Im curious if female aspies consider themselves "hyper logical"?

[Azul-Infinito]

I hope it does not sound sexist to say that men and women think differently. Men tend to be more logical, black and white thinkers. I.e..the facts are all that matter, there is no grey area.Women on the other hand tend to think more wholistically and emotionally. You can call it right brain left brain if you want. I think its a good thing to have one balance the other.

My question is, as someone on the spectrum, i find myself being a "hyper-logical" thinker. More so than any NT man i know. I was wondering if women on the spectrum feel they are more black and white thinkers relative to an NT woman.

 

[Aspie_rin]

Some AS traits are generally milder or present in a more typical looking way (like a little girl obsessing over dolls or animals) in women, so I wouldn't be surprised if you were right. In my case, I was more black and white when I was younger, but now that I've gained maturity most of my opinions are in a grey area. But I think that's the case for NTs too.

 

[Suzanne]

I do not totally agree with this popular belief that men and women think differently. It all depends on the subject matter.

For example: are we all not logical thinkers when it comes to listening to another's issue? Are we all not emotional thinkers when it comes to us personally?

This is what I find in my relationship anyway. My husband will accuse me of being too black and white when I am trying to help him, but too emotional when it is about me, but he is the same with me.

 

[Mia]

Have a tendency to be that way to a certain extent. Mainly as it relates to morality and ethical behavior. There seems to be no deviations or grey areas when it comes to the law or morality. But that may be related more to being raised catholic, and living most of my life in canada. Suspect those values which I hold dear, could be part of a rigid mindset in certain ways.

Yet I'm very accepting when it comes to considerations of gender, race and sexuality. Peoples lifestyles and ways of being should not be up for judgement or dissemination by the law or by the public. Don't think anyone has the right to dictate such things. Tend to be more sympathetic or even empathetic than my Aspie spouse, yet we also agree on many things. Find some N/T women talk too much about things that don't interest me, and their constant emotional way of being is difficult to be around. Yet I'm not a a straight line thinker, consider many viewpoints when I think about things.

Have come across the idea that autistic women are supposed to have 'male' brains. But I think that's erroneous, the left brain is not exclusively the 'autistic' male brain. I understand many complex things, ideas, that require that I use both in concert.

 

[8398]

In the way I interact with others, there's lack of much emotions. I just try my hardest to be appropriate. Maybe because I don't easily understand others. Internally.... I'm having to think on this....
I think I'm mellow with a few intense emotions. The intense ones being obsession, Irritation and being upset. The negative ones happening when I'm having aspie related issues. Most of the time I'm content in lah lah land.

I've always related more with males. I relate the most to my step-dad's way of thinking, even though I know him the least.

 

[toothless]

i am biologically female, though have presented as transgender my whole life without knowing it,i have a very rigid thought process,not neccessarily logical but thoughts without emotion,one of my support staff says i would be good as a nurse as i can cope with emergencies as i think without emotion and can get things back on track as my mind might be rigid but i go through what needs to be done,very rule driven.

i am the male stereotype of autism,but i am also LFA which sort of pans out near equal when it comes to severity and the way we show it.

i do have some throwbacks to being biologically female,i am kind,and not very 'cold', although i am not emotional and look flat to people unless i feel extreme emotion-whether very happy, very sad, very angry etc.

 

[OkRad]

I am so logical that people run away from me. It's not black and white. Now I also know other people like this and I RUN AWAY FROM THEM! I am trying to tone it down. I did not realize how offputting it is to have someone always point out the inconsistencies and injustices inthe world. DOWNER!!! So I try to tone it down.

 

[8398]

I'm confused about black and white thinking, it can't be logical to think that way right? To think it's only one or the other and not more complex? Maybe when sometimes people say that they mean, black and white thinking is someone more solid and sure of their decisions? I dunno

 

[Azul-Infinito]

@8398 , Your argument is that it is illogical to think logically? Well, that my friend is what you call a paradox. No, im kidding. I understand what you are saying.

No it seems your definition of black and white thinking is like a type of thinking that is inflexible "solid in your descision " and you are sure you are correct. And that is true i guess .

But Black and white thinking is really referring to "im sure im correct because evidence a,b and c factually state that its correct and my beliefs and opinions will be based on the best cold hard facts available to me, and it will be void of any emotional bias. Think of Spock from Star Trek, i know thats an old reference even for me.

