How do i become more proud?

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You're only 22 years old. Time will eventually bring you into a world of your own and then you will either have pride in your life or shame in your life as you have lead it so keep in mind that each and evey day you will be creating a karma that eventually you'll have to face.

Aspergian Pride is not pride in the condition so much as pride in yourself. In your late teens and early twenties, your self esteem will drop quite a bit but as you start to realise how good you are, it will rise again automatically. You'll find that you're not making the same mistakes that others of your age are making and eventually you'll start to see that your differences define, rather than limit you.

Give it time. It will come on its own.

Absolutely true.

The more you learn about yourself, the more you accept yourself.

If you can step back from your actions and analyze them--why you did it, how you felt, how you decided to do it--then you can start building a picture of who you are.

Knowing you're bad at something is much easier to accept if you understand exactly how that weakness works and how it affects you, because in figuring out you'll also internalize that there's no shame in having that particular weakness.

Learning self-analysis also comes in handy when other people get angry at you or even abuse you and you're not sure whether it was your fault; you can just write down the facts, put them together, and figure out if you did something deliberately malicious, if it was an honest mistake, or if it was entirely the other person's problem. Often times you'll discover that it wasn't your fault after all, or that you actually did something but the other person responded way out of proportion; so that really helps cut down on the social guilt and shame.

Another thing: Embarrassment. Get used to it; you're going to feel it a lot. You're an Aspie; that's a fact of life. So learn not to fear it, because it's just an emotion, and will pass. Learn to tell yourself that messing up is okay, and/or there's no reason to feel ashamed for other people deliberately embarrassing you. Tell yourself it's OK to make mistakes often enough, and you'll eventually start to believe it. And the embarrassment should last minutes instead of days, eventually.

I am beginning to wonder if I am a minority in here. The people I come in contact with around my hometown seem to regard autism as being associated with intellectual abilities and talent. I don't find people "looking down" on it.

And I do perceive autism as a gift. It is a special way of thinking that allows incredible interests to become part of our lives. Figuratively speaking, I have unwrapped the gift of autism and am enjoying what is inside the box. That is a gift.

One of the reasons autism is a gift for me is because I have musical savant qualities. If I become fascinated with a musical instrument, I tend to be able to pick it up without lessons and play it in a short amount of time. I have always done that. My autistic childhood was filled with wonderful experiences that I cherish---I would not want to trade that in. My narrow interests have worked their way into my writing. A novel I am working on depends on these interests and a theory I have about ancient American sites. Without autism, and thus the interests caused by it, I would not be working on this novel. So since autism has given me these things---it is a gift.

I believe you do have control of AS and what it does for us. If a person is ashamed of AS and refuses to accept it---then it can become a burden. But if you acknowledge it, nurture it, accept it proudly, and find the gifts it has to offer and use them---then it is wonderful.

The first obstacle is not being ashamed of it. If I were asked to list positive and negative things about me, AS would definitely be in the positives. I do not hide my AS from my students, fellow workers, family, etc. Why hide what is truly me? To deny my AS would be to deny who I am. I do know there are things about having AS that I can improve---so that is why I go to therapy sessions. At the age of 44 I am learning how to be a better father and husband. I admit, I find it nearly impossible to play with my sons. I have not given my wife the comfort that she has needed. But now, with therapy, I am improving that aspect of my AS. But AS is a great thing for me. It has given me incredible joy in life that I know an NT life could not have given me. So, I embrace being autistic and I would want it no other way.