the things I wrote above, is any "stimming" really so bad?

Perhaps you could somehow say how is flicking nails as bad as theft, fraud, etc.?

That won't do much good when faced with a pack of excited chimpanzees. You have to understand their behaviours and how they operate, become like a sort of Jane Goodall.

Also some groups are more chimp-like than others. Some places I've worked, there's a heavy social element, alot of competition for status in the group and behavioural displays. Other places, nobody really cares, they show up, try to make it through the day and get along with each other as best they can, and then go home - and that's all there really is to it.

I got somewhat of the same problem but i pull hair.

I live in Las Vegas. So right now, I have to take virtually any job I can get. Having said that, I'm in a room that sells SEO services to small businesses so at least I'm doing something I understand. It's a horrible, HORRIBLE job. But in an area with 14% unemployment, it's a job.

You can't make them understand. Their shallow jerks that take others down so their own lives don't seem so tragic. Their lives are pathetic for them to need to do this. They're insecure. can you find solace in knowing this?

It's not fair.

People initially laughed because, they were bored with the usually morning pep rally. They do it every morning. It's imposed upon them. They think it's crap. They're bored by it. The feel that they can't show their boredom in this wolf pack. You showed what appeared to be boredom. They laughed because they too were bored but they didn't have the balls to say it (so it was under their skin) AND they laughed because they were nervous that you did have the balls to say what everyone felt but they couldn't - that's a possible userper of their power.

I can't really deal with this alpha male power struggle. I'm 27 and I'm now starting to be able to change my posture and body language to deal with this subconscious alpha male jocking that goes on when college atheletes see others.

Conclusion: I second BTDT. He's dead on. Go past all this alpha male crap and do really well what the company wants. For the long term, for your next job, learn about the alpha male pack for promotion. Don't worry about that for this job.

I'd choose death over working sales.

Make a detailed log about it. It is discrimination and if they bully or unfairly fire you one day you can use it against them.

I'm not sure I understand. I mean, flick a nail rates that badly? Compared to no showers, not showing up, being mean, you mean NTs actually like that?

Tell them that's how you keep from shooting fire out your fingertips at jerks...