Anyone NOT have trouble with humor, coordination, voiceinfle

Page 1 of 2 [ 31 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

Wolfpup
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,409
Location: Central Illinois, USA

19 Oct 2007, 10:47 am

Full title is supposed to be: Does anyone NOT have trouble with humor, coordination, voice inflection, love of fiction?
I'm not sure how to shorten it :)

This is inspired by quirky’s post about not having trouble reading social clues:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt45996.html

Like her, I sometimes wonder if I have AS because I don’t have some of the apparently common issues associated with it. Namely:

*****I have a really good sense of humor. While I’m sometimes dense that someone is poking fun at me or something (taking something literally) other than that, I think I have a really well developed sense of humor-better-maybe much better than average. I’ve also been told I’m really funny on several occasions by the few people who know me well (I doubt the vast majority of people would have any idea).

I’ve heard that people with AS might like word play, puns, and that type of thing. But that’s not what I’m talking about. That sort of thing holds little or no interest for me.

*****Next up is coordination. I think I’m perfectly normal with that. Occasionally I get this weird, disconnected from my body feeling, but most of the time I’m normal. I sometimes bump into things, but I don’t think that’s to an unusual degree either. I’m not great at like throwing a ball or whatever, but then I never practiced that either, as it bores me to tears. So basically I think I’m normal here.

*****Voice inflection-I’ve heard people with AS have a flat, monotone type of voice. And I don’t. I apparently get too loud (my family has powerful voices) when I’m excited about something that interests me, but I definitely have inflection and sound perfectly normal and all that.

*****Love of fiction-Supposedly people with AS only like non fiction. While I enjoy learning, at least about things that interest me, I *LOVE* a good story, always have. I don’t like reading non fiction books, rarely do it unless I have to. I have a ton of great TV shows that I love, read fiction quite a bit, love the stories in video games with good stories, etc.

Soooooo anyone else have some of those? It is confusing, because I seem to fit so many things about AS so well, but am almost the opposite on all these. So that makes me wonder sometimes if we’re completely on the wrong track with AS.



cagerattler
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 5 Sep 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 50

19 Oct 2007, 11:16 am

I have self-stimming (flapped fingers as child) behavior, intense 'Aspie-like interests', clumsiness, intense desire to be alone most of the time, and some other Aspie characteristics. But I never have had trouble reading faces, have always been able to be socially functional when I tried, and love humor (espcially satire). I think the doctors call this 'incomplete penetrance', meaning that genetically only some traits are likely to be passed on. In a practical sense, it seems that the salient features of Asperger's are not evenly shared: some of us lack this or that feature. I think it is true that the ability to read faces makes it much easier to be blend in to the NT world. I can fit into that world when I choose, but it is an energy consuming enterprise. Most NT's have their energy charged by social contact--with me, I find it exausting and after a few hours of being in the presence of others, I wish for nothing but to be alone again.



chinapig
Raven
Raven

User avatar

Joined: 17 Oct 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 114
Location: Stockport, South Manchester, UK

19 Oct 2007, 11:16 am

More or less the same for me, but I definitely vary in how strongly aspergic I'm being. I'm not sure why.



Rynessa
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 1 Oct 2007
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 366

19 Oct 2007, 11:17 am

Sense of humor : I have been told I'm very funny, but a lot of times it's when I'm not trying to be. For example, when I make an observation about the world people sometimes laugh and say something like, "That's so true! I never thought about that." I also laugh at weird things, and sometimes I have delayed reaction laughing, where I think about something and the more I think the funnier it becomes until I start laughing.
But I also laugh at some comedians and other "normal" humorous situations.

Coordination : I'm not great at sports, but I'm not terrible either. My coordination is average.

Voice inflection : I don't know. It's hard to judge oneself, and no one has ever mentioned it to me. Then again, would they?

Fiction : I love good fiction. And if you've ever been to a comic book or Star Trek convention, you'll agree that Aspies have no problem enjoying fiction :lol:



Wolfpup
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,409
Location: Central Illinois, USA

19 Oct 2007, 11:37 am

cagerattler wrote:
...I can fit into that world when I choose, but it is an energy consuming enterprise. Most NT's have their energy charged by social contact--with me, I find it exausting and after a few hours of being in the presence of others, I wish for nothing but to be alone again.


Yeah, I'm the exact same way. It seems to be common from what I've read for people with AS. Complete reverse of normal, I guess. I find it hard to believe social contact would recharge you, but even my mom can't comprehend how being alone recharges you (she accepts it, but says that's different for her).

At least it sounds like the features aren't evenly shared for everyone. Hopefully that won't throw off the guy I'm going to for a diagnosis, like he's only looking for the particular features I don't have or something.

Rynessa wrote:
Sense of humor : ... I also laugh at weird things ...


I guess I should say I sometimes laugh at inappropriate things. Occasionally when I see something really terrible or something. I thought it through to my satisfaction on here one time, but that would require too much brain power right now. It's not that I'm enjoying the terrible thing-the opposite if anything.