 

[Bolletje]

I used to be more black and white in my opinions, but I think I've grown more nuanced with age.
I don't really agree with seeing things in an absolute black and white way being more logical, per se.

I'm very good at logic, reasoning and making connections.
I'm capable of controlling my emotions and making rational decisions. Many of those are traits typically associated with men, but I feel that's a bit of a redundant stereotype. I'm a kind, warm and empathic person as well. People can be both
I'm not a fan of a binary worldview, in many aspects I feel it oversimplifies things. Life is messy. Nature is full of transitions and transformation. Not everything can be reduced to two absolutes.

I do strongly believe in evidence based practice though.

 

[8398]

This is hurting my head trying to grasp it, haha. When you put it that way though, "im sure im correct because evidence a,b and c factually state that its correct and my beliefs and opinions will be based on the best cold hard facts available to me, and it will be void of any emotional bias." It's easy to understand.
My way of thinking is that being human, I can't comprehend a lot and everything is greyer than I think.

Edit:
I've slept on it for a few minutes, thought of the PERFECT example of what you mean @Azul-Infinito. The reactions of the people in the crowd later on, perfectly show emotional bias.

 

[Suzanne]

I'm confused about black and white thinking, it can't be logical to think that way right? To think it's only one or the other and not more complex? Maybe when sometimes people say that they mean, black and white thinking is someone more solid and sure of their decisions? I dunno

It is not logical, because in all areas of life, there is a wider scope than just black and white. For example: murder. Yes, it is wrong, but what about the "hidden" part? Was the murderer driven to it? Was it in actual fact, self defense. Oh and what about the thought of the real murder, who just escaped and this person enters and picks up the knife or gun and caught "red handed". Black and white would state that it is logically that person who is the murderer, since the weapon is in that person's hand!

What can often appear logical, on closer inspection is often not so logical at all.

 

[Larisa]

Men tend to be more logical, black and white thinkers. I.e..the facts are all that matter, there is no grey area

I think in terms of multifactoral analysis: there are many factors I consider and I can't 'narrow down' my thinking process to one factor to get 'black or white' result. Everything changes in the world with passing of time and depending on outward conditions.
Is wax solid? "Yes, if it is cold"/ "No, if it's heated".
I amuse myself with logical testing of popular theories: there plenty logical mistakes in them.
Like (I have economical education) the key factor of 'free market' and 'competition' concept is free information of all kinds.
But in fact people call 'liberal economy' the state of things where information is the most expensive PRODUCT, where information is restricted, development of technologies is held back by 'patents'.
BUT there are great expectations like the original model wasn't changed at all.
It's total absurd
What a beneficial competition for the society - if every firm has to 'invent a bycicle' by different hundred methods
And that's why we have thousands of car models (but not, say, variety of other means of transportations like personal helicopters and so on) the firms can not sell out but keep on producing...

 

[Azul-Infinito]

This is hurting my head trying to grasp it, haha. When you put it that way though, "im sure im correct because evidence a,b and c factually state that its correct and my beliefs and opinions will be based on the best cold hard facts available to me, and it will be void of any emotional bias." It's easy to understand.
My way of thinking is that being human, I can't comprehend a lot and everything is greyer than I think.

Edit:

Your perspective is correct. You are totally 100% correct. I think we are quibbling over semenatics at this point, but none the less you are right. It is illogical to be logical. It is wrong to only base your opinions on facts, because those facts could be wrong. Especially if those facts come from the famous conservative ice queen Ann Coulter, like in the above video. We live in a world of fake facts where "truthyness " has some how become a matter of opinion.

But id like to say that my question wasn't about the quality of the facts, but rather are you, as a female on the spectrum a type of person that is rigid in only excepting what you believe to be fact. I'd like to say though, that I dont think the idea that "Black and white thinking" is some type of oxymoron or misnombre. It is a well established real thing.

im honestly just curious about understanding the patterns of ASD outside the scope of what clinicians and medical journals dictate, because their black and white thinking can be void of a actual ASD perspective.

Warm regards- Azul

@Larisa I like what you said

 

[Judge]

Interesting question. Though in hindsight while I have realized just how many male Aspies have been in my orbit, I still look back with confusion and dismay in not being able to conclusively say I've been in direct contact with much of any Aspie females.

