stratify
Butterfly
Joined: Apr 10, 2010
Posts: 14
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 Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:46 pm Post subject: Is Asperger's Syndrome a curse or a blessing? |
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I believe that if 100% of the population were perfectly normal, our technological and cultural advancements today would not have been possible. I believe that the deviants and the eccentric people are the ones who progressed humanity to what it is today. Without Thomas Edison, an addled genius, we would not have the light bulb. Without Einstein, we wouldn't have nuclear power.
Although I feel that I am cursed with the inability to socialize, I progressed more academically and financially compared to my friends and classmates. Because of my poor social skills, I spent most of my time thinking and contemplating about the world and my future. I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to make sure I lived comfortably.
Would my socioeconomic status still be the same if I did not have AS? Better or worse? I'm not too sure, I'd like to hear your thoughts.
Do you believe there are advantages to our condition? Is it strictly a bad thing?
Last edited by stratify on Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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CockneyRebel
Mick Avory, Sensitive brown-eyed Sweet Pea
Joined: Jul 18, 2004
Age: 38
Posts: 87216
Location: In a quiet and peaceful garden, where gentle Mick Avory-like Sweet Peas grow.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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To me, it's been a blessing, all the way. I know not to hurt people, because I've been hurt by all kinds of people, growing up. I also have a love for the 60s, that will be unspoiled, by the younger generations to come.
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The darling, unworldly Mick Avory with hands like shovels, who wouldn't dare choose to hurt a soul: I'm the cuddly, adorable Kink. Sweet Peas: http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j37/Cocknee/Kinks/Sweet%20Pea%20Smileys/ Other: http://www.mybrowsercash.com/ |
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DavidM
Velociraptor
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Age: 29
Posts: 400
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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What are the advantages?
1. Knowledge about special interests: um well, there are a lot of NT people who become knowledgeable in their field of knowledge.
2. Honesty: while, from an ethical and moral point of view, honesty is a real virtue, in the real world it unfortunately pays to be dishonest.
3. Less likely to be in relationships: therefore less likely to abuse parnters, get divorced, or have rows?
4. Often, very punctual for work. Good at working on own initiative. Meticulous in performing routine tasks.
5. Doesn't participate in office politics or talk about people behind their backs.
6. Trustworthy; unlikely to be a criminal or a sociopath.
Well, to be honest, it's a developmental disorder. A development disorder means a setback, disability or disadvantage.
My opinion is that you don't build your strengths on the back of your AS; you build your strengths of the basis of your whole personality, you overcome your weaknesses, and you function fine in this world - and you have the added distinction of having overcome a disorder that most other people never had to deal with. |
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League_Girl
Proud mamma
Joined: Feb 05, 2010
Posts: 13503
Location: My house
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:07 pm Post subject: Re: Is Asperger's Syndrome a curse or a blessing? |
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I think it's both.
It leaves us with difficulties and makes things harder for us. I couldn't get a man in real life but I was able to online. I had to overcome my inflexibility.
And it's a blessing because it leaves us with advantages. We view the world different, think different, we tend to remember things people wouldn't normally remember, we tend to focus on our interests, it can give us good sense of hearing, smell and taste (thought it can be a pain at times and some people off the spectrum have above normal hearing, same as having acute sense of smell), it cane make us hyposensitive (though it can be bad), honesty (though NTs can have it too), notice patterns other people can't see. |
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Ebonwinter
The Otherworldly Gentleman
Joined: Apr 26, 2009
Age: 23
Posts: 2355
Location: Lexington, KY
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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I see it as both personally I'm happy to an Aspie.
It may come for some hard times but I love myself for who I am. |
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Moony
Toucan
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Thomas Edison never invented the light bulb. He bought the patent and claimed credit. He was actually a rather unscrupulous inventor, but few Americans want to hear that becuase they have so little history that they fly off the handle when anyone says anything against their so called "American Heroes."
I agree with the rest of your post though.
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I prefer to believe that the universe is fundamentally absurd, and if I ignore it, it might go away.
Never assume everyone's better off than you, that's unfounded optimism.
15 and diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome |
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PhilosophicLemur
Emu Egg
Joined: Apr 03, 2010
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree with League Girl above. It is both! |
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Mysty
Phoenix
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Joined: Jun 25, 2008
Age: 43
Posts: 1999
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's a collection of traits. And many (most?) of those individual traits can be good or bad. Depends both on circumstances, and what one does with them. Same with the overall pattern. So, both, and neither.
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not aspie, not NT, somewhere in between
Aspie Quiz: 110 Aspie, 103 Neurotypical.
Used to be more autistic than I am now. |
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howzat
Phoenix
Joined: Aug 24, 2007
Age: 26
Posts: 1742
Location: Hornsey North London
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| For me its a blessing as iam very passionate with trains and cricket but also have a good memory for road maps and flags. The only disadvantage is my social skills but im working on that and it can be improved nothing is rosy man. |
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Stone_Man
Toucan
Joined: Aug 09, 2009
Age: 64
Posts: 265
Location: retired wanderer in the Southwest deserts
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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On even-numbered days it's a blessing, on odd-numbered days it's a curse  |
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Willard
Nobody
Joined: Mar 24, 2008
Posts: 4077
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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The ASS part is a curse. 
The BURGERS are the blessing.  |
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flyingkittycat
Snowy Owl
Joined: Feb 15, 2010
Posts: 134
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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both.
I have talents but all my life, tasks declared as normal tasks were difficult. As I grow older I've taken on the challenge of multi-tasking, trying not to cave in around group settings, attempting to talk to random people but I won't lie, I don't have it down yet. |
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SpongeBobRocksMao
The SpongeBob Freak! :D
Joined: Oct 19, 2008
Age: 19
Posts: 2970
Location: SpongeBob's Pineapple (England really!)
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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I see it as a mixture of both. Sure, the social problems are a big downside, but I like the talents and the special interests it gave me. If I didn't have the special interest in Rugrats when I was a child, I would never have had a talent in drawing. (I loved drawing Rugrats characters.)
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Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
SpongeBobRocksMao!
Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!
SpongeBobRocksMao! |
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pensieve
President of Gallifrey
Joined: Nov 19, 2008
Age: 27
Posts: 7452
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: Is Asperger's Syndrome a curse or a blessing? |
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| stratify wrote: | Without Einstein, we wouldn't have nuclear power.
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Or the atomic bomb, or the nuclear arms race.
I kid. Einstein was a brilliant man. He changed the way we saw science.
As for is AS a blessing or curse? Even Harry's scar was a blessing. It was of course left there by a horrible curse but he could see what Voldermort was up to because it was there.
AS for me means I'm going to always struggle with social interactions, keeping a job, or even living on my own. Oh and let's not forget about those sensory issues.
What is good about it is that it's made me an honest person, who will never pick on another, I'm imaginative and very artistic. Sure NT's can be artistic though the ones around me aren't.
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My autism blog - http://latedx.wordpress.com
My completely random though usually about Doctor Who blog - http://alonsy.tumblr.com/ |
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PunkyKat
meerkat
Joined: May 15, 2008
Age: 26
Posts: 3741
Location: Kalahari Desert
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| Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Blessing. I personaly believe that if it were not for autistic traits, the human race would still be living in caves. |
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