Page 1 of 1 [ 15 posts ] 

analyser23
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 20 Jan 2011
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 446

19 Jun 2011, 10:44 pm

Hi everyone

I had been thinking about this question, and then just found the recentish post on "the difference between NT and aspie conversation" here which helped me out a bit...

But I was just wondering, I feel so confused when I try to explain to someone what it means that I have mild asperger's, and they start up that whole "yes, but everyone is like that..." or "you're just blah", etc... And even though I know that they are wrong/naive/uneducated on the topic, I then start to think, what IS the difference? I can't see how other people can perceive the World and experience the World differently to me?

Can anyone help explain to me, how IS it that NTs experience the World? I read a lot about how Aspies do, and I completely understand/relate to it, but what about NTs?

From the post mentioned above it might seem that as aspies, we experience a lot of "extra information" than NTs, and that makes sense. Is that all it is? (and yet the blog quoted in this post mentions that this guy rarely notices the clothing a person is wearing - I have to confess I am the same. In fact, I find I am at the extreme with all this observation stuff again - I notice things that others don't notice, yet the obvious things that everyone else notices, I don't!!).

Thanks for your help.


_________________
"Reality is an illusion of the construct of our brains"
"They cannot take away our Self Respect if we do not give it to them" - Gandhi
http://www.facebook.com/TheAspieCoach (Life Coaching for Aspies)


CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Posts: 113,565
Location: Stalag 13

19 Jun 2011, 11:17 pm

I can't really tell you. I'm on the spectrum.


_________________
Who wants to adopt a Sweet Pea?


jojobean
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Aug 2009
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,341
Location: In Georgia sipping a virgin pina' colada while the rest of the world is drunk

19 Jun 2011, 11:35 pm

I think you are asking the wronmg crowd, try posting your question into the parrents section. There are some NT's there that are very caring and would be glad to answer your question.

Its like one blind person asking the other blind person..."what does color look like."

However here is my answer
aspies conversate in black and white, while NT's conversate in color
while Aspies experience the world in full techno color, while NT's experience the world in black and white

in other words our imput is much more detailed that our output, but NT's output is much more detailed than their imput.

maybe that will explain things better,

Jojo


_________________
All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up.
-James Baldwin


analyser23
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 20 Jan 2011
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 446

19 Jun 2011, 11:48 pm

Thanks jojo, that is helpful indeed.

And while yes I realise my question may seem strange to ask aspies how NTs think lol, I suppose it makes sense to me in the way that I might understand your answers better than I would understand an NTs answer ;)

I guess I was wanting to hear an aspie's understanding of how an NT experiences the World, so that it is at least still in my "language" if that makes sense.

- Also, an aspie understands how an aspie is different, i.e. the traits associated with AS, in order to compare the differences, whereas an NT (with no knowledge of AS) would be unable to compare the two. I figured there would be many people on this forum who would have investigated this question already and come up with some of their own ideas/answers/research.

Asking on the parenting board is a very good suggestion though, as they would certainly understand both sides more than an NT with no knowledge of the aspie world at all, thanx for the good advice


_________________
"Reality is an illusion of the construct of our brains"
"They cannot take away our Self Respect if we do not give it to them" - Gandhi
http://www.facebook.com/TheAspieCoach (Life Coaching for Aspies)


draelynn
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jan 2011
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,304
Location: SE Pennsylvania

20 Jun 2011, 12:11 am

I honestly think that question may confuse some people. I think everyone assumes that everyone else thinks the same way they do (not in content but in point of view) unless it is pointed out how different your thinking is from the majority. If no one ever pointed out that your method of seeing the world were different - would you know? And how do NT's all know that they have the same point of view - I think it is just assumed that they do.

My description has been whittled down to one concept - NT's relate to the world in the way they feel about it, AS relates to the world in the way they think about it.

