I know we feel the need to name clusters of behaviors and symptoms, but the terms and goalposts are arbitrary, and they always have been.
I don't think folding Asperger's under the ever-widening autism spectrum is helpful, and it's certainly not scientific. By definition, if you're talking to a psychiatrist, they have no idea what's physically "wrong" (abnormal) with your brain.
If anything, having a subset of the population that is resistant to bullshit is extraordinarily important, now more than ever. Humanity seems to be going along to get along to the point of voluntary extinction.
I don't think labeling such people as "disordered" is helpful. Pathological compared to what?
This isn't to say there's not a social cost. It's real and it's significant, and has a huge effect on quality of life. But God damn we need people that think differently and refuse to go along with bullshit.
Are we different? Yes. Are we disordered and pathological by nature? No.
We can definitely learn to get along, and the world ought to meet us halfway.
Ron, you may be interested to read Simon Baron-Cohen's "Extreme Male Brain" theory of autism, which stems from his broader theory about sex differences in cognition. Males, especially high-IQ males like you, often show strong systematizing traits, one of which is preference for logic over social nuance
Hmmm... I'll definitely check that out! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm currently reading Temple Grandin's book "The Autistic Brain," which is interesting as she discusses both the research AND her own personal experience.
P.S. I definitely prefer logic over social nuance. I think everybody should, but I'm clearly in the minority... haha.
This hits close to home in a lot of ways.
I know we feel the need to name clusters of behaviors and symptoms, but the terms and goalposts are arbitrary, and they always have been.
I don't think folding Asperger's under the ever-widening autism spectrum is helpful, and it's certainly not scientific. By definition, if you're talking to a psychiatrist, they have no idea what's physically "wrong" (abnormal) with your brain.
If anything, having a subset of the population that is resistant to bullshit is extraordinarily important, now more than ever. Humanity seems to be going along to get along to the point of voluntary extinction.
I don't think labeling such people as "disordered" is helpful. Pathological compared to what?
This isn't to say there's not a social cost. It's real and it's significant, and has a huge effect on quality of life. But God damn we need people that think differently and refuse to go along with bullshit.
Are we different? Yes. Are we disordered and pathological by nature? No.
We can definitely learn to get along, and the world ought to meet us halfway.
All good thoughts. I predict an uncoupling of the two in the DSM-6. That would be good.
Ron, you may be interested to read Simon Baron-Cohen's "Extreme Male Brain" theory of autism, which stems from his broader theory about sex differences in cognition. Males, especially high-IQ males like you, often show strong systematizing traits, one of which is preference for logic over social nuance
Hmmm... I'll definitely check that out! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm currently reading Temple Grandin's book "The Autistic Brain," which is interesting as she discusses both the research AND her own personal experience.
P.S. I definitely prefer logic over social nuance. I think everybody should, but I'm clearly in the minority... haha.