Quote:
Fiction : I love good fiction. And if you've ever been to a comic book or Star Trek convention, you'll agree that Aspies have no problem enjoying fiction :lol:


I hadn't thought of that! I guess there have to be a lot of Aspies at those types of things, right? And guess what's exactly the type of fiction I most love? :D



IdahoRose
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 19,801
Location: The Gem State

19 Oct 2007, 11:40 am

I don't have a problem with humor, and I adore fictional characters.



Wolfpup
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,409
Location: Central Illinois, USA

19 Oct 2007, 11:43 am

Yay! It sounds like I'm not a complete freak among aspies too :D

Random thought: Does anyone who loves fiction feel like maybe they can understand motivations and characters better in that than in real life? Like understand subtle things in fiction that can kind of go over our heads sometimes in real life?



Beenthere
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Dec 2005
Age: 59
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,013
Location: Pa.

19 Oct 2007, 11:44 am

Humor I don't have a problem with.

Voice inflection...I think I'm pretty good there too.

Love of fiction...depends on the fiction. If it's Stephen King or something guaranteed to keep me up at night scaring me to death I love it.

Coordination now there's where I run into problems. :roll:


_________________
*Normal* is just a setting on the dryer.


thyme
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 5 Aug 2007
Age: 64
Gender: Female
Posts: 825
Location: Over the Hills and Far Away

19 Oct 2007, 11:45 am

I don't have a problem with any of those things you mentioned, except voice inflection.


_________________
O RLY?


OregonBecky
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Age: 72
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,035

19 Oct 2007, 11:48 am

I have a good sense of humor but I don't understand or appreciate a lot of humor. I participate in humorous situations but don't like to watch comedies. Aspies I know seem to enjoy puns and playing with double meanings of words.

Coordination. Aside from breaking my toes.... Some of us are very coodinated when it comes to video games.

Voice inflection - I don't know. Now I'm paranoid. I need to listen to my vcice more and change it if it's weirding people out. I know I talk fast and sometimes get too enthusiastic when talking. But I only feel that vibe when I'm with NT's. I'm comfortable when talking around aspies.

Fiction - yeah. I love fiction.

When teachers get the AS playbook that says that spectrum people don't have a sense of humor and only like real and concrete things, they are coming to partial conclusions that skew true AS personalities.


_________________
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.


IdahoRose
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 19,801
Location: The Gem State

19 Oct 2007, 11:48 am

Wolfpup wrote:
Random thought: Does anyone who loves fiction feel like maybe they can understand motivations and characters better in that than in real life? Like understand subtle things in fiction that can kind of go over our heads sometimes in real life?


I think I understand fictional characters better than real life people because I study the ones I love very intensely, and it's kind of difficult to study real-life people.



Cooper
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 7 Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 163

19 Oct 2007, 12:01 pm

I sometimes wonder whether I really have AS because I've adapted well to some of the various challenges over my lifetime. However, when I think back to my childhood, I can usually remember a time when I had most of the AS symptoms or problems.

Humor: I definitely have the classic wordplay/puns type humor. I also love humor that involves hyperbole or drawing odd connections between things. I can usually understand when someone's doing physical/prank type humor, but I'm not amused by it. I can't pick up on the type of humor where someone is saying something or asking a question that sounds plausible, but isn't really meant to be taken seriously. In middle school people used this against me; they'd ask a question like "Hey [Cooper], which one's brighter, the sun or the moon?" and I'd answer that the sun was brighter, and start explaining why, but they'd already be laughing at me for not being able to tell they didn't really want an answer.

Coordination: When I was a kid, my coordination was awful. I'd trip for no reason, run into things, knock things over, and spill food on myself every time I tried to eat. I had strange postures and had to grip tightly to objects to keep from dropping them, causing my mother to constantly groan, "Oh, you are just SO awkward, why can't you sit/hold your fork/write correctly?" Now I'm 23 and able to handle most daily coordination tasks well, but I have trouble climbing, jumping, or doing any athletic activities besides running and lifting weights.

Voice inflection: My voice has never been monotone, but I had a problem with being way too loud until I was 21 or so. Every year, my high school newspaper ran a column called "In ten years..." with humorous predictions about selected graduating seniors. The prediction for me was "In ten years, [Cooper] will still not be able to control the volume of her voice." I was told this was many people's favorite prediction. :roll: In a conversation, I have a pretty normal tone of voice, but when I'm giving one or two word replies like "hello" or "I'm fine, thanks", I have trouble knowing what tone to use and often end up sounding squeaky and unnatural.

