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dragonsden
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13 Jul 2014, 7:59 pm

People generally think I'm a great person.

But one of the things that has cost me dearly when it comes to interacting with others, and changes people's initial impression about me despite all of the positives about me, is the fact that I'm idealistic. Perhaps idealistic isn't the right word. Let me explain.

Once I have my mind set on something, I go to extremes to make sure my will is carried out. At work, I demand obedience to my will from those under me, yet I'm quick to criticize and sometimes disobey my superiors. In social settings, I have yelled at friends for not meeting the requirements I've set forth.

I have gotten better about not yelling or physically threatening others. I thought this was enough. But apparently, my rigidity is still rubbing people the wrong way. This is having consequences both socially and in the workplace. Worse yet, I am considering moving to join an organization in which I will be VERY CLOSELY evaluated. Being disobedient to my superiors or excessively rigid with my peers will get me kicked out of that organization pretty quickly. I want to solve this issue so I will have fewer problems with friends and at work and so I will be ready to join the group I mentioned.



Summer_Twilight
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13 Jul 2014, 9:54 pm

The key thing to remember that you are a rigid person in general and that can come with honesty. At the same time recognizing that not everyone is going to meet where your are coming from and vise versa. That of course comes from respect from two places.

1. Are you willing to respect others?
2. Can you respect yourself first?



dragonsden
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14 Jul 2014, 6:24 pm

Another important note is that when there is a conflict because someone is fighting my rigid patterns, my immediate thought is to impose consequences on that person so he will know not to fight my will. I sometimes attempt to impose these consequences, whether they be verbal reprimand, physical actions, or some other form of retribution, knowing that it will be not be perceived well among peers and supervisors. But my sense of justice makes me not care about what will happen to me if I lash out.

And when I have been able to hold back from my usual patterns of intense anger against those who defy me and my ideas about how things should be done, I become unhappy with that environment and then eventually regress sooner or later. I think this is in part because sometimes the more I give, the more people think they can get away with.

In any case, this is a problem that needs to be fixed if I want to join the group I mentioned.

Suggestions?



starvingartist
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14 Jul 2014, 6:51 pm

dragonsden wrote:
Another important note is that when there is a conflict because someone is fighting my rigid patterns, my immediate thought is to impose consequences on that person so he will know not to fight my will. I sometimes attempt to impose these consequences, whether they be verbal reprimand, physical actions, or some other form of retribution, knowing that it will be not be perceived well among peers and supervisors. But my sense of justice makes me not care about what will happen to me if I lash out.

And when I have been able to hold back from my usual patterns of intense anger against those who defy me and my ideas about how things should be done, I become unhappy with that environment and then eventually regress sooner or later. I think this is in part because sometimes the more I give, the more people think they can get away with.

In any case, this is a problem that needs to be fixed if I want to join the group I mentioned.

Suggestions?


honestly, you sound like a bully.

but i suppose the question that matters is: are you here asking for advice because you want to stop bullying people and learn to be more considerate and therefore functional and co-operative in a group setting, or do you want to learn how to bully people more effectively to get what you want so you can dominate any group you participate in? only you can answer that question for yourself.

if your answer is the latter, then this is probably not the place to be asking for advice. people on the spectrum tend not to be particularly effective bullies, so we likely won't have much to offer you in the way of suggestions.



tarantella64
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16 Jul 2014, 12:52 am

Suggestions? Sure. As soon as you start getting angry, feeling that rigid, angry feeling, you think this:

I AM WRONG. I NEED TO GO CALM DOWN.

Then you say, politely, "Would you excuse me, please," and go sit in your car or some quiet place and remember that yours is, in fact, not the only perspective in the world.



dragonsden
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16 Jul 2014, 6:45 am

Well removing myself from the situation is a pretty obvious temporary solution, but my goal is to not think that way in the first place.



tarantella64
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16 Jul 2014, 7:29 pm

It may never go away completely, but as you practice noting that you're wrong, removing yourself from the situation, and thinking through others' perspectives and the relative importance of the issue, you will probably find that it's easier to stop assuming that they're all stupid and wrong, and easier to switch to "their points of view are valid" as a default.