That they have eluded me in this respect given the overall subtlety of their traits and behaviors. If they were ever in my orbit, such hyper-logic was not apparent.

 

[Larisa]

But id like to say that my question wasn't about the quality of the facts, but rather are you, as a female on the spectrum a type of person that is rigid in only excepting what you believe to be fact. I'd like to say though, that I dont think the idea that "Black and white thinking" is some type of oxymoron or misnombre. It is a well established real thing.

I would like to ask you to clarify your opinion on some example (like I did with wax): where do you draw the line between 'facts' and what do you call 'emotions' (not-facts) in a 'women' opinion?

 

[Guppyfry]

I do not consider myself to be a logical thinker (just a smart one - ). However in some recent counseling, my counsellor mentioned that my highly scientific thinking was what was helping me function in the NT world so well (I don't know what it is about my thinking that would be termed scientific - I just consider my way of thinking as being me).

As a side note, when I joined the military when I was 19, as part of the recruiting/acceptance process we were given a battery of different tests. They included logical thinking, 3-dimensional thinking, visual-spatial thinking tests. I don't know how I did, but I know I was accepted and went on to basic training.

A few years later, I applied to change trades and go into Aircraft technician. I thought I would be given similar tests, but I was told that I had scored so high on my recruiting tests, that there was no point in giving them to me again.

 

[Azul-Infinito]

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational

Hi @Larisa - it looks like you are in St. Petersburg Russia, and i am in St. Petersburg FL.

I feel like the nature of what black and white thinking "is" , is on trial here, and i dont understand why? It's a very real thing, not an abstract concept. In fact it is the exact polar opposite of an abstract concept. The thing is, it isn't just emotional thinking that is not based on facts, its using any type of "cognitive bias" . The above article is a good read about this.

Yes, fact can be fluid, just like wax can be when it is heated up, but the question. Wasn't about the fluidity or the absoluteness of a fact. It was , are you the type of person that tends to adhere to a rational fact based way of thinking.

An example as per request - it is scientifically a FACT that wax melts at a temperatures of 130-160F (sorry not Celsius ha) depending on its composition. That temperature is hot enough to create a 3rd degree burn on your skin, But person X doesn't believe that hot wax is capable of burning their skin because they have had some prior experience where it did not (thus creating a cognitive bias). Person X has an incorrect cognitive bias that is not based on facts. Is person X right? I know thats a bad example, but im trying to stay with wax analogy.

I appreciate your perspective @Larisa , and you sound like a pretty logical thinker

I guess a more modern representation of this, (because some people have never seen the original Spock) is the cliche sort of oddly construed representation of HFA of Sheldon on "the Big Bang theory". Many of his problems stem from being "hyper logical".

 

[Larisa]

Hi @Larisa - it looks like you are in St. Petersburg Russia, and i am in St. Petersburg FL.

That's curious

An example as per request - it is scientifically a FACT that wax melts at a temperatures of 130-160F (sorry not Celsius ha) depending on its composition. That temperature is hot enough to create a 3rd degree burn on your skin, But person X doesn't believe that hot wax is capable of burning their skin because they have had some prior experience where it did not. Person X has an incorrect cognitive bias that is not based on facts.

M-m, I had an experience as hot wax dripped on my hand and I didn't get a burn. That is a real fact I witnessed.
I think it's a false contradiction because "wax melts at a temperatures of 130-160F".
Ok, but when it drips (from the candle), the drop has very little mass and it starts to cool fast - and when it reaches the skin, its actual temperature is harmless for the human.
It's the most common case of human's experience with hot wax.
BUT if the situation is about Person X standing before the pot of melted wax and believing that to put their hand into it would be harmless - then Person X has indeed an incorrect cognitive bias that is not based on facts.
The final judgement strongly depends on particular conditions of the situation and mass of matter involved

 

[Azul-Infinito]

i would like to respectfully say, that i am not arguing that facts can be fluid. My question is only referring to an overly rational, "hyper logical type mind set.

You are factually correct. as it falls, its temperature cools, and it is a fact that you witnessed that. I dont disagree with your counterpoint at all. I guess , the fact that you are being pedantic about the definition is a litmus test to exactly what i am talking about, about having ASD and being "hyper logical" . Which , you have to admit is a little funny

Na Zdorovie!