Fiction: I love fiction. I mostly read "classic" fiction or fiction from outside the US, because I love descriptions of other times and places, or fictional times or places. I think my love of fiction comes from the fact that I was probably hyperlexic as a child (learned to read age 3), and the orderly world of words was my escape from the big, complicated world around me. My mother brought me fiction to read from the children's library, so that's what I learned to love. Also, as others have said, in fiction, motivations and emotions are somewhat spelled out for you, which is great if you have AS and have trouble reading the emotions of real people.



lastcrazyhorn
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,170
Location: Texas

19 Oct 2007, 12:13 pm

I have a good sense of humor. But that developed as a way to survive the teasing. I have a really dry wit, which some people respond and some don't. But I get a lot of practice, because even if no one's listening, I keep saying things (they just get quieter when I'm in class/meetings).

And coordination - I'm not coordinated, but I did manage to do marching band for 7 years.

Fiction-wise, I've heard that science fiction interest is a sign of AS, not non-fiction.


_________________
"I am to misbehave" - Mal

BATMAN: I'll do everything I can to rehabilitate you.
CATWOMAN: Marry me.
BATMAN: Everything except that.

http://lastcrazyhorn.wordpress.com - "Odd One Out: Reality with a refreshing slice of aspie"


Rynessa
Deinonychus
Deinonychus

User avatar

Joined: 1 Oct 2007
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 366

19 Oct 2007, 12:31 pm

Hyperlexic - I just learned a new word.
Yes, I could read at 3 years old, too. My mom tells me I could identify all the letters of the alphabet at 18 months, but I'm not sure even I believe that. Apparently we had plastic letters and she would say a letter and I'd pick it up.
I like to read science fiction and fantasy. Also historical fiction. I love history, and I find this genre an enjoyable way to learn more. I get upset if I find an inaccuracy, though. Edward Rutherford is a great author of historical fiction, if anyone is interested.
I'll stop babbling now.



shopaholic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 594
Location: UK

19 Oct 2007, 12:34 pm

Wolfpup wrote:
Yay! It sounds like I'm not a complete freak among aspies too :D

Random thought: Does anyone who loves fiction feel like maybe they can understand motivations and characters better in that than in real life? Like understand subtle things in fiction that can kind of go over our heads sometimes in real life?


Yes! That's kind of the point, I suppose. Reading fiction teaches me how to understand real people.

I can often use the memory of a story I've read to figure out that "X reacted that way because of Y that Z did" or whatever.

So I usually understand real people by figuring things out logically rather than through empathy or whatever.

I also write fiction, and often use this to work through issues I have come up against in real life.

As regards your other points - I most definitely have a sense of humour. (I'm better at ironic one-liners though - I can't "tell a joke"!)

As far as I'm aware I don't speak in a monotone - but I do make a conscious effort to emphasise certain words when I speak. It is not something that happens instinctively for me.

Co-ordination is a strange one. I was useless at games at school, but I can dance well with my feet. The arm & upper body movements are much more awkward, however, although much better than they used to be after many years of working on them.

I think my awkwardness comes with proprioception, i.e. awareness of my body in space, rather than co-ordination.



Kitsy
Supporting Member
Supporting Member

User avatar

Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,015

19 Oct 2007, 1:07 pm

Wolfpup wrote:

*****I have a really good sense of humor. While I’m sometimes dense that someone is poking fun at me or something (taking something literally) other than that, I think I have a really well developed sense of humor-better-maybe much better than average. I’ve also been told I’m really funny on several occasions by the few people who know me well (I doubt the vast majority of people would have any idea).

I’ve heard that people with AS might like word play, puns, and that type of thing. But that’s not what I’m talking about. That sort of thing holds little or no interest for me.

*****Next up is coordination. I think I’m perfectly normal with that. Occasionally I get this weird, disconnected from my body feeling, but most of the time I’m normal. I sometimes bump into things, but I don’t think that’s to an unusual degree either. I’m not great at like throwing a ball or whatever, but then I never practiced that either, as it bores me to tears. So basically I think I’m normal here.

*****Voice inflection-I’ve heard people with AS have a flat, monotone type of voice. And I don’t. I apparently get too loud (my family has powerful voices) when I’m excited about something that interests me, but I definitely have inflection and sound perfectly normal and all that.

*****Love of fiction-Supposedly people with AS only like non fiction. While I enjoy learning, at least about things that interest me, I *LOVE* a good story, always have. I don’t like reading non fiction books, rarely do it unless I have to. I have a ton of great TV shows that I love, read fiction quite a bit, love the stories in video games with good stories, etc.



1. Sense of humor. I have a sense of humor. When I was a kid I did not though. I like short skits like Monty Python stuff or South Park. When it comes to other things like if someone is hitting on me, I can't tell sometimes. If someone is teasing me using a negative term in their form of endearment, I take it as an insult.

2. Coordination is on and off. I have on days where my reflexes are very sharp and off days where I'm a complete clutz.

3. Vocally, I'm not sure. I can't do enthusiasm but I don't think I'm completely monotone.

4. Love of fiction. I can't remember most movies that I see and I can't remember fantasy novels after reading them. There are only a few movies I can remember but not in detail. I don't like watching movies. It feels like a complete waste of time. What's the point if you don't remember them?