proud aspies really anger me

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Yes, exactly. It's more like confidence, not apologizing for the way your brain's wired, accepting your deficiencies and your talents alike as part of you instead of some unacceptable defect.

I don't think it's any good to feel superior to typical people; that's probably more of a defense mechanism than real self-esteem anyway. Accepting and liking yourself, Asperger's and all, though--that's beneficial.

Thinking of AS as a problem rather than a neutral trait can really end up causing more problems. Trying to hide it all the time can result in having to act in total opposition to the way you feel--living a lie, essentially. Not taking AS into account when you're learning and interacting with the world could result in your trying to do those things the NT way, which isn't nearly as efficient with an AS brain. And of course all those failures, trying to just "try harder" and do it the typical way, just make you feel like you're helpless against "Asperger's" and if only you could get rid of it everything would be perfect... when, if you learned to work with it, you'd probably be doing better.

I may always be disabled, and I understand that. Saying "AS is a disability" (true for most) isn't synonymous with wanting a cure, nor with thinking AS is a bad thing. It isn't. Disability itself isn't a bad thing, or at any rate isn't a thing that one should be ashamed of. And being proud of who you are doesn't require you to have some huge amount of talent that comes along with your autism, either.

People treat Aspies pretty badly sometimes, but the solution isn't to remove the Asperger's; it's to do something about the bullying. Saying that a cure is the solution to people treating you badly is like saying skin bleach is the solution to prejudice against black people.

I am kinda proud of what I am. Not what I have to endure. I wouldn't take a cure. I have certain things I am better at. I do not go shouting on the street corners that I am autistic. However when I do something to draw ridicule or attention to my self with friends I finally decided to say I am autistic. I have dropped hints here and there like cause they know I have therapists etc. Most of them were shocked.

I don't feel pride. I don't have an ego either.

Someone really pulled the plug on my emotions and "self" when I was in the incubator.

I'm no more 'proud' of having Aspergers than I am of being Irish, being female, or any other foolish, stupid thing people seem to be proud of that's nothing to do with anything they've done, but everything to do with how they were born. That sort of mindless pride, across the board, annoys the living hell out of me. However, I *AM* extremely 'out' with my Aspergers, and extremely proud of how well I've done for myself in spite of, and sometimes even BECAUSE of it. I feel that people need to get the idea out of their heads that we're disabled, or mentally challenged....because we're NOT....and have on many occasions used myself as an example of how much a person who started out life as a barely-functioning, nearly stereotypically-autistic wreck is capable of accomplishing as an adult.

I'm sure I'd still annoy someone like you, since I'm also of the mind that Aspergers isn't some sort of 'disease' that can, or SHOULD, be 'cured'. It has its ups and downs, but some of its ups are some of the major reasons WHY I've always been such a high-achiever. The social downfalls are the one major challenge I personally continue to experience, but I'd agree with some of the others here who've said a lot of THOSE problems are far more due to others' intolerance and ignorance than me being 'disabled'. But then again, that intolerance is yet one more reason why successful Aspies need to make themselves visible and publicly own their differences.

I hate most people, have no empathy for those who don't deserve it, and prefer to be in my own little world 24/7. I could care less whether other people like me or not.