Take the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami; NT's are prone to instantly focus on the personal suffering of the people affected, internalizing that imagined feeling and feeling it for themselves. It results in an outpouring of sympathy and donations and volunteerism. AS sees the disaster and thinks about all the damage it entails and how those upheavals will affect the citizens and - in a round about way - they can sympathize with what those people are going through - without ever internalizing the feelings. They are not people they personally know, it is not their country and if they are not in the position to offer assistance, the event has little effect on their personal life. It doesn't mean that AS doesn't care, or also offer sympathy and donations and volunteerism where applicable - it just means that they do not have the emotional kick in the gut an NT does. They still feel bad but not viserally so. (this is a gross generalization with lots of room for variation of course...)

NT's feel their way through life in most situations. AS thinks their way through life. Both are more than capable of both feeling and thinking, it is just the ratios are opposite in the ways of thinking. (again - to varying degrees...)

That's just my take on it...



Helixstein
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,744
Location: New Zealand

20 Jun 2011, 12:22 am

They experience the world the same as you (I presume, unless you have another condition), except they are able to socialise more efficiently.


_________________
"We accept the love we think we deserve."


Verdandi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Dec 2010
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,275
Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)

20 Jun 2011, 12:31 am

Some of the NTs here tend to make odd assumptions and assertions about us, too. As in, I don't know, they saw one autistic person not understand a particular thing and then assume all autistic people have the same gap in understanding. Opinions become invariably pathologized.

I think the thing that was a really good starting point for me was this:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt161934.html

It's just one way that illustrates how NTs tend to see things differently than autistic people, although it's a spectrum rather than an absolute.



AldousH
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 5 Oct 2010
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 172
Location: SE Europe

20 Jun 2011, 12:55 am

draelynn wrote:
I honestly think that question may confuse some people. I think everyone assumes that everyone else thinks the same way they do (not in content but in point of view) unless it is pointed out how different your thinking is from the majority. If no one ever pointed out that your method of seeing the world were different - would you know? And how do NT's all know that they have the same point of view - I think it is just assumed that they do.

My description has been whittled down to one concept - NT's relate to the world in the way they feel about it, AS relates to the world in the way they think about it.

Take the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami; NT's are prone to instantly focus on the personal suffering of the people affected, internalizing that imagined feeling and feeling it for themselves. It results in an outpouring of sympathy and donations and volunteerism. AS sees the disaster and thinks about all the damage it entails and how those upheavals will affect the citizens and - in a round about way - they can sympathize with what those people are going through - without ever internalizing the feelings. They are not people they personally know, it is not their country and if they are not in the position to offer assistance, the event has little effect on their personal life. It doesn't mean that AS doesn't care, or also offer sympathy and donations and volunteerism where applicable - it just means that they do not have the emotional kick in the gut an NT does. They still feel bad but not viserally so. (this is a gross generalization with lots of room for variation of course...)

NT's feel their way through life in most situations. AS thinks their way through life. Both are more than capable of both feeling and thinking, it is just the ratios are opposite in the ways of thinking. (again - to varying degrees...)

That's just my take on it...


That is indeed a gross generalization. I'm an NT and very rational, you just described the way I'm thinking when talking about AS. Given the rarity of Aspergers, I would say that most highly analytical people (although a very small percentage of the NT population) are NTs. Meaning you can't take this pattern of thought as sole criterion for
defining Aspergers.

Sorry, but I can't say anything more on the OP's issue atm.



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

20 Jun 2011, 1:18 am

Verdandi wrote:
Some of the NTs here tend to make odd assumptions and assertions about us, too. As in, I don't know, they saw one autistic person not understand a particular thing and then assume all autistic people have the same gap in understanding. Opinions become invariably pathologized.


I don't think that's restricted to NTs. I've read plenty of posts by people on the "top end" of the spectrum carrying attribution bias about all people they consider "lower down" the ASD spectrum.

In addition Verdandi there is a lot of ASD/Aspie people on WP who have never physically met another Aspie or ASD person before. Much of what they attribute to autism or Aspergers is based on their own experiences or what they read.



Verdandi
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Dec 2010
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 12,275
Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)

20 Jun 2011, 1:57 am

cyberdad wrote:
Verdandi wrote:
Some of the NTs here tend to make odd assumptions and assertions about us, too. As in, I don't know, they saw one autistic person not understand a particular thing and then assume all autistic people have the same gap in understanding. Opinions become invariably pathologized.


