Perhaps this could be our strength?

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I've been perusing through tips and tricks on how to "pass" as NT, and it just occurred to me:

It is quite possible for us to "fool" NTs, and get some perspective on how to act and think NT(challenging and draining as such pretending may be), but NTs can never truly understanding and "pretend" to be Autistic. Sure, they can try to mock, they can emulate, but I don't think they can truly understand. We can learn to act NT, and even understand the logic behind it, because that's how we deconstruct things, but I wonder it NTs could do the same? Or even want to do the same?

Perhaps our ability, our perspective, our mental specialization, which is seen as a negative, is actually a positive? Am I making any sense? Maybe not.

It seems worth considering. I spend enough time worrying about the limitations stemming from my autism that in order to maintain healthy self-esteem, I try to spend some time feeling good about abilities that autism enhances.

Another strength I see in autism comes from not taking things for granted. By logically thinking things through step by step, people on the spectrum seem more likely to suggest process improvements.

I definitely agree with you jrjones. I think part of our challenge in passing is that we get caught up in the thinking stages of things, which distracts us from talking, or otherwise passing. In some ways, it seems that there needs to be a temporary repressing of some of these Autistic traits... if it's possible. Not for being fake or denying self, but just as a temporary measure for the sake of communication.

Self-control seems like a totally normal thing which everyone has to exercise. People on the spectrum seem to get a little extra exercise due to hyperfocus tendencies or executive function difficulties, so I find it plausible that we can get stronger than average. However, I feel like I should insert a warning about black and white thinking here, since I have experienced and seen people trying to get to total self-control and then crashing hard. Strength requires rest.

I definitely agree. There would need to be recovery time. Alone time to recharge your spoons(spoon theory ), so to speak, would need to be planned for.

Some people may be able to pass but that doesn't mean all of us can. Most days I just don't have spoons to spare.

Likewise there are some things that NTs do that I will never be able to mimic or understand.

but mimicking, masking, passing, codifying behavior, analyzing social norms...is it ever truly understanding what it is like to be NT? or is there is still too much detachment, and is it still too unnatural, to be able to say that even the most passable and dedicated autistic person can understand being NT rather than understand how to be NT.

i have trouble thinking about how this could not go both ways. on the surface, coming from the NT perspective, those of us who are more passing are seen as less autistic. but we know that isn't necessarily the case. our neurodivergencies are not recognized for what they are but how they present.

i do think as a group in general we dedicate a lot more time and energy to dissect and study NT behavior, and then more effort and self-sacrifice to apply that understanding to our lives in NT dominated society.
i think NTs are just as capable of doing this but the difference is just that they don't nearly as much. maybe that's because they don't usually need to in order to survive/be successful/etc. maybe that's because there is usually no reason to. or there is no reason to even think about a reason to.

Please don't try to "pass" as an NT. It's like forcing a left-handed person to be right-handed: It will result in failure or only minimal success, and the person will feel all kinds of negativity for being forced to not do what they can't help doing.

Understanding NT's sometimes reveal good reasons not to imitate them.

Though, in my case, I truly found out WHY I shouldn't mimic NTs in more ways than one.
While I have the bitter and immature versions of reasons at first, because I refuse to pass and have a pretend-life. And found more deeper reasons not to as time passes with experience.
Then I came up with my own conclusion why I shouldn't AND wouldn't.


From where I live, my culture has this funny subculture consists of immigrants to various places in the world.
They know more than just to blend and pass. More than just speaking the same languages, and wearing the right clothes.
They can adapt and integrate. They can attain true understanding, and know if the culture they're pursuing is worth living with.
And for reasons why they do so could be anything, really.

Imagine if autistics in general gets hands on that knowledge...

Thing is, *I took it*. And I took it to understand people and not to get along with them or be like them.
It's something that cannot be studied by words alone. These things are done on the spot. It's not something to rehearse or overly control with, it's something to understand and distinguish.
That's why, the closest thing I have for passing is self-restraint that gauges to 'passive' instead of acting skills and scripting, or some persona over my true self.

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You know, I'm reminded of the Chinese Room Experiment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_room

Except we're the computer. We learn rules to pass, but we don't truly understand them, which after some thought, makes me think that we can never truly understand...