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Are Aspies Non-Conformist?

JamesBon92007

JamesBon92007

Well-Known Member
After reading many threads here I began to wonder if, in general, people with Asperger's tend to be more non-conformist than NTs. By that I mean do Aspies tend get into the latest fads or have little or no interest in them? Or is it the same with Aspies as it is with NTs--Some do, some don't and it's simply not an Asperger's trait?

I have read Aspies referring to themselves as non-conformist however I don't think they were talking about fads or popular culture. That part I get.

I am in the non-conformist category. I pay no attention whatsoever to popular culture except when it directly affects me, sometimes against my will.
 
I think Aspies are less likely to get sucked into the vacuum of popular trends and fads.

Personally, I am very aware of what is going on in the world around me though I don't have much of an interest in celebrities, reality television, social media, etc.

I think Aspies can be very culturally aware but at the same time not as likely as NTs to become interested in or infatuated with pop culture.
 
Depends on the context I suppose. I'm not an ideological thinker and am apt to approach issues from a perspective of logic rather than political bias or loyalty. Tends to rub a lot of folks the wrong way because I won't "marry" an idea.

Fashion, fads....nope...they're more or less non-sequiturs to me.

Oh, and I live in near isolation. Still technically on the grid, but with little routine contact with humans in r/l. Because I can. :cool:
 
This topic brings to mind the discussion in class one day
about 'non-conformity' vs 'individualism.'

At the time, 'individualism' was prized over 'non-conformity'
because the idea was that a person might genuinely express
himself as an individual.

A person focused on 'non-conformity'
was still thinking primarily about a group.
 
In as fascinating as I find totalitarian systems, I still have a love for Alexis DeToqueville's "Democracy in America". A critical analysis over the drawbacks of democracy where the specter of a "tyranny of a majority" is constantly possible.

With social majorities "calling the shots" across a broad spectrum of society in terms of what's socially and politically acceptable. Which at times can be quite oppressive to those who simply "march to a different drummer". Putting many of us on the spectrum in an awkward position, to say the least. Sorry if I put anyone to sleep. :p
 
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I'm a non-conformist in a way, I follow some trends if I like them or see the point, but I don't really do things just because they're trendy.
 
Perhaps not deliberately. We seem unable to comprehend why anyone would want to yield to social pressure. Why do something you don't want to do just because someone else wants you to do it?
 
We're all just hipsters larping as being autistic don't you know? Autism is the new fad. :D
 
Momo said:
We're all just hipsters larping as being autistic don't you know? Autism is the new fad. :D
Click to expand...

That's much of how my cousin relates to all of it. As if it was some self-centered gesture designed to draw attention. :rolleyes:

Too bad she couldn't "inherit" it for a month to see how she'd get by. :eek:
 
I am, and I think it is an aspie trait. I was born that way. E.g. when I was 3-4 I referred to adults and the elderly by their first name, which was considered shocking and very rude. My mom told me to not do it so I asked why not. She said it was disrespectful. I asked why they referred to be my my first name if it was disrespectful. She said that there was no title for kids and I said "too bad", and refused to comply.

Now I try to be as reasonable as possible with issues that impact others but I will not conform for things that I view as personal choice. Get a very good feeling by not conforming too. If I were to conform just to fit in I would hate myself.
 
I make a lot of people angry because I refuse to support any conventional political party. Same goes with popular culture, music, movies and fashion.

Ironically, everyone who knows me agrees that I have a brilliant sense of fashion and aesthetics, but I always get dirty looks for criticising popular fashion and stuff.
 
Momo said:
We're all just hipsters larping as being autistic don't you know? Autism is the new fad. :D
Click to expand...
Well yeah, we were uncool non-conformist before it was cool :cool:

That being said, I have a couple of issues with the term non-conformist; to me it seems as if it's a deliberate choice by an individual not to conform to the norm, or a judgment passed on them by the conforming others. I may be reading too much into this, though.
I also feel that many people who label themselves as non-conformist actually end up conforming very strictly to their own alternative norm, so I guess they failed at non-conformity or something?

