Why do NT's not get excited like us?

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I tend to get excited about small things. People notice because I get very expressive when I am excited whereas I think maybe a lot of other people don't physically show that they are excited other than smiling. I, however, swing my arms, clap my hands and start bouncing around in my gait. We took some students at work to a circus last Christmas and, in the photos, I am swinging my arms around and look so much more animated than anyone else on the outing. Luckily my social circle tend to think it's sweet so I don't get much hassle for it.

im autistic but i dont get excited. my husband have adhd and is ALWAYS excited.

Because their brains have grown up.

(How sad for them).

The reasons that the mainstream population don't express excitement the way we do, is because they're jaded by social rules and expectations as they enter their adult years.

The same reason most autistic dont get excited about sports. They're just not interested.

The amygdala (emotion centre) of the autistic brain has been shown to be easier to trigger, as well as harder to shut off, than those in the brains of neurotypicals. What this means is that when something sparks an emotion, it escalates more quickly than NT emotions do, and can be very hard to shut off at the appropriate time, not unlike a train with its brakes cut; once it starts moving, there's no stopping it. What this means is that when we get excited by something, that excitement builds and becomes very intense, far more intense than it would if NTs were in the same situation, because their emotion is slower to trigger, as well as slower to build, and quicker to extinguish once the stimulus triggering the emotion has disappeared. This unique functioning of the amygdala is also what causes meltdowns in autistics; our emotions escalate and get out of control because once they start, it's hard to think rationally to slow them down and bring them back to normal, so they get worse and worse until everything explodes.

I just get excited by weird things, like flying (in a plane). Maybe if I had the chance to travel that way more often, the fun would wear off, but when the plane starts to taxi, I just start bouncing .

I think it may partly be due them being better able to contain their excitement, and only partially due to actually being less excited.

I get excited by things more often as well. Not everything, but things like Christmas. They started playing Christmas music on a local radio station on November 1st!! Even though I was in the car by myself I actually yelled "yaaay!" and clapped my hands when I heard it. I also was very excited to carve my pumpkins for Halloween, while others seemed to dread it for being messy. I also get very excited about the prospect of playing board games, and it is a big disappointment when others won't play with me.

I also get amused at things much more easily. I find certain things very funny or amusing while others are straight-faced.

I'm not sure if this is related to being on the spectrum or not. People in this thread have made good arguments both ways.