I don't think that's restricted to NTs. I've read plenty of posts by people on the "top end" of the spectrum carrying attribution bias about all people they consider "lower down" the ASD spectrum.

In addition Verdandi there is a lot of ASD/Aspie people on WP who have never physically met another Aspie or ASD person before. Much of what they attribute to autism or Aspergers is based on their own experiences or what they read.


I agree with you, but I was replying specifically to the advice to ask NTs about the differences between ASD and NT experience of the world. I forgot to quote jojobean's post. It wasn't meant to be a "don't ask them" but rather "just be aware."



rpcarnell
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 15 Feb 2011
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Posts: 332

20 Jun 2011, 2:03 am

I think the world is a very aggressive place to be in. I think people are by their own nature bullies, and I have to be careful with them.

I have noticed that the people around me may also see the world as very aggressive, but they do not perceive other people the way I do. I guess I am very paranoid



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

20 Jun 2011, 2:16 am

Verdandi wrote:
cyberdad wrote:
Verdandi wrote:
Some of the NTs here tend to make odd assumptions and assertions about us, too. As in, I don't know, they saw one autistic person not understand a particular thing and then assume all autistic people have the same gap in understanding. Opinions become invariably pathologized.


I don't think that's restricted to NTs. I've read plenty of posts by people on the "top end" of the spectrum carrying attribution bias about all people they consider "lower down" the ASD spectrum.

In addition Verdandi there is a lot of ASD/Aspie people on WP who have never physically met another Aspie or ASD person before. Much of what they attribute to autism or Aspergers is based on their own experiences or what they read.


I agree with you, but I was replying specifically to the advice to ask NTs about the differences between ASD and NT experience of the world. I forgot to quote jojobean's post. It wasn't meant to be a "don't ask them" but rather "just be aware."


Sorry verdandi, you did say "some" NTs. My apologies.



cyberdad
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Feb 2011
Age: 56
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,284

20 Jun 2011, 2:18 am

rpcarnell wrote:
I think the world is a very aggressive place to be in. I think people are by their own nature bullies, and I have to be careful with them.

I have noticed that the people around me may also see the world as very aggressive, but they do not perceive other people the way I do. I guess I am very paranoid


A perfect culmination of thousands of years of Darwinian evolution where the most aggressive and ambitious survive, prosper and procreate, thus passing on their genes.



draelynn
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jan 2011
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,304
Location: SE Pennsylvania

20 Jun 2011, 10:14 am

AldousH wrote:
That is indeed a gross generalization. I'm an NT and very rational, you just described the way I'm thinking when talking about AS. Given the rarity of Aspergers, I would say that most highly analytical people (although a very small percentage of the NT population) are NTs. Meaning you can't take this pattern of thought as sole criterion for
defining Aspergers.

Sorry, but I can't say anything more on the OP's issue atm.


The OP was looking for that -thing- that defining thing that differentiates As thinknig to NT thinking. I did state in there that both are obviously capable of both emotional and rational thinking. I definitely wasn't offering this as a criterion for diagnosis. It is just an example to express the differing points of view.

I have often found myself in a conversation only to realize that me and my conversation partner are not really having the same conversation. the defining factor in most of htose encounters has almost always been the subtle difference in the point of view the topic was approached from. I've gotten pretty good at deciphering other peoples conversations in this way too thanks to lots of practice on myself. I've learned how to read the clues that tell you someones approach to a subject. It's not a prefect system but I find it works more times than not.

Like I said - my experience, my interpretation. Not offering it as anything more than that.



AldousH
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 5 Oct 2010
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 172
Location: SE Europe

21 Jun 2011, 5:02 am

I understood your scope and limitations, just wanted to clarify a point.

This is probably more of an oversimplification but I see aspies as very similar to the more free-thinking; analytical of NTs (just think of philosophers like Witgenstein; Nietzsche or Kant) but with less of a capability for making generalizations; lack of social skills etc.