Joined: Dec 08, 2010 Posts: 10355 Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 4:40 pm Post subject:
Joe90 wrote:
The only difference between NT interests and Aspie interests is NTs know when to stop talking about them. It doesn't mean they don't pursue their interests less. And I'm not even going to go into how mad my dad is over football! It literally takes over his life. Literally, and I mean literally. He split up with my mum years ago because of his intense football interest. But he is no Aspie. If you met him, he is a very ''typical'' NT too, socially. He doesn't talk about football to anyone who isn't interested. I think that's where the line is between Aspie interests and NT interests.
This isn't the only difference, no. Autistic (not just "Aspie") interests tend to be fairly consuming, excessively detail-oriented, and can become one's life. Talking about it incessantly is a sign, not just a superficial thing. I mean, there is a lot of humor in this comparison:
but it really is possible to focus way too much on surface appearances and say "because they look similar, they must be the same."
Joined: Feb 05, 2010 Posts: 13666 Location: My house
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 5:37 pm Post subject:
I didn't get the video. Was it supposed to be the NT way or the aspie way? It looked normal to me.
What happens when an aspie learns to not talk about their obsessions/interests so much? What happens when they learn to not ever talk about it because they made it be a habit to not talk about it? Does that mean they don't meet that part of the criteria anymore?
Joined: Dec 08, 2010 Posts: 10355 Location: University of California Sunnydale (fictional location - Real location Olympia, WA)
Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 5:46 pm Post subject:
League_Girl wrote:
I didn't get the video. Was it supposed to be the NT way or the aspie way? It looked normal to me.
The woman with the bird is Bev, the blogger at Asperger Square 8.
The idea is you have an NT guy going on at length to everyone about the football game, and everyone just tolerates it and puts him off rather than deal with it. The moment Bev talks about parrots to the same length, people start talking about how her behavior (as an autistic woman) is out of line and they need to draw up a plan so she won't do that so much. I think this is irony, and I did find it funny. Of course, I can relate to Bev's situation in the video pretty closely, as similar has happened to me (without the autistic label for people to latch onto).
Quote:
What happens when an aspie learns to not talk about their obsessions/interests so much? What happens when they learn to not ever talk about it because they made it be a habit to not talk about it? Does that mean they don't meet that part of the criteria anymore?
I don't think talking about the interest is the defining part of the criteria. I think it's having interests. In fact, failing to share interests as would be typically expected is also part of the criteria.
What makes them different is that they are unusual in focus or intensity. Like, focusing on one part of a thing as an interest, or the interest is basically your entire life.
Joined: Feb 24, 2010 Posts: 8408 Location: Great Britain
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 10:40 am Post subject:
NTs are neutral with most things. They don't have too much nor too less. It's no good saying, ''ASD people have interests and no NTs have any interests''. It's more relavent to say, ''NT people have interests and obsessions, but ASD people can be seen taking their interest more seriously or talk about them whether the listener likes it or not, or let the interests take over their lives.'' My special interest is buses, and I am so obsessed that I will feel very ''lost'' if I couldn't get this bus any more, so this is why I am looking for a job in the place where this bus runs to, so that I can still get this particular bus. My dad (is NT) has an interest in football, but he has just started a full time job, and I told him that he couldn't watch football in the pub as much now, and he said, ''yeh well I needed his part-time job. The football will have to wait.''
With me, my special interest can't wait. _________________ Real gender: Female
From: East UK
Age: 23
I don't know....NTs may not go on about their obsession, but they still can let it take over their life. Take fashion for example. Many young NT girls would rather wear a fashionable jacket what isn't rain-proof or snow-proof just to look good, but then complain when they get soaking wet or freezing cold. But if you offer them an eskimo coat or a rain coat, they will say, ''ew, that would look like so ugly and freaky on me, like oh my god!'' I wouldn't say that, but they would.
I think fashion has gone a bit far. I've always been told that other girls don't want to be friends with me because I'm not into fashion. I don't think that's true, but if it was then god help them.
Ah, but complaining is perfectly acceptable NT socializing. I'm the weird one for offering solutions