I think we as Aspies are less prone to falling for fads, because we're uber-logical beings. If it makes sense to us and/or piques our curiosity, we'll go for it, but if it doesn't, well, it just won't stick.

I see it as being trend-proof: it doesn't catch on me, no matter how much you inundate me with it. I do try to keep up on current things in pop culture, and every once in a while I find something that I want to look into more, but I'm never on the same train as everyone else, I was either on that train waaaaaay before this was a thing (not trying to sound hipster here) or I've missed the train, and won't think to try and catch it until possibly years later.
I also have no interest in the concept of trends. Why should I care that this or that is fashionable or in at the moment? I'm supposed to do it solely because other people do it? Why?

I recently got into a mild argument with someone whose life and system of beliefs was apparently completely challenged because I have never watched Game of Thrones. I haven't because I've never felt like it, period. I'm not saying it's bad or a waste of time. I understand some people like the books or the show, and good for them. But why should I be judged because it hasn't aroused any curiosity in me? I've seen about 5 mn of it once, by accident. I think my cat feels more emotion when I'm organizing a closet while he's sleeping than I've felt during those 5 mn. And the person I was talking to seemed to be personally offended that I had no interest. Why? I would love to know what causes this reaction. Do NTs feel insecure when their tastes aren't shared? Do they feel that maybe it's a way of telling them they're wrong? Are they just frustrated they can't exchange on that topic? Are we disrupting some sort of continuum?
 
I forgot to mention though; I'm now actually very popular, mostly because the increase in popularity of anime, superhero and sci-fi movies and other things that have always been classed as "nerdy". About half a year ago a group of younger girls (about 2 years younger than me) started talking to me because they heard that I had watched both Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online and they wanted me to teach them about them so that they could fit in with people that watched them. I told them that they shouldn't have to know about them if they didn't want to and that they should do things that they actually enjoy. If they did want to learn about the shows they could watch them themselves.

All in all, it's pretty ironic.
 
No following just because someone says this is the "in" thing. I follow what I like or interests me. If someone makes fun of me for that...don't care.
 
Katleya said:
Well yeah, we were uncool non-conformist before it was cool :cool:

That being said, I have a couple of issues with the term non-conformist; to me it seems as if it's a deliberate choice by an individual not to conform to the norm, or a judgment passed on them by the conforming others. I may be reading too much into this, though.
I also feel that many people who label themselves as non-conformist actually end up conforming very strictly to their own alternative norm, so I guess they failed at non-conformity or something?
Click to expand...

I had issues with the term when I started the thread which is why I attempted to explain which meaning of the term I was referring to. As Aspies we naturally do not conform to the norms and it's not by choice.

Maybe something like anti-trend-followers? That kinda stinks.

I agree with your perception of people who label themselves "non-conformist." I see many who seem to think they are being non-conformist by conforming to the latest fad.
 
I think some people on the spectrum are interested in trends, like my friend who's HFA. She's far more interested in clothing that is 'on trend', although not always. I couldn't give two hoots about what is trendy, as I choose clothes based on what I like and whether it's comfortable and looks ok on me. I always find it hilarious when we go to town and there are large groups of teenage girls - all dressed exactly the same. They look like little clones of each other. I do understand though that conformity, especially during the teenage years is normal, because nobody wants to be the one who is doing something different...because that singles them out to be picked on by their peers.

When I was a teenager however, I didn't understand this and I dressed very differently to my peers. Sadly, there are no photographs to show this, as (thankfully) camera phones didn't exist. I dressed 'alternatively'...kind of goth I guess? Didn't matter that people picked on me for it, as they did that anyway.

In terms of pop culture, I rarely know who is popular or what they're called. My 8 year old niece finds this genuinely confusing.
 
Katleya said:
Do NTs feel insecure when their tastes aren't shared? Do they feel that maybe it's a way of telling them they're wrong?
Click to expand...

If your first and second impulses are to conform with those around you, someone who is not moved by what you feel very much would create cognitive dissonance.

Now, it's how they handle it that it becomes, in my opinion, rude. It is a form of coercion for them to trample over my individuality to soothe their vague fears of uncertainty.
 
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