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OK...this is why Pig is my avatar.....This is my daily life......


My question is this: What would it be called if you have trouble forming a description of your identity and experiences without outside references?

It would be called:

You have to forge your identity based upon what you desire, what makes you feel good, bad, indifferent, etc. You have to see consistencies in your reaction to things. Do you really like wearing formal suits, or would you rather wear jeans? Would you like to go to the Super Bowl--or to a Star Trek convention. I know you like working on cars--you have mechanical aptitude, and the desire to pursue this form of mechanics.

If somebody tells you that you like formal suits, but you like jeans, do you accede to that person's impression of you--or do you tell yourself "I like jeans, despite what this person said!"

Everybody's identity has "outside sources." But you have to strong enough to slough off these "outside sources" if they don't suit you.

It's who you are inside, who you are becoming, that is important, not other people's view of you. As KK says, we are all subject to external influences, - and by no means all of them are malevolent - but we have to filter them through our understanding of ourselves, and create our own description of our identity in language and terms that are meaningful to us. This takes time and effort, maybe a lifetime.

Difficulties with forming a clear sense of one's identity are associated with various conditions, such as schizophrenia and BPD, but are fairly common across the neurodiverse spectrum. Not that I'm suggesting that this is the reason in your case.

BTW, I love that cartoon - very apt.

And your avatar really suits you

I appreciate the feedback, But I fear I may have worded the query wrongly. Try this: What would it be called when you have to use outside sources to express a definition of what you're feeling inside or experience.

I really messed that up in my own way in the original posting. I knew what I meant, but the words didn't come out right....sorry....

See? Pig's at work in me wee little brain....

In this case, it's probably easiest to use verbal language. This is an "outside" source.

Language is a relatively easy to express what you are feeling inside. You would use the words already available in the language--but use them in your own unique way. Or maybe, perhaps, you make up your own words. To communicate to an outside person, though, if you are making up your own terms for things, you have to use terms already extant in a language as a context clue.

Of course, you could also draw something, or play music, or do some other creative thing to express this.

Or maybe you've created some new medium to express yourself?

I bet you that EVERYBODY has occasions where he/she cannot come up with the "proper words" to express feelings. Language has its limits, as everything has its limits.

Then there is this idiom: "actions speak louder than words." In your case, perhaps, the results of your engine restoration efforts "speaks louder" than an explanation as to how to do it, or why you do it.

You'd be surprised how many people really distrust words and talk, and only trust results.

Maybe you're fortunate--in that you are able to allow your results to "speak" for you.

Food for thought....must sit back and mull this....thanks.....

Do you know many Aspergers, like me, are very sensitive to flash images like animated Avatars?

It is full of this kind of avatars on the forum, it's beautiful and funny,
...but I need to constantly look out of the screen and quickly put post-it on the screen to be able to read, and try to breath and calm down.

I am sorry to put a caveat on creative talents.
I just wanted to put a warning somewhere on the side effects of animated avatars.

Pink Panther is trying hard to cope with day-to-day life.
Difficult, but she always makes it at the end .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB2Hsh1 ... gX&index=6

It just sounds to me like you can't describe what you are feeling in words, so you come up with examples. It's easier for you to say "look, this describes my feelings or situation" than it is for you to actually communicate through words your full experience.

I do this myself a lot. Some things can't be truly described in words, but are best described through other means. I like to use examples of situations to describe how I feel, or similes. Often I will physically act out what I am trying to describe, or imitate others when relating a conversation I've had. I've done this since I was a child.

I've noticed that you use humor and also dialogue to describe things you've experienced. You will give an example of what was said in a conversation you had before.

My feeling is that perhaps you think more visually and even have mental movies of memories and can't transcribe them into words. I'm guessing you aren't a verbal thinker but a visual one, which can go along with the visual arts.