You know what we need?

[Ste11aeres]

There are so many books about Aspergers, blogs about Aspergers, articles about Aspergers, resource papers about Aspergres, Studies about Aspergers...
Do you know what we need?
Stuff about Neurotypicals.
Can't we get some books, blogs, and studies about Neurotypicalism to help us understand it better? Please?
They can study out world, if they want, but we are expected to intuitively figure out their world.

 

[Soup]

There have been similar rumblings on here in other threads. We've discussed how some enterprising Aspie ought to write it. Many of the books about us have that anthropological/quaint (patronizing & infantalizing) tone to them. Some are written by NT family members of an Aspie who seem to be saying, "My Aspie kid is 'just like you' & wants to be accepted & treated normally. He is not dangerous & blablabla." You can almost see the good NT townsfolk lined up to poke the Aspie with a stick, measure the length of his nose etc. & x-ray him to see what he's made of!

The books I've seen written by Aspies are about how to function in the NT world. These read a bit like travel manuals such as "Making the most of your 2 weeks in Nepal: how not to offend the locals". What we need to write is a book about NTs themselves, MT cultures, norms, behaviours (such as being pathologically self--contradictory & emotionally iffy). When seen from an Aspie's perspective, their presumptive normality would soon evaporate!

Anyone who wants to attempt such an endeavor can pm me & perhaps we can get it on foot. Several of us are prolific & skilled writers...

 

[King_Oni]

I'm inclined to say that it's just like the inverse of what aspie books are about.

That being said, it comes down to a way broader picture than the detailed framework any "aspie manual" has. And that in fact is our problem. There's way too much out in the open and open for suggestion when talking neurotypical stuff for us to figure out.

I'd imagine it to be millions of pages of text on human behaviour, just with some idiosyncrasies amongst other things blacked out, since those would make up a chapter on aspies.

Thinking about it more; I find it somewhat hilarious that "we" can be summed up in a book and everyone that's clearly not "us" is just about everything that's not written down in said book.

The books I've seen written by Aspies are about how to function in the NT world. These read a bit like travel manuals such as "Making the most of your 2 weeks in Nepal: how not to offend the locals". What we need to write is a book about NTs themselves, MT cultures, norms, behaviours (such as being pathologically self--contradictory & emotionally iffy). When seen from an Aspie's perspective, their presumptive normality would soon evaporate!

But with that one would assume that all NT's would in fact adhere to the same strict routines, which most likely makes them lose the NT status.

If there's something I've learned from NT's it's that they're not as rigid in their personality and thinking as aspies. At least with an aspie you get the same deal each and every time... There's less involvement of this emotional shifting and "however I feel today" going on with a lot of us.

Besides; how can we write about how to understand NT people if these people can't make up their mind as a population itself? I guess if we would write a book about it, it would be the same generalizing drivel that's out there about people on the autism spectrum.

 

[Ste11aeres]

There have been similar rumblings on here in other threads. We've discussed how some enterprising Aspie ought to write it. Many of the books about us have that anthropological/quaint (patronizing & infantalizing) tone to them.

It reminds me of this quote from G.K. Chesterton (retrieved from G. K. Chesterton's Blog)
"When the scientist talks about a type, he never means himself, but always his neighbour; probably his poorer neighbour... It’s like saying that a man has a proboscis between the eyes, or that he falls down in a fit of insensibility once every twenty-four hours."

 

[Ylva]

We can crowdsource one. It won't be perfect, but it will be a beginning.

 

[GHA]

Vey interesting thread indeed!! Neurotypical's are just common people, having low to high IQ, depending on the their backgrounds. In my opinion, those who are talented surly possess some Aspie traits. NT's are just multi-dimentional and have ability to process more information than Aspies at a given point. I think, Aspies have been over diagnosed by people, who love to re-define nature and this world. Btw, I am NT....

 

[Ste11aeres]

NT's are just multi-dimentional and have ability to process more information than Aspies at a given point.

I think this is one of the key differences between NT's and Aspies. HOwever, I'm not sure that it's a question of processing more information vs less information. I think a better way of putting it is that NT's can easily process information from many sources at the same time, while Aspies prefer to focus on one source.

 

[GHA]

I think this is one of the key differences between NT's and Aspies. HOwever, I'm not sure that it's a question of processing more information vs less information. I think a better way of putting it is that NT's can easily process information from many sources at the same time, while Aspies prefer to focus on one source.

Ste11aeres, you have expressed it correctly. That is exactly what I mean....

 

[umbrellabeach]

That's a great idea. I recently put together a video showing how I experience sensory overload and it made me wonder: if I see the world this way, how do neurotypicals see it? There are a lot of autism simulators out there but no neurotypical simulators. I'd be very interested in seeing one.

 

[Ylva]

That's a great idea. I recently put together a video showing how I experience sensory overload and it made me wonder: if I see the world this way, how do neurotypicals see it? There are a lot of autism simulators out there but no neurotypical simulators. I'd be very interested in seeing one.

I think that would be hard to do. It wouldn't be enough to dull the simulated sensory impressions, I think; I believe we would still experience them with the same intensity, but they would convey less information. I imagine it to be stressfull, but I could be surprised. Maybe there being less to keep track of would in fact be relaxing. For now, though, I'm picturing it as a poor quality video/audio recording.

 

[total-recoil]

Aspies are sometimes good at stringing together various sources of information and connecting diverse aspects of knowledge. More typically, they very often focus on a seemingly marginal point to eventually discover something important within a narrower sphere.
I think there is a lot of misunderstanding of neurotypicals by aspies and then vice versa. The only point I think maybe worth mentioning is NT's seem to me to be more vulnerable to conventional, established modes of deduction whereas aspies have an advantage of being more likely to be independent and approaching something from a different angle yet untried. However, as we know, aspies are not at all good at understanding stuff in a social context.

I think this is one of the key differences between NT's and Aspies. HOwever, I'm not sure that it's a question of processing more information vs less information. I think a better way of putting it is that NT's can easily process information from many sources at the same time, while Aspies prefer to focus on one source.

 

[manca]

I was just wondering about that!

Someone told me (again) how unpredictable horses are and I was thinking that's so not true, if I could read people half as good as horses I'd be pretty happy. I've started with the statement: horses are unpredictable and dangerous, they do things with no warning, etc, but after studying them for years I can tell exactly when, what and why they will do something. If they are another specie and I can communicate well with them, why would it be so impossible to do the same with neurotypicals?

 

[GHA]

Maybe NTs are more intuitive and therefore, very perceptive. This could be a social advantage with them. My guess only?? Worth a discussion ....

 

[Soup]

I think that part of why so many of us are so good with figuring out the motivations & personalities of animals is that they do not know of deception in any context other than that of survival. For instance, an animal, when threatened, may make himself appear to be larger than he is. He may alter his appearance to conceal himself in order to hunt for food or prevent himself from becoming someone else's snack. For the most part, animals are 100% sincere. They are as they are. Humans, however, cannot be taken for their barks, meows or neighs. You can never be sure when they are speaking frankly or metaphorically, when they are lying or telling the truth or when they are being condescending or sarcastic. There is so much obsessive misrepresentation & deception that we Aspies (who are more like our animal cousins) cannot figure out what is going on & consequently, how best to respond to them.

 

[Ylva]

I keep hinking, if they can refuse to hire people on grounds of AS, then there should be a way to start a business that exclusively hires Aspies. That hires people on grounds of AS. Because our qualities are useful, even if we suck at getting interviewed (I do, anyway).

 

[HelloDizzy]

I am somewhat convinced I am obsessed with psychology for the reason of understand NT's. I am very good at what I study and would easily consider myself an expert, but I still don't understand a lot of NT behavior, such as gathering into groups just to eat. I do not understand the solidarity that is going on with such behavior. Literature on that would be fabulous...seeing as I am dating an extroverted NT.

 

[Ylva]

No idea about that, but in a book on horse psychology I read that eating is a peaceful activity. I surmise it is about associating peacefulness with the people you eat with, thereby becoming more comfortable around them.

If only it were that easy! I find eating together with others quite challenging, unless it's close family.

 

[GHA]

I think that part of why so many of us are so good with figuring out the motivations & personalities of animals is that they do not know of deception in any context other than that of survival. For instance, an animal, when threatened, may make himself appear to be larger than he is. He may alter his appearance to conceal himself in order to hunt for food or prevent himself from becoming someone else's snack. For the most part, animals are 100% sincere. They are as they are. Humans, however, cannot be taken for their barks, meows or neighs. You can never be sure when they are speaking frankly or metaphorically, when they are lying or telling the truth or when they are being condescending or sarcastic. There is so much obsessive misrepresentation & deception that we Aspies (who are more like our animal cousins) cannot figure out what is going on & consequently, how best to respond to them.

This sums it all!! Aspies may find it challenging to figure out deception, intrigue, lying and and sarcasm; a trait, neurotypicals use to manipulate situations, both at work and social interaction.....

 

[total-recoil]

I understand animals perfectly. At the beginning, I had a lot to learn before I arrived at the position I'm at now. My best friend is large German Shepherd dog and we're so close he will only eat food when I'm present. I didn't train him to do this but I think he just sees me as different to other people as if I were a wolf and it's his way of respect. I can get him to lie down or sit with just a move of the hand and I never managed that through being stern or yelling or shouting. Only kindness, patience and loyalty. Animals respect a calm temperament that communicates to them you're an alpha male and can protect them. I think large dogs see through the handler who raises his voice believing that convinces the canine he is alpha. Yet the dog will know whether in a time of crisis that person will lose his nerve and fall apart.
People make fun of the way I handle large dogs but they don't get it. They think you have to raise your voice and look down on animals as if they're inferior but my experience is animals are easily smart enough to recognise leadership qualities. I frequently hug large canines and talk to them and I find they can understand simple language yet humans can't understand animal language as they're often too disconnected. Many times I've corrected people who have used the term "it" to refer to an animal and I say the term is "he" or "she".
Anyway, glad to see you have this connection with your horses and I wish you the best as you progress in this field. Many of us who have aspergers have a special way with animals and I'm sure you will discover more of this.

I was just wondering about that!

Someone told me (again) how unpredictable horses are and I was thinking that's so not true, if I could read people half as good as horses I'd be pretty happy. I've started with the statement: horses are unpredictable and dangerous, they do things with no warning, etc, but after studying them for years I can tell exactly when, what and why they will do something. If they are another specie and I can communicate well with them, why would it be so impossible to do the same with neurotypicals?

 

[rhubarbo]

Ste11aeres: Take a look at the "A Field Guide to Earthlings" by Ian Ford.

It's for us and about them. I found a lot of it a rehash of what I have gathered over the years - BUT there are bits here and there that were all new to me. It's the best book by an aspie about NTs.

I read it twice in a row.

Amazon.com: A Field Guide to Earthlings: An autistic/Asperger view of neurotypical behavior eBook: Ian Ford, Stephanie Hamilton: Kindle Store

EDIT: corrected a mass murder of spelling and grammar errors and fixed the title.